The Moment

Every moment is different.  We have our good days and our bad days, and for the race day itself, it can be one way or another.  Michael Phelps, who most people thought would get a medal, finished 4th place in the 400m individual medley.  This was a surprise to most of the people watching, since he is one of the most famous swimmers, getting the opportunity to win the most Olympic gold medals, especially after last year's 8 medals.  For the Olympics, it's the moment that counts.  One race that happens every 4 years, deciding who is going to receive the medal, and that one day could be good... or not so good.

Is there a 100% accurate way of making ourselves have a good day?  I believe that that would be impossible.  However, there are multiple ways in which we could improve our chances of performance.  First of all, there's mental preparation.  The more we are prepared, the better we would be able to perform.  Secondly, there is a need of rest, because without proper rest, we would not be able to function as well, which will inhibit our performance.  When everything rides on one day, it's important that you are ready.  The better prepared you are, the more likely you'll have a good day.  That doesn't mean that you will 100% have a good day.

There will be a bad day.  Does that mean that you'll be overwhelmed by what's going on and you won't be able to perform at all?  No!  It means that you won't be able to perform 100%, but instead, you would be able to still work hard and perform at your current best.  The best advice for anyone, whether they are having a good day or not is this:  Never give up and always push forward.  DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED.  In the moment, we can be overwhelmed, and it's the moment that we need to be in control over ourselves, so that we can do our best.

Today, I decided to go for a long run and ran 15 miles in 2:09:35 an average of an 8:38 min/mile.  It is definitely not my marathon pace, but it was pretty good for running without refueling and drinking that much water.  This is going to be my longest run before my 5k, but as soon as the 5k is done, I am starting a new training regiment, where I would be required to run about double the distance every Saturday so that my body would be used to the strain of running more than a marathon.  I am honestly excited to push myself and get myself ready to do my best in the 50 mile race... but first, I need to do my best in this 5k.