Training Update from Erica

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'"
 - Peter Maher, Irish-Canadian Olympian and sub-2:12 marathoner

"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs."
-Jesse Owens quotes (American Athlete, 4 time Gold Medalist in Track and Field at the 1936 Olympic Games, 1913-1980)

"Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head."
-Joe Henderson


Weekends for me are a chance to catch up on work, school, friendships and sleep... but it also means I have a long run planned somewhere in there. Greeaaat.
Sometimes I literally have to prepare myself mentally to get motivated for the long workout I will have ahead, as there are potentially a million excuses I could easily come up with to NOT run that day. There are so many daily obligations that we all have at any given moment, it's just so tempting to leave the running for another day.  I have learned overtime (the hard way, of course) that leaving something for "tomorrow" is such a trap. Tomorrow becomes next week and next month and before you know it, you're doing the EXACT same thing you were doing the year before.  Prioritizing our lives is an ongoing battle and everyone has their next best excuse.  So when it comes to running, I guess doing a little research on accomplished, well known athletes is the most logical way to go about it getting the inspiration I need.
The quotes shown above are great examples of what helps me get through a long run, especially at the moments when I'm feeling exhausted and needing a half decent excuse to quit.  Last week I ran 20 miles, this next week it needs to be more like 23 miles.  So really, when it comes down to it, I just gotta get up and do it.  I could read all the runners magazines, inspirational quotes and fitness articles all I want... but at the end of the day, nothing else matters than the moments where I push myself just a little bit farther than I went the week before.  That's it and that's all. 
So that's what Im gonna do....just get up and do it.
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Sincerely,

Erica Castillo
American Liver Foundation Running Team Member- San Diego
erykahcastillo@gmail.com or sdcharity2010@gmail.com