the predictable ups and downs of marathon training
On Thursday, as I prepared to run at 5:45 with my friend Becky and Jack the dog, I thought how crappy I felt. This thought alone violated one of my first rules of the road which is to "never comment, or let yourself think, about how good or bad you feel for the first 30 minutes or three miles of a run, whichever comes first". And here I was already thinking negative thoughts BEFORE I even was on the road.
It really didn't get any better on the road. I felt nauseated. My legs felt like lead. My head hurt, my feet stank and I didn't love Jesus (Old Jimmy Buffet song) and I hadn't even had any drinks the evening before. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) Becky felt tired and out of sorts too. We ended up walking much of the run which in my earlier running years, I never would have done because that was unforgivable. We also complained a lot minor irritations that, in the general scheme of things, were of little importance being that we are both fit, and have people who love us and, as far as we know. have no bad diseases. It had turned into a negative energy run.
Halfway through the run Becky (or maybe it was me) said "I don't see how I am going to run a marathon in ten weeks". I think it dawned on both of us at the same moment that, every year about this time, we say the same thing. And every year, we always are amazed that "It's only ten weeks away". We neglect to do the things like speed work and hill work that we promised ourselves we would do after the previous year's marathon. Every year, though - this will be 17 times in St. George for me and 18 for Becky - we show up and complete the marathon despite what we did or did not do. And sometimes we do well even if we haven't trained and do less than what we think we should if we have raced around the Skyline high school track one morning a week for 10 weeks.
I have run St. George in various states of training and health. One year I did it just 10 weeks after having an abdominal hysterectomy. It was one of my most enjoyable runs because I was just happy to be there and I got to run with my son Billy. Last year I ran after having broken my leg in January. I just have to run St. George no matter what. It's goals that keep us young, and goals that keep us alive so we can complete them! And St. George, being the first marathon I have ever run, holds a special place in my heart. I plan to run it forever. It has become a yearly goal that I have been successful at completing for the past 16 years. It's always beautiful that time of the year in St. George. It only rained once in all the times I have done it - and boy did it ever rain!
Running a marathon is pretty much a mental thing more than it is a physical thing. Of course you have to train, but the best training in the world won't help if you don't think you can do it. Your brain simply has no choice than to believe what you tell it. You have to believe in the power of your body and accept the days where your runs are not so great and celebrate the days where you feel like you could keep going forever. The older a person gets, the less days you have that you feel like you could run forever - so when you get one you really treasure it.
After the crappy Thursday run, we took Friday off. Saturday I ran 17 miles and felt pretty great. You just never know. I do know that I will be there in St. George, once again, on October 1 come hell or high water, for better or for worse, for my 17th St. George and maybe my 34th or 35th marathon. I also know, but seem to forget, that nothing is as bad as it seems in a bad day of running... and in life in general.
It really didn't get any better on the road. I felt nauseated. My legs felt like lead. My head hurt, my feet stank and I didn't love Jesus (Old Jimmy Buffet song) and I hadn't even had any drinks the evening before. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) Becky felt tired and out of sorts too. We ended up walking much of the run which in my earlier running years, I never would have done because that was unforgivable. We also complained a lot minor irritations that, in the general scheme of things, were of little importance being that we are both fit, and have people who love us and, as far as we know. have no bad diseases. It had turned into a negative energy run.
Halfway through the run Becky (or maybe it was me) said "I don't see how I am going to run a marathon in ten weeks". I think it dawned on both of us at the same moment that, every year about this time, we say the same thing. And every year, we always are amazed that "It's only ten weeks away". We neglect to do the things like speed work and hill work that we promised ourselves we would do after the previous year's marathon. Every year, though - this will be 17 times in St. George for me and 18 for Becky - we show up and complete the marathon despite what we did or did not do. And sometimes we do well even if we haven't trained and do less than what we think we should if we have raced around the Skyline high school track one morning a week for 10 weeks.
I have run St. George in various states of training and health. One year I did it just 10 weeks after having an abdominal hysterectomy. It was one of my most enjoyable runs because I was just happy to be there and I got to run with my son Billy. Last year I ran after having broken my leg in January. I just have to run St. George no matter what. It's goals that keep us young, and goals that keep us alive so we can complete them! And St. George, being the first marathon I have ever run, holds a special place in my heart. I plan to run it forever. It has become a yearly goal that I have been successful at completing for the past 16 years. It's always beautiful that time of the year in St. George. It only rained once in all the times I have done it - and boy did it ever rain!
Running a marathon is pretty much a mental thing more than it is a physical thing. Of course you have to train, but the best training in the world won't help if you don't think you can do it. Your brain simply has no choice than to believe what you tell it. You have to believe in the power of your body and accept the days where your runs are not so great and celebrate the days where you feel like you could keep going forever. The older a person gets, the less days you have that you feel like you could run forever - so when you get one you really treasure it.
After the crappy Thursday run, we took Friday off. Saturday I ran 17 miles and felt pretty great. You just never know. I do know that I will be there in St. George, once again, on October 1 come hell or high water, for better or for worse, for my 17th St. George and maybe my 34th or 35th marathon. I also know, but seem to forget, that nothing is as bad as it seems in a bad day of running... and in life in general.
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