My second marathon - what a shift!
By Laura Stetler
Last month I ran my second full marathon inside of 8 months in Richmond, VA (the first was earlier this year as a gift to myself having just turned 40). If the first was a wonderful experience and primarily a physical endurance project, then the second marathon was all mental endurance. Seriously, an off ramp appeared every couple weeks inviting me to sit this one out with a lovely pour of bourbon instead.
I didn’t. And…with help from Calmpak, I moved through this obstacle course and finished on a very hot Richmond Marathon day. I am so glad I did!
Unlike the lengthy training for the Shamrock Marathon in March, training for Richmond was a condensed schedule. I folded a year-long process into 3 months in late summer with high heat and humidity and travel. This meant little margin for schedule interruptions (which happened a lot) and a critical need for energy management (which was also tested a lot)!
These Calmpak guided imagery, worry relief, and relaxation tracks helped me:
Set Goals – To connect with breathing and plan before challenging long run days in oppressive heat. This made the difference in making decisions about fuel and hydration alongside navigating new neighborhoods and routes when my favorite training route was disrupted in September.
Unwind – To better recover after a slog (e.g. delayed flights, long waits, brutal runs) embracing the power of resting muscles as part of the work while dealing better with shifting sands of scheduling (August - November).
Worry Reducer/Day Worries – To rest and reset during nights (and days) where sleep was severely disrupted by emergency, loss, and grief in October.
Each one of these obstacles could have pulled me out; however, they didn’t. Instead, I was able to:
Finish 26.2 miles, again
Finish strongly
Finish healthily in one heck of hot run
Have a meaningful time on this victory loop (since I had only planned one for 2022)
See if there is a bit more in the tank? (yes…there *might* be a 50K)
Laura Stetler competing in the 2022 Richmond Marathon.
#calmpak #becauseyoucan #andidid #marathonfinish #finishedstrong #hadfun
#marathontraining #richmondmarathon #sportsperformance