London Marathon #20: Less than a week to go

At this point the only thing left to do is trust the process and plug in. Oh! And pack my bags, don't forget the passport!

More after a summary of last week's program:

• Tuesday: Tempo run, Shiga Kogen, Japan. This run was 11km, only 30 minutes of it was done at a bit faster pace than I will be running the marathon.

• Wednesday: Walk, Salem, United States. Walking at a brisk pace for 50 minutes. This helps with recovery for the next hard session.

• Thursday: Interval run, Old Town Lamu, Kenya. Intervals of one-minute fast pace, one-minute recovery for 20 minutes. Sandwiched between a long warm up and long cool down. Distance covered was 7km.

• Friday: Walk, Salem, United States. Walking at a brisk pace for 50 minutes.

• Saturday: Shorter long run, last leg of virtual London Marathon. This run was done at marathon pace with a long warm up and a long cool down. Total of 12km.

• Sunday:  Easy run, around the streets of town. This run is done at a very easy pace, 10km.

• Monday: Salem, United States. Walking at a brisk pace for 50 minutes.

The self-leadership lessons this week are both focused on performance.

Lesson 1: Trust the Process

The iFit trainers talk a lot about trusting the process. When we take the first step on a training program to eventually run a marathon (or do anything significant) it's really hard to imagine being at the point where you're ready and confident to do it. I remember being in grade one at primary school, having to deliver something to the grade six classroom. When I walked in and saw the math problems on the blackboard I freaked out, thinking, "There is no way I'm ever going to be able to do those." I was experiencing that overwhelming feeling brought on by the gap between where I was at that point in time and where I needed to be in the future, the moment when giving up seems like a good option. But, of course, after a few more years of education, and building up my knowledge, when I got to grade six, I could do the math. I just had to trust the process. Now I am only days away from running the London Marathon, it's about trusting the process in a slightly different way. I've done the work, put in the hard yards, prepared myself. Now is not the time to doubt myself, I have every reason to believe in myself, because I have honoured the process!

"Just do the work and the results will handle themselves." - Tony Gaskins

Lesson 2: Plug In

Last week, one of the iFit trainers who has run many marathons, described how he used to think the elite marathon runners in the world ran an autopilot, tuning out until it was time to focus on the finish line. He came across some research that showed this was not the case, in fact, it is quite the opposite. The elite marathoners are very plugged in, every moment of the race. This knowledge prompted him to change his approach, making sure he always runs with awareness, taking it all in, enjoying the nuances of the experience. I want to do the same, plug in! Be present, soak it all up, be amazed that I'm running in the London Marathon, appreciate the other runners, the crowds and the volunteers, embrace feeling totally knackered when I cross the finish line.

"The great science to live happily is to live in the present." - Pythagoras