From Perseverance Comes Success

Of all that is good, sublimity is supreme. Suceeding is the coming together of all that is beautiful. Furtherance is the agreement of all that is just. Perseverance is the foundation of all actions.
Lao Tzu

This weekend, I had the profound opportunity to volunteer at the Zumbro 100 Mile Race. The weather and conditions could not have been more adverse for participants and I'll admit, at first I was not excited to drive down in the snow and cold to stand for hours. However, it turned out to be one of the most impactful reminders of why I race to begin with. Quite simply, I race to constantly redefine what I once thought was impossible both physically and mentally. I find that through this heightened awareness, I am able to reach beyond immense obstacles in other areas of life and continue to develop as a society member.

Of those that persevered through the 100 mile race this weekend (greater than 40% DNF rate), nothing was more evident than how powerful the correct mindset and attitude are during a race. Those that had fun and finished strong were light at heart, appreciative of their crew members, and focused on one obstacle at a time, breaking the race down into hundreds of small manageable goals. Of course, this mindset was fueled by a close attention to detail and the management of expectations. The race is never won in the opening miles which was evident once again after the first couple males throwing down ridiculous times dropped out.

In retrospect, as a fellow trail racer, this was a great reminder at the beginning of a long season. Not every race will go great, conditions are bound to be sub par, and at points I will have to face extreme fatigue and pain. Not every day can be glorious and all days are bound to have unique challenges. By mentally preparing ahead of time, finding beauty in the race surroundings, and gratefully thanking those that make each race possible, how can you go wrong? With each challenge comes the ability to create a new memory. With each new memory comes the knowledge to overcome the next hurdle. If you can live with that outlook, great things will happen.

Thank you Zumbro runners for radiating this great reminder and cheers to a phenomenal accomplishment!

Weekend Summary:
Two weeks out from my first serious race, I had a stiff weekend after a pretty phenomenal week of training. I completed 43 miles from Friday to Sunday. Friday I ran 22 miles in the following fashion: 7@ 6:50 m/mi, 7@ 6:40 m/mi, 7@ 6:25m/mi, 1 mile cool-down in the sleet and snow. Saturday was a cold 9 mile trudge with 3000ft of total altitude at Hyland in the 5 inches of packed snow. It was supposed to be an easy run, but turned out pretty challenging physically and mentally. Today, I rounded the weekend out with 12 miles easy. I threw in a couple pick-ups just to keep the legs alive. The weekly total was 72 miles with 2 threshold based workouts that felt great. Confidence inspiring stuff as I roll into a week of sharpening before a short Chippewa taper.