One more day to the marathon and I have butterflies in my tummy. The butterflies are not for me but for the Fifth Ray runners who are running the roads tomorrow. I am so excited and anxious for all of them. At the beginning of their journey, they all shared with me their individuals goals. After months of training, here we are, just ONE day away from them realising their dreams. It is just so exciting!! =o)
I must salute each and every one of the Fifth Ray runners running tomorrow. They kept their goals insight and worked hard each day to move closer to their goals. Even after months of hard training, their resolve to achieve their goals never wavered. They constantly kept their focus and continued to be the best that they can be. Tomorrow is their day to reap the fruits of their labour! I am just so excited for them! Can you tell?? hahaha... I should be running along side a few of the runners tomorrow and I can't wait. They are ready and prepared for the race!
To All the Fifth Ray Runners running tomorrow, I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to each and everyone of you. I have had an amazing journey with all of you in the past year. The 5am training "Good Mornings" from each of you never fails to start my day on a beautiful note. Your dedication is remarkable and it is YOU that keeps me going! When assigned with your training for the day, the "OKs", "I'll do my best!" and "I'll try my best!" are admirable. Every time each of you take to the track or roads, you display an indescribable purposeful determination and perseverance. You have all been exemplary in the way you have carried yourselves and taken on the journey to realise your dreams. I can't thank you all enough for you have enriched my experiences as a coach and my life. I know you will accomplish what you have set out for yourselves. It's a knowing deep within my heart. I believe you will achieve your goals.
I will be "RUNNING" with each and every one of you! If not physically, it will be in spirit =o) GO! GO! GO! See you all at the Finish Line! Fly to the end!
I just had a chat with a friend earlier, who is also a coach. He was sharing that there are some clients that are never satisfied with the training programmes he provides to them. To them, he is never good enough. Then he questioned, why do they pay and have him train them in the first place? I told him that that's a really great question which I can't answer it myself either as I do wonder about that at times myself.
I shared with him that he is not alone. I have had my fair share of clients who are never satisfied with the training I've provided. It really doesn't better if we have taken them in when they were at 'ground zero' (injured, post-surgery, unconditioned, unfit, etc.) and we have helped them to become a lot more mobile, attain their range of motion, strength, fitness, achieve their goals or beyond. To them, they gained their physical abilities all by themselves without your assistance. All successes are through their own efforts and they are quick to point fingers at the coach for their own failures. Without evaluation and reflecting on one's own actions first. It really does not matter what we do as they won't see it because they can't look pass themselves.
I told him to take heart and shared that what I always choose to do is to train all my clients unconditionally and to the very best of my abilities. Even if I go beyond the call of duty out of the genuine goodness of my heart, there will be individuals who decide to insult or mock at me or my programmes, and I can't control that. What I can do is decide on how I respond and think... What these individuals think of me is none of my business! They are free to move on and choose something else that they deem is 'better'. Never engage in their negative and self-centeredness with these individuals. I pick and choose my battles wisely at every single moment.
I told him "Welcome to the world of the service industry"=o) And I reminded him that there maybe a few 'bad eggs'. However, always look towards those who are positive and is willing to work together to achieve their goals. Even if it just one individual, it is enough to 'wash' all those negativity away. I told him that I have been very fortunate to have a beautiful group of runners for this upcoming marathon. They have also been most co-operative to allow us to assist them in achieving their goals. It is such a joy to be part of their journey. It makes all the nasty experiences disappear.
Please do not misunderstand... Coaches are not individuals who are looking for recognition just because they train you. Coaches usually train others with a passion. And it is their job to do so as their trainees would have paid them to do. It just makes it difficult for coaches to train any individual who attends training sessions grudgingly or would only engage in exercises they fancy which makes the goals set out impossible to achieve. In addition, should you decide that the training no longer works for you, move on and do not continue to crucify the coach.
Having shared all these, I would like to Thank all the Fifth Ray runners who have maintained their positivity during the training sessions all these months and years and who have worked together with us at Fifth Ray to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. It is for these individuals that we always strive to better our programmes and services. And provide them with the best programmes we possibly can.
Whenever I train myself or others for a marathon race, it is the journey that I learn the most from. It has never been the race itself. The race is usually completed in a matter of hours while the training journey lasts for months or even years. Over the years, it has been the journey that has presented the most challenging of circumstances - physically and psychologically, for self and training others.
I am always thankful for all the challenges as they have certainly made me stronger and have broaden my perspectives on things and life as a whole. It is so interesting that how we deal with our marathon journey reflects how we actually deal with issues and challenges we face every day in our own lives.
I have come to learn that life is not a sprint! We can not simply sprint our way through with blinkers on to get to that one destination. Life is a magnificent gift given to us to test our endurance, patience, and perseverance, very much like training for a marathon. We usually have a BIG overall plan or objective for ourselves and we make smaller plans or check points along the way. It's pretty much how I plan the marathon trainings for myself and the Fifth Ray runners. Life is fragile and it is so important that we value it. If we choose to abuse or neglect ourselves, life can be short-lived and that is truly a dis-service to the beautiful life that you have been blessed with.
