Got Marathon Moxie?

According to Dictionary.com, moxie is the ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage. It goes on further to say that the term was used as far back as 1876 as the name of a patent medicine advertised to "build up your nerve."

Too bad there's not a bottled "marathon moxie" that you can gulp down just before the start and then be miraculously provided with all you need to run the race. Man, whoever invents that will become a millionaire! Until that day, marathon moxie does not come from a bottle, it comes from within you.

In a recent post I mentioned that believing in your training will help kick-to-the-curb those self-doubts that sometimes creep in before the big race. That's exactly what marathon moxie is—believing in your training, believing in yourself, and having the confidence and courage to meet head-on the 26.2 miles that lay in front of you.

Sometimes writing down and documenting all that you've done during your training can visually confirm all your hard work and the commitment you've exuded over the past several months. This doesn't have to be a long and tedious task, just use a brainstorming web like I've done here. Once you see all that you've accomplished there's no way you can doubt yourself!

Having a marathon mantra is also a great way to remind you of your marathon moxie during the race. When the going gets tough later in the race, having a mantra to repeat to yourself can really make a difference. I've done this during many a race and it really works! I'm not sure if it distracts you from the pain or if it actually causes a physical reaction that overrides the fatiguing of your muscles. Really doesn't matter as long as it works. So, be thinking of what kind of mantra may work for you. A few months ago, readers submitted running mantras as a part of a contest. Here are some mantras from that contest that may motivate you in thinking of your own unique marathon mantra.

• Can't Stop! Won't Stop!—Janel
• No regrets!
• If you don't, you rust!
• I'm a running machine, not going down without a fight!

• The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.
• Relentless forward motion

• Make Mom proud!
• Run like you're being chased!
• This too shall pass.
• Perpetual forward motion

• Not today, I will not be broken.

• Not if. When.

• I will keep on.
• Define yourself!

• Not everybody can do this!

• When the going gets tough, the tough get going. So get going!
• With God all things are possible, so you CAN do this!
• I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.

• Do this today and you can eat your weight in chocolate tonight!
• Of course it's hard, if it was easy everyone would do it.