By Laura Stetler

Last month I ran my first full marathon at age 40. It was such a good experience that I still cannot quite believe I enjoyed the process of getting there so deeply. My sense is that this year of training came at an important point in my life where a physical endurance project would guide me in how to better care for myself. I’m honored to share with you how this happened and how Calmpak helped me along the way!

It’s important to share that if you had told me a full marathon was in the cards even 5 years ago, I would have twinkled, giggled, and disbelieved you! A dancer at heart, hanging out in such a limited range of motion for hours and hours had never had allure for me, except for making music (classical violinist here by early training). However, a decade ago, a dear friend cornered me over a glass of wine into a commitment to run my first half marathon. I skeptically accepted the challenge, found I had fun, and discovered value in the runs for thinking and writing a graduate thesis.

The first half marathon expanded over the last decade into 6 races, when I had time and/or needed to process some big things. They went well since the necessary 1-2 hour longer training runs simply helped with planning and navigating life. I had no thoughts of more, especially since marathoners routinely lamented that full marathon training took a lot of time each week.

But then…the covid context landed. Between big decisions around relocating and professional heartbreak that needed to be grieved, 2021 provided me with ample time to train. And…the most recent half marathon on a treadmill at a gym in June of 2020 showed me something had noticeably changed for me. I got curious about some minor dissatisfaction with wrapping up that indoor run…not feeling done at 13.1 miles and also a bit aimless with so much unknown swirling around me each week. I also wanted to make some shifts to my nutrition and rest. So…I did. 

In early 2021, I shared this idea with a couple really cool ladies I trusted…that for my 40th birthday in February of 2022, I would give myself the year leading up to train for a full marathon and implement the changes I needed to:

• Finish 26.2 miles

• Finish strong & healthy

• Have fun
  

This project combined elements of self care and regard that I had wanted to implement since 2019.  I got orthotics to take care of my feet and help with effectively building strength through single leg work. I collaborated with trainers (Shannon and Andrea of Crowned Fit) to build strength and endurance with a planned schedule each week (two sessions for strength + agility and runs on my own). We started in person and shifted to remote with a move from CT to VA early on. Monday became the long run day for the most part. Nutrition, hydration, and good sleep became key for each Monday to be a good day! This also meant the decisions I was making Thursday through Sunday would determine how Monday’s run would go. Months of getting to practice this helped me see how I could influence my physical capacity. 

All the good physical things did not change little seeds of doubt that lingered in how I talked to myself. Those required finding ways to change my voice and the things I said to myself. And…this is precisely where Calmpak helped. Starting in late summer of 2020, I began practicing a new conversation with Melissa (Calmpak’s creator) and myself throughout the week to combine the physical and mental work together.  Key elements of the tracks on Calmpak - guided imagery, relaxation, and breathing deeply - partnered with the physical training to help me visualize each step ahead of time to finish each new distance challenge, which did not always go smoothly.

Crossing the finish line on March 20th and that celebratory beer was wonderful! Finishing 26.2 miles answered questions I had started to ponder over a year before. It also showed me that I can choose where and what to endure. This gift was a nice surprise! However, the gift of caring for myself well and how that changed my inner conversation to navigate each week has also emerged as the lasting gift. Heading to the pool to keep movement going for a couple weeks now and I will explore what’s next. 

I know these things though:

• Monday needs to be a run day or something fun day that prioritizes self care on the weekends and sets up the rest of the week.

• I recommend tackling a long-term fitness project that helps you translate insights to other parts of your life.

• Calmpak helped me get there through foresight and rest.

Up for tackling a fitness project?! Three Calmpak tracks emerged to help me in nearly every week of training to change how I spoke to myself and handled challenges each week.  Each had a very different, though important, role. 

1. Good Morning – deep breathing with goal setting guided imagery (9 minutes)

I used this on long run days after breakfast and while stretching before a long run. A couple of times this one created the space for me to remember an important item and set expectations about what a challenging run might feel like in advance. I came to feel fondly for this track.

2. Relax –  squeeze and release muscle relaxation with violin support (8 minutes)

I used this track to relax on recovery days after a big mileage push. I struggled to embrace the power of resting muscles as part of the training. This track helped me experience the importance of mind to muscle tissue.

3. Focused breathing – 3 count box breathing (5 minutes)

This track helped me find my way back to my big breath on days when I could feel myself holding my breath. These were days when things did not unfold well or effectively...the super frustrating moments. Returning to breathing was simple and effective for ultimately setting the pace for running well.

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#calmpak #becauseyoucan #andidid #marathonfinish # finishedstrong #hadfun