No matter what you do in life, you need to have mental tenacity. It is the ability to sustain your focus to complete a particular goal or task that needs to get done. Often times when the going gets tough, we will find excuses or procrastinate or even talk yourselves out of it. It's amazing how many people I have met that have talked themselves out of what needs to be done.
The most common excuses told to me are "I can't do it!"; "It's too difficult for me!"; "This is beyond me!"; etc. Even if you think something is too difficult, give it a try, you never know how you can surprise yourself. So many people have so much potential and yet they limit themselves just by their own thinking and perspective. Your mind is really powerful! Half the battle is already won by just how you think!
As a coach, I have often been told that I don't understand when it comes to training. hahaha... Isn't it interesting?? I find it very interesting because I've been there and done that. When I train others, I would have weeded out all the mistakes I have done on my own before. As I do not wish for others to learn things the hard way if I can possibly help it. So I know exactly how they are feeling and what they are going through. For now, I do the same training as my runners. People can argue that there are variations in speed and experience but if you streap everything away, we are all just doing or giving our best. So the difference between each of us is really the mental tenacity.
In order to improve and better ourselves, we need to 'push' ourselves beyond our comfort zones. If we constantly stay in the zone that we are comfortable with, there is a limit to fulfilling our full potential. I don't promise that the experience is pleasant or easy but at least give it a go!! Run faster or longer (calculated and planned, of course, for injury prevention) because you never know what you are truly capable of until you do it. So what if you reach the time you have set for yourself? Work towards achieving it... You will eventually get there when done correctly. However, for some it may take days or weeks while for others it may take months or years. What's more important is that we all get to our own destinations eventually =o)
So be courageous! Don't allow yourself to live in your own little mind world with 'blinkers' on.
It's really interesting how mankind's consciousness is made to look at the bleak or negative side of situations instead of the bright and positive side of things. This same consciousness applies to life as well as during run training. The same mindset is used in all situations, is it not? Let me share with you =o) Am sure most of us are guilty of this...
We will 'beat' ourselves up over the sets we did not complete or we ran badly in. We do not look at the sets that we have completed and that we have put in our best efforts. So instead of looking at the glass half full and the gift that we have been given to complete those sets that we did, we focus on the glass as being half empty. On top of that, we make ourselves feel terrible about ourselves. Why do we do that to ourselves and dwell in negativity? It's time for a change =o)
Often times when I do not manage to complete a given set for training or I did not run it as well as I would like to, I just tell myself I'll do better and run harder at the next training session. Then I let it go... Sometimes, we are just not up to the physical challenge on that particular day or week. We all have our 'good' and 'not so good' days. The 'good' days are reminders for us to know what we are truly capable of. The 'not so good' days are for us to be mindful to focus on the positive side of things - on what we have completed and how blessed we are to be able to complete the sets that we did =o)
I am always happy to be able to wake up to a brand new day and be able to put on my running shoes and go for a run. Remember... as you are 'beating' yourself over what sets you did not complete or how you should have ran faster, there may be someone out there who would give anything to be able to just run or to simply complete part of the sets that you did. Think about it...
The last few weeks have been fun as I am finding that one Fifth Ray runner after another is challenging and out pacing me during our run sessions. Every time I run close to keep pace with them, they would pick up speed and run faster. Previously, they would maintain their pace or even at times slow down. Since, I've been injured, they are all out running and beating me during our run sessions! They are taking me on when I am down!! haha... Kidding!! But I actually Love it!! The sense of drive in them to challenge themselves... Using me as a 'target' or benchmark to better themselves has been fun. They are showing themselves that they are capable of a lot more than they have previously perceived themselves to be. I have to up my game now to keep up with them ;op It's healthy competition as we cheer and 'push' each other to the next level. Until our next run sessions... Keep it up Every One!! =o)
I've not been busy training for the marathon as I am slowly recovering from my calf strain. However, I have been busy sharing my experiences and knowledge with others about healthy and fitness living as well as training/running 10km, 21km and marathons. It is certainly a pleasure to be given the opportunity to share with the staff members of both local and global companies and corporations the importance of a healthy workforce. Thank you very much for listening and sharing your own experiences with me. I hope to interact and share with everyone! =o)
When I first started Fifth Ray's Blog, it was about me sharing my running and racing experiences to inspire and motivate others to get started or be 'hungry' for more. Basically, sharing with others my passion for running. I must admit that I haven't been consistent in my updates of the blog over the years.
Due to the time and commitment required in coaching and training others to achieve their sporting dreams and potential, I do not foresee myself competing as much in the near future. Hence, the blogging on races will only be on the few selected special races that I do race in.
However, I do intend to keep sharing but from the perspective as a Kinesiologist, Movement Specialist, coach and trainer. Sharing my challenges and experiences in the pursuit of living my passion in helping children and adults achieve their full potential in life.
