My own imaginary mascot

I love the Hank commercial for Starbucks doubleshot which is being broadcast on OLN during the Tour de France. HERE is a link where you can see it yourself - it's hard to find much about this on the Internet. The real name for the commercial is "Bleachers".

I thought about it during my 5K yesterday. I love the concept of taking along a personal internal cheering section wherever you go. I think I should have my own personal mascot cheering for me from the sidelines! I guess it will have to be imaginary, but as long as it does the trick....

I see a lot of blogs and race reports that have a lot of negativity in them about people's own training and performances. "I'm slow.... my times are awful.... I did terrible...." etc. When it's coming from people that are racing in the middle or front of the pack, I sometimes wonder if they have a seriously damaged self-image, if they're disconnected from reality and really don't believe how well they're doing, or if they're just fishing for compliments. When it comes from people in the back of the pack like me, I wonder why they can't be proud of their own striving and accomplishments. I can almost hear Dr. Phil asking, "What are you getting out of it?"

Yesterday outside an elementary school I saw a sign that I loved: "NO PUT DOWN ZONE". Some of us need to keep that sign posted inside our own heads. Negative self-talk is defeatist and self-flagellation and guilt do little to enhance performance until it's turned around into positive energy.

Why not be positive? It's a deliberate choice that each one of us makes. It sure beats the alternative!