Using the power of positive thinking!

What is positive thinking? Is it just a saying? Is it a source a faith?

For me, positive thinking is hope. It’s also a little bit of your dreams. It’s a source of strength and self-belief. And, it’s going to get me flying across the line at Two Bays on Sunday, 12 January.

I’ve spent the last 4 months training for this event – 28kms of mixed terrain of trail and back road, including a 1km elevation climb in the first 3kms.

Now that it is less than a week away I’ve got to that nervous/anticipatory stage of the build-up. Last year I enjoyed the run, this year I want to go out there and beat it. And beat it I will, by using a little more positive thinking power and drawing on myself belief.

To diverge just once more, just a tiny little bit, I want to delve deep into my memories to a professional learning conference I did when my Fiancée, now wife and I attended while teaching in Birmingham in 2003. I forget the name of the course and what it was really about, but one thing I took away was self-belief cards. 

Self-belief cards are little post-it notes that you write a positive on, and slip under your pillow. The idea is that you look at them before nodding off, and then look at again first thing in the morning. I used them for about 2 days after the conference and that was that.

Now, in the lead up to Two Bays, I’ve resurrected the idea. Why?

It came to me after jumping on the Dandenong Runners Facebook Group. We were discussing the planned runs for the weekend and I posted one that was perhaps a little ambitious. But, the support from my peers and friends and the many conversations I’ve had while running with them over the last 6 months made me believe that I could do it. “With the form your in Fish, you and XXXX are about the only ones that I know that’ll do it.” Anyway, Sunday came and Nigel and I went out and ran that course. I got 50m from the top of one of the most challenging hills in the Dandenongs and completely blew away another track that I'd never completely ran. Nice work Fish. 

I know I can achieve more than I have done previously. Saying that, I’ve had some amazing runs this last year and I am very proud of what I’ve done. But, there’s always been that little nagging doubt about if I’ve really achieved what I’ve set out to do?

So, this race will be different. Next to my bed is a little arm chair, perhaps to hold a mobile (cell) phone in. Right now it has ½ a dozen belief cards on it, which I look at each time I head into my room. Here they are:

1.         Master yourself - Time to prove what others believe!
2.         Master the hill, run a negative split! 
3.         You will run a 4:30 pace! 
4.         You have the determination to hit your goal time – you will do it! 
5.         You will run with who you want, when you want. 
6.         Your body is a temple; it’s ready to serve you. 
7.         Enjoy the occasion, you’ve earnt it!

Well, I’ve a Fartlek session left and an easy 6-8k tempo run to run before smashing it out on Sunday.

With the power of positive thinking this Fish can run!

What gets you through a run?