10 Days Later

After a much needed ten day break, I finally felt up for a short run yesterday. It took four days for my right foot to "uncramp", so to speak, and when I put on my running shoes over the weekend, my foot began to cramp up again as if to say "too soon... too soon..." Regardless, I ran a jolly three miles yesterday late in the afternoon and it felt great to be back on the trail.

I haven't decided whether to continue this running commentary. For one thing, I have no idea if anyone is even reading this. While that shouldn't matter, I'm not planning to run another race for awhile. I might look into finding a half-marathon for the spring. I intend to continue running, of course, but I've little to no interest in carrying on about it.

Still, I am beginning to enjoy posting on this little blog of mine. It boosts my confidence to see my thoughts written out, posted for the world to read (if they so choose). That said, I am inspired to break open the metaphor and make a run for it.

And Scene.

Writing, as I am, on the morning after, is perhaps one of the few activities I can manage in relative comfort given the current status of my feet, legs, and lower back. All in all, I am happy to report that I finished the marathon yesterday in one piece (though towards the end I wasn't so sure whether a few pieces might fall off; namely, my right foot).

As previously indicated, I had no preset goal(s) for time. My goal was to finish and finish I did. Here is the rundown:

5K 33:03

10K 1:05:58

Half 2:24:41

30K 3:22:12

20mi 3:36:11

Finish 4:39:54

Pace 10:41

Carrie and I started at about ten after eight and it was wonderful running through the streets of downtown Minneapolis. Aside from the visual stimulation, the first seven miles or so went by unnoticed because we were far to concerned with the cold and the wet. By mile six, the downpour was ravishing our bodies, numbing both my hands and forearms, and slowing us down a lot due to the added water weight in our shoes. It finally cleared up, much to our relief, and the next thirteen or so miles went by without much extraneous physical effort. Both Carrie and I enjoyed all the enthusiasm from the spectators, which included my family, her family, and thousands of others, including live musicians, kids handing out candy, and people who cheered us on by name because we wore name-tags. At first I found this a bit unnerving but later came to appreciate being singled out by name (or number) as it quite literally boosted my energy level.

Between mile twenty and twenty-one, the tide turned as my right foot cramped up. Carrie and I started to lose each other time and again and when we got to mile twenty-three, Carrie opted to walk for a bit. I continued on, however, because it hurt my foot more to walk than run. Looking back, I wish I had stuck with Carrie because the last few miles were actually quite lonely, which in turn intensified the pain in my right foot.

Despite all the gloom and doom, I can't articulate how fantastic it was when the finish line came into view. I picked up the pace slightly towards the end, ignoring what now felt like a constant Charlie horse in my right foot. I crossed and finished; and just like that, it was over.

When I finally found Carrie and our families, my mom asked about the obvious redness of my left shoe, which, upon removing my shoe and sock, revealed a bleeding toe. Note to self: remember to cut toe-nails before running a marathon. Ha! Don't worry, it wasn't painful and the blood washed out quite readily with cold water (thankfully).

By and large, this was one of the greatest experiences of my life. It's still too soon to say whether I will run another full marathon - at least that's what my right foot is urging me to write this morning.

Countdown, Part III

This final week of training went very well although I struggled because I didn't want to stop after 3, 4, and 2miles. Everyone has been asking me, "Are you ready? Are you excited?" to which I respond, "Yes and yes, but I will be more ready and more excited once I'm actually running!" This waiting is driving me batty. Needless to say, I am happy that in less than twelve hours I will finally be on the course running this thing!

On Thursday night, instead of watching the debate, I got a massage. It felt amazing. And yet, it has become painfully clear to me that my back and legs are not as happy as my mind is about doing this. I am contemplating scheduling another massage soon...

This morning, Carrie and I went to the expo in St. Paul to get our bag o'goodies, which included our tracking chips and numbers. I am #3359 if anyone wants to follow me online at http://www.mtcmarathon.org/. By all means, pretend I'm a package being delivered. I have no problem with that.

Anyway, the expo was pretty neat. We got to chat it up with vendors and sample foods and drinks, which was great because I hadn't had breakfast and I was starving. I bought a new mustardy colored running shirt made with bamboo fibers, which apparently helps with odor control. That said, I sure hope I'm not the only one wearing bamboo fiber tomorrow.

Tonight Carrie and I made a tasty dinner consisting of grilled chicken, fresh vegetables, spinach, and ahem, some spaghetti noodles. Then we watched a movie and now I'm getting ready for sleepy time. I sure hope I can get good rest tonight, but if not, I'm sure there will be a few thousand people ready to catch me if I collapse at any point during the race.

Wish me luck! Peaceout -

Countdown, Part II

With less than a week to go before the marathon, I continue to feel confident and able. This week's runs are a paltry combination of 3mi, 4mi, and 2mi. Whether it's recommended or not, I might add a few miles to that final run. I mean, come on, 2mi? Is it even worth the sweat?

This past weekend's 8mi long-run went virtually undetected by my body. I am astounded, once again, by this process and I look forward to the coming weekend. While I anticipate an adrenaline rush of nervous excitement, I keep reminding myself of the age old adage "slow and steady wins the race." Then again, I have no inclination to look at this as any kind of "race." Simply to finish will be my win.

Countdown, Part I

With newfound insight into the personal psychology of long distance running, I have found myself this past week thinking less and less about the marathon. The past week's runs were, at the risk of sounding arrogant, Breezy McEasy. Dare I say that yesterday's 12mi long run seemed short and carefree?

I know not to get ahead of myself; the marathon itself will test everything I know to be true. But if there is one thing I've learned it's to have faith in the process. A few months ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of using the words "short" and "carefree" in conjunction with running 12 miles. Nor would my body have the strength and/or stamina to support such a declaration.

I will say, however, that I am looking forward to being finished with all this training. Until I train for another race, I doubt I'll muster the patience to run much farther than 12 miles on any given run in the near future. Then again, that 20 miler felt pretty darn awesome.

Revelation

The past week's runs were manic. The first 5-mile short run went fairly well although I couldn't sway the rising sense of dread for the rest of the week. The 10-mile was, in a word, devastating; I stopped, I ached, and by the end my inner voice was chiming "What are you doing? This is totally insane." My third short-run of 5-miles went ok although the voice continued its chant, adding "You will never be able to do this!" to its mantra.

Facing the daunting longest long run of the training (20miles), I resolved to put it out of my mind until I absolutely had to. As Friday was a scheduled rest day, this came easy. I emptied my mind of thoughts having to do with running or the marathon. I went about my daily business as casually and nonchalantly as I could.

This steadfast emptiness carried me through the night and at 5:45am on Saturday, I woke to my alarm without hesitation, met up with Carrie, and without much discussion, we started. So far, so good. I had intimated to Carrie I wanted to take it easy, relaying some of my anxieties from earlier in the week. She agreed. Nice and easy.

As we began the run, I noticed the voice's apparent silence. This was, in part, due to Carrie's presence. We chatted about our week, current events, and our rising concern and disdain for a certain Alaskan governor.

Typically, when I do long runs, I imagine the miles ahead and the miles behind, coercing the voice to chant lines such as "I can do this. Only X miles to go. