With us training one of our financial sponsors, WOW Motors, almost on a daily bases now, I inquired about them giving me some kind of incentive or goal to aim for at my next half marathon. A previous sponsor of mine had set a 2 hour goal time with a $2,000 incentive prize. Turns out WOW Motors has an incentive for me but it's not money nor is it even bragging rights. My incentive to push myself at my next half marathon is because now he's entered to participate. I have to beat him, he noted, "Because you have to -- you're a professional athlete".
Great.
This past weekend Black Skinny -- my teammate who is also running the half marathon with Flipside Fitness on April 28th -- did a half marathon. It was his "warm-up for the real one" he noted.
Real great.
I may be a professional athlete but I'm not a professional runner and Black Skinny is a pro athlete too -- we're in the same sport for goodness sake. So why the pressure, why the expectation for me to have to beat everyone?! Strange. Even after a serious scooter accident that messed up my leg, my sponsor still put the pressure on me thick and hard for a previous half marathon and even for my fight too. I've never been allowed to use any excuse that others so freely use yet I'm the one scoring the weekly injures left, right and center. I got punched in the eye the other day during personal training and couldn't see for a day yet I was still expected to show up the next day to train. Apparently I'm not allowed to use the excuse card. Being a pro athlete means I supposedly sport immunity... what?!
I got into a discussion about this with Snickers tonight when I asked him "Do you friends always expect you to be the best?" "Of course" was his response and I know he's right. I see it whenever we do any kind of sport or game with his friends. He's the prized sportsman among them even when he's around some of our fellow boxing teammates. It's not me bragging here about him either because it's true. There's definitely an expectancy for him to win and when they beat him they instantly go into bragging overload mode. Many times I definitely feel like I'm in the same position too and I certainly felt it today when I was challenged by both WOW Motors and Black Skinny.
They're both expecting me to beat them and somehow I've become the standard to which they think they have to work up to or compete against. I'm both flattered and insulted because training is training and I am by no means a pro runner. No one gives me props when I train hard or push others; it's become expected. My training is harder than that of a beginner, sure, but it doesn't mean it's easy for me. My training is to me what a beginner level training or any other level for that matter is to that participant -- it's hard. I've been pushed so hard at training that I've puked. I remember sparring once and having to puke. I tucked my chin into my shirt, puked a bit, and then went back for two more rounds. I also remember puking on a run because of having drank coffee before my run, but upon coming back and letting Snickers know this, he sent me out later in the evening to do the same run but faster.
So I'm not allowed to use any excuse for going light at training.
I'm not allowed to use any injury as a get-out-of-training card.
I'm not allowed to drink, eat bad food, or stay out late socializing because sponsors hate that.
Street fighting is definitely a no-go.
And I have to excel in every and all sport I participate in.
Really super great.
My previous pacing for last year's half marathon was 5.19mins/km and my goal time for this upcoming race is 1:45, which means I'll have to set my pacing at 5mins/km. Black Skinny's pacing at this weekend's half marathon was an impressive 5:05mins/km, meaning I'll have to cut 14+ seconds off my pacing if I want to beat him.
Really super duper great.
If I beat Black Skinny and if I beat WOW Motors, I'll basically get nothing more than the self satisfaction that these two guys got beat by a girl. BUT... if I don't beat Black Skinny and if I don't beat WOW Motors, oh gosh, I'll never hear the end of it, I'm sure. They'll assume bragging rights and I'll look like a huge fail.
Pressure is on... oh, it's definitely on!!! I'm going to train like a beast, eat like an animal and sleep like a baby, all in anticipation of HAVING to beat these two guys!
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