Taistelua väsymystä vastaan: Let’s go, it’s Conference Tuesday!

Last weekend we were racing in Oklahoma. Our own coach wasn’t with us in the race but there were two guys, Haleigh and Coby, who was in a coach role in the race. I asked Haleigh if she could find out who were racing with me in 1000m race. She didn’t but she mentioned to me that sometimes it’s better to be without knowing who you are racing with. Before the race I didn’t agree with her. In the beginning of the race Oklahoma State University runners started very fast by running first 200m in 33 seconds. I was thinking that damn, those girls run fast but I just try to keep up them. After 600m I took the lead because I felt that I could run faster.

Finally, I won the race by running my new personal best 3.02. But more important than the victory was the self confidence the race gave me back. I had been struggling with my tight hamstring during that week and it made me lose my concentration to the running. Somehow I thought that skipping a workout had taken my fitness shape away, but it didn’t. Vice versa, it gave my body time to recover and get ready for the race.

Also the workout today, (1000m-200m repeats) went very easily and my running was more relaxed than it has been once my injury in the last Fall. It convinced me that the work is done, and now it’s time to enjoy this Conference week.

However, I try to be without over thinking this race because it won’t anything more special than the other races. I remember how our coach told to the girls before Cross Country Conference Championships that you don’t have to do anything special in this race compared to what you have been during the last 100 days. These 100 days of consistent working out has made your fitness shape already. And the girls did just what they were been preparing for the last 100 days, and the result was the second place in the Southland Conference Championships.

So after having been working out last 100 days we just have to trust ourselves and be ready to compete, compete and compete. As a good example of this self-confidence I would like to mention my Finnish friend, who was injured 10 months until last December. During his injuries he never give up and keep on doing the workouts he could, such as aqua jogging and cycling. And when he got back to the track, he won Finnish Indoor championships in 800m on last Sunday. Anyone didn’t believe that he could win but it didn’t matter: He and his coach knew that he could do that.

I think that’s very good example how much running is about trusting yourself and doing things with whole heart. So I want to wish good luck to our whole team and together we can do it! Let’s go and eat’ em up!