Thursday, January 20, 2011

Eviction

I am a slow runner, this is the box I have put myself in.  This box is better than the ‘you can’t do that’ box I was put in years ago.  This box has lots of room and is comfortable.  I look at other people in their boxes that are a bit smaller and sleeker but I tell myself that I won’t fit in the smaller, faster box.  I will feel pressure in that box.  But the women in those boxes aren’t that different from me.  Some are shorter, thinner which makes their box a tiny bit easier to live in but there are also women who are taller and weigh more than I do getting along just fine in smaller boxes.
For years I was told I couldn’t do this.  Then I started doing it.  I told myself I could, my husband told me I could and I did it, I really did.  But what now?  I have a triathlon coach with the best disposition known to man.  When I was training for my Half Ironman he doubted me.  He didn’t doubt me as a person but with my injuries and lack of run training he wanted me to wait, he didn’t want me to hurt myself.  I’m not a waiting kind of girl.  I used that doubt on many a long bike ride and on some of my very hot runs.  I’ll show him! 
My coach writes up my workouts.  In life I am not a good little sheep, I do not do as I am told.  When it comes to triathlon and my coach I am a pretty good sheep.  He writes it, I do it.  I don’t usually look at my workouts before I have to, I guess I like the surprise and spontaneity of looking and then doing.  The other day I looked at a run workout and the target speed wasn’t anything I had ever done for more than a few minutes.  My first feeling was confusion then I got angry.  WHY would he tell me to do something I CAN’T do?  As if this is personal.  I sent him an e-mail and a text demanding an explanation.  This is where his perfect coach disposition comes out.  He simply told me to do what I can and then even told me to make it a moderate run. 
I went for my run and found myself pushing for the original numbers I thought unattainable.  I realized during this run I had gone from ‘you can’t do this’ to ‘you can do this’ to ‘I expect you to do this.’  I wasn’t raised with much in the way of expectations so this is somewhat new to me.  I think my coach is sending me an eviction notice from my big comfy slow box.

3 comments:

  1. Good! You have a great coach. Get outta that "slow" box!

    The benefit: the faster you run, the sooner you are done! (My mantra when I feel like I am plodding along).

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  2. It sounds like your coach knows that you can do more and is pushing you in that direction! You've got a great coach.

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  3. Hi Keri! That's an excellent piece. I like the box you are in and I like the box I am in . And I like a coach to be accountable to. I am not a good student, typically, but when I have a goal out there in teh distance, I know I need to follow the instructions. If I try to do it "my way", I typically fail. Thanks for your inspiration.
    hugs
    merry

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