About twenty years ago, I did my first and last marathon. It was Monaco to Italy and back again along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was beautiful and painful and it was my best time ever… but now I have just seen someone else do their best and it is so amazing to hear his story.
We don’t all get coaching and that is OK. We can still do amazing things by piecing together previous sport experiences, finding what feels right for where we are now and most of all, actually enjoying the training even if we are on our own.
For Vinny Mauri to have run a 2:05 marathon while self coaching, just goes to show how much we can do even if we have to do it on our own.
The video below has a very real interview with Vinny that explains how his record breaking run was not done in a normal way. So, even if you are not a runner, you can find many tidbits that you can use in your chosen sport. My takeaways are:
- do what you can with what you’ve got –> he was training on a treadmill in Planet Fitness
- create a weekly plan that fits into your life –> he works at a shoe store and trains when possible
- just because you were not peaking as a teen does not mean you cannot do great things when a little older –> sport is all ages. There are things we can do beyond college that are amazing. Master athletes are continuing to break records even if they are starting from scratch.
- smaller events matter –> look local and see what you can do. Those big events are flashy, but you can do great things anywhere.
- learn to create training blocks –> there are sessions to build strength, endurance and skill… just not all at once
- tapper –> the week before the event is NOT when the most repetitions are made or the maximum time is spent doing heavy work. Your body needs to reduce load and stress leading up to the main performance. Sleep, eat, cross train and please don’t do any stupid stuff.
- recovery after performance is painful –> I can still remember the sensation in my legs after my marathon. Never rush recovery!
Someone somewhere is dreaming about doing something they have never done before. You are allowed to want it. You are allowed to work for it. Just because you are doing it a little differently than how you are ‘supposed’ to do it really does not matter at all.
Enjoy reaching for your dreams because they can come true.
