Yesterday, in the car on the way to the
Decker Challenge, Neal asked me what my mantra was going to be on the hills of the course and guess what came out....Nacho Cheeeese. The conversation was sort of like this:
Neal: what is going to be your mantra for the hills
me: ignoring the question thinking in my head, I will just run them no big deal. At this point I was also feeling uneasy towards the race.
Neal: you need a mantra to get you up the hills
me: ignore
Neal: Shit we didn't get your bib out of the other car
20 minutes later after back tracking to get bib and Neal is not fuming anymore
Neal: so have you come up with a mantra
me: NACHO CHEEEESEE (at this point, I am feeling more at ease and getting PUMPED UP)
Neal: is that really your mantra?
me: NACHO CHEEESEE
My reasoning for choosing nacho cheese is not real clear even to me but it worked. I said it over and over and over and am thankful for Neal's persistence. If I had taken the time to look at the elevation map before the gun went off I might have talked myself out of this challenge, there were rolling hills, long steady inclining hills and short steep hills. Nacho cheese was repeated, repeated, and repeated.
When I saw Neal close to the end of mile 11, I yelled out Nacho Cheese! I was so happy to see him and receive encouragement. It was a tough run and my quads are screaming today but I was pleased with my time and will leave you with our pump up
song that is played in the car on the way to all races!
