Half-Time Locker Room Talk

It’s Day 15 of the challenge that I posted about here, so I’m sharing my observations. The deal was to run/walk just 1 mile a day, everyday, for 30 days.

When I played basketball, half time was always interesting. There was no way of accurately predicting whether good coach, mean coach, cheerleader coach or crazy coach was coming for you. Team goes in first. You sit there in an akward silence and then the door eventually swings open.

Standing before you is a older man/woman with a clipboard. This person probably stomps their feet regularly. At the time, you thought this person was middle-aged. In hindsight, they were probably 32. Maybe 40 at the most. But I digress.

Sitting in that locker room, you either got the amazing inspirational speech that fires you up for the second half or you got chewed out for screwing up the first half. The mean speech can can also fire you up with the right delivery. Or it can gut you like a fish. Sometimes you get both speeches.

This half time feels a bit different. No coach. Just my own mental chatter, but I’m not being “mean coach” anymore. I’m being “instructional coach.”

I’m about 2-3 points ahead against a good team. Feeling pretty good but I need to make some minor adjustments. The plan is to go back out there and start to slowing pull away. Two hand claps and a pat on the butt on the way out the door. That’s where I’m at.

Here’s the deal:

• I missed one day but made it 14 out of 15 days. Disappointing but not the end of the world.

• 2 days I didn’t run the entire mile - I stopped briefly to catch my breath and then kept going.

• The rest of the days, I ran the entire mile albiet a few days on a treadmill with weather or daylight constraints.

• My time is consistently in the high 10:00s now. 10:55-ish is typical.

• I am definintely getting faster and feeling a bit lighter on my feet.

• I’m adjusting my goal. I wanted to be under 11:00 by the end of 30 days, and I’m there.

• New goal: under 10:30 by the end of 30.

• I find that I preform better in the morning. The later in the day, I feel drained + slower.

That’s the mechanical part of it. Here’s the mental and emotional part:

• It definitely is easier to get out the door when the time commitmet is only a mile.

• Once I do it, I really do feel more energized for other things.

• 3 days each week, I also lift weights. I’m trying to prioritize this so I can combat muscle loss.

• I’ve made wiser food choices.

• It’s been a good thing.

  Now on to the second half.