With Ragnar about 102 days away (but who’s counting anyway?) I’m going to try to go the next four weeks with ramping up mileage and trying to be consistent with training. I haven’t been feeling myself lately and the relay seems far of and simultaneously insurmountable.
Right now, I’m following a training plan that caters to marathon training but will be implementing back to back long runs in a few weeks (per ultra 50k training plans).
I remember coming across an article in Runner’s World about running addiction a while ago. I looked it up on a whim today because I was pontificating over my recently and very strictly limited racing schedule (I cut back on racing a ton). Being able to take a step back made me realize how much running has been a driving force in my life (cut backs on social time with friends, spending a lot of my money on races, racing gear, etc.) It’s a way to gain control in my life but I’ve reached a cross-roads where I want some of it back, but not lose the sense of control or discipline.
Running the LA River
Or maybe I’ll just keep it as is, as long as marathon training doesn’t make me gain weight. Here’s an interesting read on the breakdown and history of thought behind running addiction.
People have felt compelled to tell me about their running excursions with an air of self belittlement. When things like “only a 5k” or “only a 12 minute mile pace” come up, I cringe involuntarily. Why even think like that in the first place? It feels like ages ago, but I still remember when I first started running. I used to cry most days when I was up running the trail at Westridge. Not cry from pain (although there was definitely a lot of pain), but cry from the frustration of having the pain in the first place, wanting to be back in my bed at 5am, the cold, the winded feeling in my lungs and the overall exhaustion. I cried because I wanted desperately to quit while at the same time I was deathly afraid that I would give up. This was how I eventually learned to train my mind to wander. I used to get through the worst of those runs by thinking about where I wanted to be… at the time I imagined myself bulldozing through the trail, leaping up the mountains and effortlessly gliding across the sky at dawn while the rest of the world slept.
Allison + Me (Surf City Half Marathon 2010)
The whole reason I had started running in the first place was to be able to get through a dark time in my life. I wasn’t who I wanted to be when I started, I felt that given enough time and effort, that I would figuratively and literally be able to catch up and run towards the person I wanted to be, someone with discipline, strength, endurance, agility, someone who could take pain and push through it. Someone who would always be able to break the tape and cross the finish line for any goal.
I made a trip up to that trail today for hill sprints. As soon as I started pushing myself up the climbs, I had flashbacks of some of the times that I would buckle and bend over in agony trying to catch my breath and although the small glimmer of accomplishment flashed across my mind, it wasn’t nearly enough. Although I have made significant (for me) breakthroughs in my running with regards to pace and half marathon endurance, the thought of double that distance is incredibly daunting.
My second marathon is 34 days away. Every time I think about it, my heart starts racing. Times like this, I know I have to take a breath and just do the mileage, don’t worry about pace, just go. Wear my heart rate monitor if it helps. Every mile is an accomplishment. Every single one. (That’s what I tell myself during a scary long run.) Tomorrow I’m holding myself to the 16 miles I’ve been putting off. I’m thinking about doubling up my long runs for the next two weeks, just to feel more mentally at ease about it – after my run today I felt pretty strong, so I think my body can handle it – well it better anyway.
First off, let’s just throw it out there that I do *not* run in Vibrams. I have no real desire to do so my gait (neutral forefoot strike) is fine as it is – plus they don’t really match my racing outfits. To each his own, I have no strong feelings for or against Vibrams for other people, this is just my own personal decision.
That being said, I was recently given a pair of Injinji Socks to try on a few runs. For those of you who are not familiar with them, Injinji Socks are toe socks made for running, sports, walking around the kitchen, etc. and allegedly work great with Vibrams. Well, I run in K-Swiss Konejos so that wasn’t about to happen.
I took the socks out for a 6 mile run on a rainy day. Right around mile 3 I accidently landed in a puddle, both shoes SOAKED. I wasn’t about to turn around and end my run just there (hello, training!) so I finished up and much to my surprise, the socks dried up a little in my shoes. Whatever moisture wicking material used, is *really* good.
Although I wouldn’t recommend them for people who run in non-vibram shoes, the socks are super soft, almost cashmere like, so I felt like I was sliding around in my shoes (even when I was completely dry before the puddle.)
Bright colored tech shirts and warm wicking mittens
clear plastic goodie bags tied up with string
These are a few of my favorite things!
I signed up to be a part of the Ragnar Relay with JT and some other Twitter buddies, and am very excited! I was explaining the concept to my friends, and they gave me the usual “you’re crazy” look. They didn’t understand why I was so excited to be a part of a 24 hour race, jumping in and out of a van to run from Santa Barbara to Dana Point. Maybe it’s because runners have a different mindset as to what makes them happy.
There are so many geeky and random things I love about running, here’s just a taste:
What is one of your favorite things about running?