What’s up party people?!
So, my training hasn’t been the same due to the obvious reason- running two marathons in a 3 week span. Really, it has been running to stay loose and moving, stretching, recuperating, and eating. Lots of eating. Dear lort… I’ve been eating like crazy since NYC. Lol… the marathon munchies are real…
After thinking about my trip to NYC and the days leading up to that weekend, I realized that I didn’t give myself a chance to rest and chill out. I was too used to being constantly on the go and putting out fires that I forgot one major key to marathon race day… rest and sleep. Too much overthinking and trying to do everything was too much on my physical and mental health. Note to self- be more mindful.
So, in preparation for Route 66, I’ve really worked on my mental game. Going to bed earlier, watching Creed 1 & 2, taking more breaks during the day, contributing back to the community, go on a sporadic trip, and celebrate being in the here-and-now. This past week, I read a children’s book about Jim Thorpe to my son’s class, sang some powwow jams with my bro’s for a Native Heritage month celebration, took my oldest son to an OSU basketball game for his birthday, chilled out with a few buddies of mine, and cooked a homemade dinner for my kid crew.
Do I slip back into overthinking? Of course. Anxiety sucks. But looking back just in the past few weeks, I’ve been able to flex my own mental muscle by thinking of accomplishments in addition to running NYC. Maneuvering around NYC by myself, getting resources out to my students, celebrating mentors’ accomplishments, and daily dad and house duties are just some of things I did before leaving.
Now… this might be something perceived as everyday stuff. But for someone working on their mental wealth (said that on purpose), being able to shift thinking and control attitude is monumental work. It takes a lot of practice and confidence to build up to this point. Mental wealth- permeating love and good energies to your surroundings- is (IMO) one of the main keys to self-mastery. It takes a lot of work, but it’s always One Step, One Breath, One Mile at a Time.
Which brings me back to preparing for this weekend’s race. I went back to my old messages when I ran Marine Corps Marathon last year and I came across a message my Dad left me at mile 25. He said “Go Petey, this is the warrior part of your run! Give it all you got!” I remember taking a couple deep breaths and turnt up the speed like Billy Mills when he won the gold medal in the 1964 Olympics. That last stretch is no joke as you gotta charge up the hill to the Iwo Jima Memorial for the finish line.
While running, I tend to get caught up asking myself too many questions- are my feet hitting right, are my legs outta wack, do I have to pee, etc etc etc. And these questions are good to ask, but that’s all I was focusing on. Even at a certain point in NYC while running by myself, I let go of my goals that I WANTED and centered myself into the moment. I ran the race I was given. And I was able to turn on my warrior mode and crush it.
Tonight, I caught myself asking so many questions and trying to solve every problem. But with help, I was able to step back and compartmentalize my thoughts. “You just ran a marathon”, “you’re running at home”, “this is your time, your city, and your streets for the day”. It helped to reset my thinking and come back to what’s about to happen this Sunday- I get to run with my brother Nick in his first marathon!
Long story, shortened
So, last year, Nick came over to watch OU/Alabama play on tv. He said he wanted to run a marathon. I was like- bro! Lemme know and I’ll come cheer you on the whole day! Uhhh… an email popped up a few days later and bro had paid for my registration LOL. Welp, guess I was running 😂😂😂
This race will be our warrior run. We run in prayer, celebrate with fellow runners, run for people who cannot move and who are sick… this is our hustle, this is who we are. Time to collect these miles and medals.
Aiite my folks. Time to wrap it up. My heart is still in NYC, but I’m so glad to be running at home- Tulsa, aka T-Town, 9Run8. Ride with me…
One love -PJ
Running is Ceremony 