Focus

This past Saturday morning I raced a 4 mile jaunt around Carmichael up in Sacramento. It was a great event, and I finished with (for me) a sporty 28:29. Results site here.

But as hard as my cardiovascular system was working, I think my brain was working harder during the race. And for the first time since I've been back running and racing, I realized that I wasn't sure what to focus on during the race. I had some options:

1. How bad I was hurting. This was an unpalatable option, for obvious reasons.

2. The music. The iPod was once again in effect for the race. And off and on, this was the place to focus. A shout-out to P!nk for providing the lyrical angst necessary to get me from 2.5-3.25 miles.

3. My form. I'm always trying to remind myself: "swing your arms, short strides. Swing your arms, short strides. Swing your arms, short strides..."

4. Work. At one point, to keep my mind off of #1, I tried to actually think about work. That lasted for about 4 strides.

5. Time and distance. Now, with my Garmin GPS watch, I can measure time, distance, pace and other metrics in real time. I couldn't decide if that was a blessing or a curse (or both). Plus, I'm sure I looked like a dork running along glancing at my watch every half minute or so.

6. My competitors. Certainly lots to focus on here. Eventually I decided to pick out a runner ahead and focus on them and then try to catch pass them. A special thank you to that tall dude out in front of me with these enormous calves. I mean those things were bigger than Gracie....

7. The scenary. This is usually good off and on. I like looking at what I'm running by, but it never seems to hold my attention for that long.

8. This blog post. The big winner, evidently!