What a Difference Support Makes

“If you lose faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.” – Kathrine Switzer

(Written last Saturday but I’m just now sharing.) Good morning!!! It is a beautiful day here. It is a cool 60 degrees and the sun is shining brightly without a cloud in the sky. I had a wonderful run with the ladies at the Women Can Run clinic this morning. There is something about running with a group of dedicated people that just endlessly inspires me. From the expert runners who volunteer their time to coach us to the newcomers who may be learning to walk three consecutive miles, I can’t help but be motivated by the company of people who are actively working toward their goals. Hope is contagious. I like to get it on me if I’m low and I like to give it away if I’ve got some extra. At a clinic like this there is more than enough hope to go around. When one person reaches their goal, they share hope with others that they can reach their goal, too. And that is where inspiration is born. The whole track buzzes with it and it gives me extra bursts of energy that improves my running performance.

I saw people cheering other people on. I saw people encouraged by watching other people succeed. It was like “having church” on the track. It was beautiful and it was contagious. We ran a 2 mile tempo run. During the last quarter mile I was running next to another woman and we were cheering each other on the whole way. When we finished we walked back down the track to cheer on the other runners as they came in for their finish. Another woman in our group set a personal record today and we were all excited for her accomplishment. It was a very inspiring way to start the day.

It reminded me of something I want to share with you. We will enjoy running more when we focus on achieving our personal best. Competing with other people creates adversarial relationships. It sets up a “me against them” approach to life that robs us of the joy of being inspired by the success of other people. Competition suggests that resources are so limited that we must all scramble to get what we can for ourselves. In order for you to get what you need it must be taken from me because there is not enough for both of us. It is based on a poverty mentality. In running, someone else’s success does not diminish your personal best. So go ahead and cheer for them. They may not have anyone else supporting them. Your support may mean more than you think it does.

Keep this in mind. It is a great big world and someone will always be faster than us or be able to run longer distances than us. If we view our success in comparison to their success we will get discouraged and burn out before we reach our goal. Somewhere down the road there may be someone who will try to make it into a competition. Don’t fall for that. Keep encouraging them as well as everyone else. Stay true to who you are and don’t let their mindset become your own. It is healthy to strive for our personal best but keep it in perspective. Our self worth does not hang on how fast or far we can run or what place we finish in a race.

This mentality will serve us well on the trail as well as in other areas of our life. Encouraging each other creates a thriving culture of inspiration. It raises the level of performance for everyone because we all want to give our best when people we respect are counting on us.

I have always found inspiration in people who encourage me to do my personal best, rather than encouraging me to beat out over someone else. My family has always been my biggest support. They are always the first to encourage me. I’ve never ran a race without at least one of them there to support me. They are always proud of me no matter where I finish in the race. Their support makes a huge difference. In one particular race it may have been the difference between finishing and giving up.

In June of 2009, I ran a half marathon in Estes Park, Colorado. This race is known for being the highest paved marathon route in the United States. The average elevation is 7,785 feet above sea level, with the highest point reaching 8,150 feet. It is common for runners to experience altitude sickness at elevations of 5,000 feet or higher. There is less oxygen in the air at that altitude which can cause a host of symptoms that decrease running performance.

So flash forward to me standing on the starting line, getting ready to begin this race that I’ve been preparing for over the last three months. Several family members are there and I’m energized by their support. Although I had some nervous energy that morning, when they showed up all of that melted away and my confidence returned. The race begins. For the first several miles, I spot my family at several locations along the route. They’ve created these wonderfully hilarious signs to help me enjoy the journey and keep me in good spirits (check them out in the slideshow on this page). If I had any liquid to spare, I would have spent it on happy tears. It meant so much to me to have them there.

So I’m running and I’m enjoying every step. I feel great. The scenery is breathtaking. Snowcapped mountains. Bright blue skies. Clean mountain air. Fields of wildflowers in every color. I’m in heaven. Whenever I start to get a little bit tired, I round a corner and there is my family, hopping out of the van, slinging signs, and cheering me on. They keep me motivated and pushing forward.

About mile 10, I really start to feel the affects of the higher elevation. My muscles are weak. My heart rate is more elevated than usual. My pulse is racing. I can tell that my performance is decreasing and that my breathing is not pulling in as much oxygen as I need. In addition to the altitude sickness, I'd made a common mistake for new runners - I had started out way too fast. Blame it on the adrenaline. I’ve been averaging a little over an 8 minute mile, but I hit a mile long uphill stretch and it got really hard from there on out. My legs are lead and I can feel myself slowing down. I still have over 3 miles left.

Out of nowhere, my younger sister runs up along side me. She ran a mile or so with me just to ask how I was doing and to encourage me. She and the rest of my family had gone on ahead in the van to scout out the remaining route so that she could relay to me what the last few miles looked like. This prepared me mentally for what was ahead. Being able to visualize the finish line recharged my batteries. I was still physically exhausted but her encouragement had given my brain its second wind.

Those were the hardest 3 miles I have ever raced to this day. I was so exhausted. I am a fighter, but I might have considered dropping out of the race at that point if it weren’t for my family being there to support me. But there was absolutely no way I was going to stop or even walk. I wanted to do my absolute best for them and for myself. They had supported me while I was in training and I felt like I was representing all of us. The only thing that kept me going for those last few miles was the people who supported me.

Waiting for me at the finish line was my family. My dad gave me a big hug as I crossed over the finish line. He said, feeling relief for me, “You can stop running now.” My husband was waiting with an orange juice and what he calls "Vitamin I" (ibuprofen). My sisters crowned me with a homemade crown made of Styrofoam and had bejeweled it to say, “Marathon Queen”. My parents had arranged for me to have a post race massage immediately after the race, which is one of the best presents I’ve ever gotten. =) And then we all went out for lunch together.

I wish every runner had people to support them. Make sure you appreciate the people that support you. They are volunteering their time, too. They listen to hours of talk about running - which they probably have no interest in - but they are interested in us, so they listen. They are spending part of their income to buy us those ridiculously expensive running shoes. They are watching the kids so that we can have some time to ourselves out on the trail. They are making dinner so we can run that long distance run we’ve been trying to get in all week. We would be much less ambitious in setting our goals if we weren't able to rely on their help to achieve them. They aren’t setting a personal record, and they aren’t walking away with a finisher’s medal. Their role is one that will go unnoticed if we don’t make a point to notice it. So we get the fun job of being creative in letting them know how much we appreciate them. Not everyone has someone to support them and it makes a world of difference. Appreciate the people that support us. We know they deserve it.

If you don’t have someone to support you, don’t let that discourage you. Consider joining a running group. The Road Runners Club of America is “the oldest and largest organization in the United States dedicated to distance running.” They have over a thousand running groups. If there is not a local group established where you are, consider starting one.

So here’s some practical advice when preparing for a race. Research the elevation of the course. If you’re planning on running a race at an altitude of 5,000 feet or higher, arrive to the area 2 – 3 days before the race. It takes this length of time for your body to produce more red blood cells so that it can acclimate to the decrease in oxygen at the higher altitude. Also helpful when preparing for a high altitude race is to avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages. You will want to drink more liquid than usual but stick to water or your favorite sports drink. Because altitude sickness symptoms can include stomach troubles and nausea, choose foods that you are familiar with. Stay away from anything that may irritate your stomach. Last, consider what you will do if you begin to feel altitude sickness during the race. Be prepared to walk. I know! That’s difficult advice for most runners but it is far better to add a few minutes to your time and finish the race than to be forced to quit because of altitude sickness.

Check out this link for a story about what a difference a little support can make.