The definition of an attitude is a way of feeling or acting toward a person, thing or situation.
The term 'attitude' refers to an individual's mental state, which is based on his/her beliefs or value system, emotions, and the tendency to act in a certain way. ... Our attitude towards people, places, things, or situations determines the choices that we make ...
Most importantly there are 3 Types of Attitude: Positive, Negative and Neutral..........
I have spent exactly 88% of my life running in some way or another.
It has been given me self confidence and belief that no matter what card I have been dealt, a run could save the day.
Winning is a very rare occurrence for me and elusive for the most part. Pretty much non-existent and I accept where I am at on the competitive food chain.
More importantly however, my attitude always wins even if my body doesn't.
When I lace up my shoes for the Boston Marathon this year with the Hyland's Team, I realize I have been given a rare opportunity to not only push myself physically but also mentally on that 26.2 mile stretch of beautiful asphalt to Boston and finish Number 7.
I believe attitude determines your success at Boston.
It begins with preparation and ends with a Unicorn Medal around your neck.
There is only one thing we can control when running a marathon. Attitude.
If you show up ho-hum and willy-nilly then you have done dishonesty to yourself and to Boston in your training (NEUTRAL). If you show up riding the pity train, doubting your preparation, the weather, your socks and questioning why you are there (NEGATIVE) then you know what?
IT IS GAME OVER...BAM, SLAM.....DAMN.
"Maybe next year." We tell ourselves. For many it is not ever again. Ever.
Honestly, you may as well not even step to the line.
A Positive Attitude begins with today. Over and over and over again.
I may be sore and tired. I may be short on sleep. It may be snowing or raining or below zero outside. You know what?
Thanks god for difficult days.
If you think complacency will help your training and your positive attitude on race day, think again.
I believe to create a positive attitude for success at Boston you need:
Consistency.
Confidence.
Control.
Be consistent in training.
Every day.
Have a plan and stick to it.
Routine breeds consistent habits.
Be confident. You are a bad-ass. You have trained for this. You trained for this to be hard. You know it will be hard. Every footstep, every drop of sweat leaves a piece of your soul in Boston lore.
Control your mind. It doesn't matter what happened 30 seconds ago or 30 seconds from now. Stay right here, right now. Your situation can change by the minute. There is no room for self doubt. If it takes a mantra, use it. If it takes energy from high fiving people along the course use it. If it takes smiling in the face of pain and discomfort, use it. Stay positive and you will surprise yourself.
With that being said and due to the fact I am on my second coffee, this takes me to a story...
My friend Jeff was a Space Shuttle Commander. He hadn't been running much when we first met. Maybe a couple of times a week. He found me on a stretch of road near Fairplay, CO as I was running across the country in 2010. It was a hot and windy day and he stuck with me for a good 13 miles sharing stories from space and the highway. I asked him if he ever had one of those "Oh S...t" moments in space.
"Yep" he replied. "Docking with the space station one time, our trajectory was off. The guys in Houston said "No, the numbers look good, proceed." I said, "Ahhhh no guys they are off." There was a long pause.... "No, the numbers look good, proceed."
The numbers were wayyyyyy off. Finally I was allowed to switch to manual control and guide the shuttle in for docking WHEN THERE WERE 13 SECONDS LEFT!!.
Having done this scenario in practice thousands and thousands of times, his mind and body took over. Clear in thought, he was confident and positive. He was in the moment and nowhere else.
Therein lies the moral of this story:
When we know routine we do not panic.
There is only one road to Boston. We have feet and the heart to run it but only our attitude determines the outcome... .
