Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Thoughts from a Kenyan Runner on Racing

Catherine "The Great" Ndereba has some great thoughts about racing.  Catherine is considered one of the top distance runners of all time.  She is the 4-Time Boston Marathon Champion, 2-Time Chicago Marathon Champion, 2-Time World Marathon Champion, and 1st woman to break 2:19 in the Marathon.

Her thoughts on racing:
"You know me, I don't have a tactic, and I normally start the race and see how I feel.  I do not run anybody else's race.  When the gun goes I must evaluate with my own body and see. Then as the race develops, I run accordingly.  So you can say that I do not have a set tactic for any race.  Along the way, I am monitoring my form and running entirely to how I feel, not what the other runners are doing.  If I feel good in the final miles then I will start to push from about three miles out.
When I am in the last few miles I am just concentrating on getting to the finish line and how nice it will be to be there.  The legs feel tired for sure, but that is for everybody." - quote from More Fire: How to Run the Kenyan Way

Catherine's thoughts on running road races during marathon training:
"I do races to just see where I am, not really to try and win the races.  That is not important.  But following the race I can look [at the result] and see what needs to be done.  Well, if I run a half-marathon and go under 1:10, then I know all is great, but if it is a minute or two slower, then i add more speed work to the plan."  - quote from More Fire: How to Run the Kenyan Way

Looking forward to our group workout Thursday night 5:30 behind the Ala Moana Tennis Courts.  Hope to see many there!  We will celebrate all the great achievements this past weekend at the Kona Marathon and Half-Marathon!

- Dr. Nate "Coach" Carlson

Friday, June 21, 2013

Champions are Birthed in the Mind


“If your thoughts are filled with a fear and worry, your life will be unstable, anxious, and insecure.  If you think only of the bad things that can happen, the good things will pass you by.  If you think you don’t deserve to win, you’ll never come in better than second.  And you won’t enjoy even that…Go for the gold, and don’t be surprised when you get it.” 
- Dr. Tim Storey

Champions imagine success before it happens!

“…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8, NIV).”


Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Kona Marathon This Weekend

The Kona Marathon and a 1/2 Marathon, 10k, and 5k is happening this Sunday in Kona, HI!  I will be there to support all the runners from Oahu and others I know from the surrounding islands.  Hopefully everyone will see me around the course cheering hard and bringing encouragement to all.

For those on Oahu, come on out tomorrow night (Thursday) at 5:30pm to Ala Moana Beach park behind the tennis courts for a pre-marathon run and/or a harder workout if you are not competing this weekend.  I will be giving some racing tips and tips on how to find that extra inspiration during a race when you need it the most!

Hope to see a lot of people this Thursday and this weekend in Kona!  Happy running.  You are a Champion!

- Coach Nate

https://www.konamarathon.com/

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Doubters and Dream Killers


How do you react to doubters and dream killers?  All my life I have been told: "you're not fast enough.  You don't have enough experience.  You're to short or to small.  You should not do that."

God created you for a BIG life without limits.  When those negatives voices try to bring you down;  chose to shut them out and continue to press forward and believe that God is a BIG God that can work within you to do things that people naturally cannot comprehend.

Before David fought the giant Goliath, King Saul only saw limitations and discouraged David, saying, "...You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." 1 Samuel 17:33

Saul was saying to David: you are to young, to weak, and to inexperienced.  Well, we know what happened.  Young David disregarded his doubters and fought and killed the giant!

Never let negative people discourage you from pursuing greatness in your life and athletic career!  God can help you accomplish the impossible!

- Dr. Nate

The below picture is of Gary Fanelli Jr., 2013 HHSAA 1500m State Champion and 800m runner-up.  He had doubters around him all his life.  Put he continued to press forward and not give up.  He chose to honor God and work hard.  He graduated with honors and is now headed to college on the mainland to run cross country and track.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

MIRACLES CAN HAPPEN FOR YOU

Are you in need of a miracle?  You are struggling with an injury, your fitness, a mental roadblock, or a daunting task?  God is in the details of your life and is not a respecter of persons.  Your fitness miracle, your running miracle, your career miracle, your family miracle, your athletic miracle, your relationship miracle can happen because miracles are real!


While attending a mandatory military class on resiliency the teacher, a psychologist, stated that miracles do not exist.  Immediately, the warning alarms went off in my conscience.  This is a false statement, miracles do exist, and a class on resiliency needs to give people hope that miracles do and can happen.  You can overcome any situation you are facing because God still performs miracles!

Dr. Tim Storey, an author and internationally renowned speaker, has studied miracles extensively and has a School of Miracles where he teaches people about miracles and how to see them occur in your everyday life.  Dr. Storey defines miracles as “a super-intervention of God (School of Ministry 1 Audio: His Nature is Miracles).”  Through His personal experience and study, he has found that an expectation of miracles breeds’ miracles in your life and they become part of your lifestyle. 

A Psalmist, in the Bible, was facing trouble and was depressed.  However, he knew that he served a God of miracles and chose to declare this fact, thus increasing his resiliency.  He declared, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.  Your ways, God, are holy.  What god is as great as our God?  You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples (Psalm 77:11-14, NIV).”

God is a great God who can put his ‘super’ on your natural situation and create a supernatural miracle!  Whatever you may be facing, know that no mental, physical, relational, or financial obstacle is to big for God to perform a miracle on your behalf.  Expectation is the breeding ground for miracles, talk about miracles, think about miracles and experience a lifestyle of miracles that you were intended to live!

- Dr. Nate Carlson