I ran a 15 miler this morning at 6a. I went out 7.5 miles out in 55 minutes and then ran 7.5 miles back in 53:27 for a grand total of 15 miles in 1HR 53MIN 27SEC (1:53:27). I love a good, long run because every single time I run just a mile farther than my last long run I am pushing myself past a point of discomfort. I've mentioned this previously in the blog, but once you conquer running say 10 miles, then the next time you run 10 miles then your body will be ready for it (or after a couple 10 milers). But...when you go for 11 or 12, then at about the 10 mile point your body starts to hurt a bit as you get to 11 or 12. The longest I'd run this year was 14.25 miles and as I went past about the 13 mile point today, I started to feel it. At that point I had two options: Slow down and beg to be done or focus on getting through the discomfort and run through it. What I've learned in training for marathons over the years is that you have to be mentally tough and fight through the fatigue because if you break through the wall of fatigue then you will get a second wind and sometimes a third and fourth wind. You see, in the marathon I'll run on November 5, there will be at least 3 times in the race when I'm going to have to push through points where I hurt so much I just want to stop. So...the key on my long runs building up to the race is to practice running through those difficult points. In order to be really good at running a marathon, you have to create a lot of adversity in your training and have positive experiences running through the adversity or difficulty. At it's core, that is the purpose of the long run in marathon training: to teach you how to run through adversity and overcome it!
Yesterday we started our first ever Residence Director training at IUPUI. I'm extremely proud of Sara and Becky who stared with us yesterday. Both had other options, but they chose to come and be a part of IUPUI Housing and Residence Life because they wanted to join our team and help continue to build what we are trying to become. I shared with them something I heard on Thursday night from Coach K from Duke who was talking about the success of his basketball program. Coach K told Rece Davis and Joe Paterno that the real key to his success at Duke was getting his staff and players to buy into the concept that "it's not mine to lose, it's OUR'S to lose." I sat there with Sara, Becky, and Kat at breakfast before we got started and I said to them that our program is special and I was glad that they were here to help lead it. I told them that this is not "my area" or "my program" and they'd never hear me speak of Res Life in that way. I shared that it was OUR's, and the four of us, Allison, and our graduate staff will help our student staff--within the spirit of our Director's expectations--really create a special living experience for our residents. I love what Coach K was talking about in terms of the ownership. If everyone--from professional to graduate to undergraduate staff members--thinks of the program as something they are responsible for--the collective "OUR"--then everyone will be invested in doing the things necessary for the team/program to be successful. Coach K's comments really captured what I think I have tried to do as a leader--create a "collective our." The picture that best captures what I'm talking about is below. It's a photo of our Higher Education and Student Affairs Graduation and we had undergrads and professionals there to celebrate the graduation of our Graduate Students. For those undergrads and for me as a professional, we were excited for the grad staff as if it was each of us graduating. I love this picture because it truly captures the concept of the "collective our."
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| The "Collective Our." Undergrad, Grad, and Professionals Celebrating HESA Graduation |
Have an outstanding Saturday and happy running to you...
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