Runner, Interrupted launches TUESDAY in beta form.
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This week, the BAA released their
2020 Boston Marathon Acceptance letters
. Despite an expanded field and even more stringent qualifying standards than the previous year, 3,161 qualified applicants were shut out. 3161 people would do incredible work, reach their goal and not get their prize.
I don’t have to imagine their devastation. I’ve lived it in numerous ways in my life. It’s devastating, and that devastation is compounded by the messaging around us, encouraging us to try again, to re-dedicate ourselves, to WORK HARDER and NEXT TIME we will be rewarded, that ‘our time’ will come.
This is the great paradox of America: we LOVE work. We are all about the work. The solution to every problem, the answer to every question is “MORE WORK!
Press Harder
!” We go out of our way to demonstrate how hard we are working because you cannot complain about it; complaining means you are looking for excuses to stop working. It means that you can’t take it. You don’t deserve that reward, whiner.
In this world view, everything is easy and everything makes sense
Didn’t get what you wanted? You DEFINITELY didn’t work hard enough, hope you learned your lesson!
...and you will NEVER be able to stop working.
What do you MEAN you’re done after 10 years? IF YOU ARE THROWING AWAY TEN YEARS YOU NEVER DESERVED IT!
We all know the world is more complicated than that, and we have no idea how to move through those moments ourselves much less talk anyone else through them. Phrases like, “you’ll do better next time!” can be more crushing than motivating, because
we could totally get the same result next time
.
Even world champions
have no guarantees
.
Chronic pain changes your relationship to everything
. For two years I managed physical pain that also strained my mental health. My truth did not fit a neat Narrative about comebacks: I was in a lot of pain, I was doing A LOT of work, and I wasn’t getting anywhere. “More work” was not my solution, it was “we need a new game plan.” I was doing everything right but I wasn’t getting anywhere so I couldn’t prove it. The elephant in the room was the assumption that I wasn’t doing the work I was just whining about having to do work. I could never get anyone to talk about, or try to understand, the obstacles I was facing.
I tell you that to tell you this: if you were shut out of Boston and you are hurting right now, or if you know someone who is, the best thing you can say is, “
that sucks, let’s get nachos
.” For now, that may be all the perspective they can handle, and that is fine. Plus, you may be the only person who doesn't prescribe 'more work'.
If you think your solution is more work, cool. I’m here to make sure you also work smart.
That’s why our marathon plans are free to subscribers
. If you need a new game plan, we can help you with that, too. That’s the whole idea behind Fitness Protection- If you stay in the game and take the pressure off, you may just show up to a race and surprise yourself. Training isn’t just for race day, it’s for life.
Unless you are Coach Sarah...SHE IS RACING TODAY YOU GUYS! GO COACH SARAH!!!!
You are Coached. You are Loved. And you ARE #winningatlife
Coach MK
PPS. I really like
this suggestion
for the BAA from GO! Running in Little Rock.
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You wanted MOAR AMY? You got her!
We originally intended this to be a short conversation during Amy's planning period, but it went so well we decided to release as a full podcast. We started with Coach MK's favorite movie,
Drop Dead Gorgeous, then transition into why representation on the big screen matters so much.
Coach MK is making an effort to write a little more regularly in her 'CoachedandLoved" voice, the blog is a much more personal platform, so if that sounds interesting to you- become a 'member' of the Coachedandloved site and you can get email notifications when new blog entries are posted.
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We wanted to share a little bit of a secret project we are working on, and this piece dovetails nicely with the #fppdictionary. as well as this week's news.
OKH-blya is a (profane) Russian interjection that validates the speaker while gently shutting down a conversation before it devolves into a pity party. Not getting into Boston this year doesn't mean you never will and it does NOT mean you suck. OKH-blya is the perfect response. "That sucks, but it says nothing about you so don't make it about you."
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This space is reserved for one of our runners who is #WINNINGATLIFE!
This week, WE are winning at life, thanks to our amazing Wayfinder, Cara Gerard. She is the left half of my brain that keeps the right half from floating into creative space, never to return. She can take any three-dimensional idea and express it clearly on paper or screens- helping everyone navigate Coach MK's messy, layered, brain while forcing her to meet deadlines.
Thank you SO MUCH for everything you do for us, Cara!!! You are a game-changing Godsend!
To be featured here as well as our
Facebook
and
Instagram
pages, use the tags #coachedandloved or #fitnessprotectionllc when you post photos on Instagram, telling the world what Fitness Protection means to you!
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I had thought of this week as a cutback week. Silly me! :) Once I finish my Saturday run later this evening, I will be a little over 45 miles for the week. A pleasant, lovely surprise since tomorrow IS a cutback with only 10 miles on the schedule.
I am TIRED, but excited to be able to work like this again. I have no idea what's going to happen in NYC, my mind isn't wired that way, I just want to see what I CAN do this time, and hope I feel as good as I did this week when I do it (though I fully expect to be this tired when I finish!)
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