Jogging the 21km half-marathon has taught me that there is a limit to how much one's mental willpower can push one beyond one's normal capabilities. I egged myself on for the last 5km even though my legs were screaming stop, and for a while it worked, but after that they just stopped on their own. So I walked several hundred metres, and I told myself I have to continue pushing, and continue pushing I did, for another km or so before my legs gave up again.
The fatigue was incredible. I told myself to ignore the fatigue, it's so rare that I get the chance to run in such events, and I recalled telling myself before the run started that I must never give up no matter how tired I was during the run. And so I jogged for another km or so before I had to walk again.
And it was this way for 4km or so, until the very last km, where everyone was pushing themselves on. I had a very long walk before that, so that I could jog through the last km, which was what I did- until the last 250m, where, no matter how much mental effort I pumped in, I stopped and walked.
Looking back now it's incredible thinking that I couldnt just push myself to run for another 250m. (Eventually I did run, but it was for the last 150metres or so I think) I can learn from this and tell myself that the next time this happens again, I must push more and I mustnt walk. After all, it was so damn near the end point. And yet paradoxically this very experience tells me that the next time a situation like this happens again, I will fail to keep up with my mental train of thought- again.
The first layer of inhibition to personally stellar achievements is physical. The second is mental. The third and final layer you have got to overcome is physical. Something tells me that this final layer can never be overcome, but I dont mind putting this hypothesis to the test again.
The fatigue was incredible. I told myself to ignore the fatigue, it's so rare that I get the chance to run in such events, and I recalled telling myself before the run started that I must never give up no matter how tired I was during the run. And so I jogged for another km or so before I had to walk again.
And it was this way for 4km or so, until the very last km, where everyone was pushing themselves on. I had a very long walk before that, so that I could jog through the last km, which was what I did- until the last 250m, where, no matter how much mental effort I pumped in, I stopped and walked.
Looking back now it's incredible thinking that I couldnt just push myself to run for another 250m. (Eventually I did run, but it was for the last 150metres or so I think) I can learn from this and tell myself that the next time this happens again, I must push more and I mustnt walk. After all, it was so damn near the end point. And yet paradoxically this very experience tells me that the next time a situation like this happens again, I will fail to keep up with my mental train of thought- again.
The first layer of inhibition to personally stellar achievements is physical. The second is mental. The third and final layer you have got to overcome is physical. Something tells me that this final layer can never be overcome, but I dont mind putting this hypothesis to the test again.
3 Comments:
Want to participate in a marathon next year?
....good try.....am preparing 4 the standchart 1/2-marathon on 2 dec.....it's the challenge of physical n mental......hope 2 complete within 2.5hrs........
Just don't collapse at the end.
Aquila
Post a Comment
<< Home