How Ice Cubes Changed My Running: The 1 Percents

The year is 2014, my plane from Thailand landed less than 12 hours ago, and I am sitting in a parking lot near some soccer fields in Hattiesburg, MS. It is my first day of collegiate cross country practice and though it is 5:47 a.m. the lack of clouds makes the rays from the sun brutal. By 6 a.m. we have begun our 8 mile steady state run, and my lack of preparation is apparent to me but I refuse to let the coach see it. I muster through the workout just short of passing out from the heat. I grab some water from the cooler while I wait on the rest of the team to finish up. The coolness of the water makes the oppressive heat subside momentarily. Everyone finishes the workout and we begin our cool down jog. Though it is only a mile I get the all too familiar "side stitch" or a cramp in my side for those who have never felt that agony. When I arrived at my house I decided to research the cause for side stitches. Among many other reasons I saw an article that talked about how drinking too cold of water could result in this type of cramp. I thought to myself how simple of a fix that would be, so I resolved to stop drinking cold water. And that is how I discovered the power of 1%s. 

What does 1% look like?

Obviously there are numerous causes for side cramps, but it was such a simple fix I couldn't help but trying it. As the season progressed I began to understand how it did so much more than just eliminate side cramps (which, full disclosure, you can still get side cramps but it helps). It deprived me of that satiating sip of cold fluid amid the late summer heat of Mississippi. It was a small sacrifice with huge implications. I began looking for other small things I could change about my training and daily life that wouldn't require a ton of effort, but had great potential. I started forcing myself to sleep on my back. I wrote a goal for each race on my refrigerator. I took time each night to work on breathing techniques. If I had free time I would visualize successfully running my race instead of scrolling through social media. When I started marathon training I would make my teammates takes bites of ginger roots before a workout. I abstained from listening to music or podcasts during runs. I'd make sure to run equal amounts of time on each side of the road to prevent misalignment. The list goes on and on. Each of these by themselves is a very small commitment or sacrifice that has the potential to greatly improve my results and ability. 

Why does 1% matter?

You would think that if you chose to try 5 1%s that it would increase your results by 5%. While this doesn't seem like much let me put it in perspective for you. My 50 mile race took about 12 hours. That is 720 minutes. 1% of that is 7.2 minutes. 5% is 36 minutes. The last 36 minutes of the race I would have taken out one of my kidneys to make the race end. However, 5 1%s doesn't just give you a 5% advantage. With each 1% you get a dividend or compound interest if you will. Because the benefit does not end with the possible physical improvements. The mentality of sacrifice and commitment roots itself into the core of who you are. It changes the way you interpret and react to situations. It makes you hardened to challenges and obstacles. What was once difficult no longer seems quite as daunting because of how much sacrifice and commitment you have already accumulated. You can not quantify the benefits of choosing the 1% life, but I guarantee it will offer you a new perspective on training, racing, and life. What are your 1%s?

My refrigerator of goals.

One of my middle school athlete's refrigerator of goals after hearing my story.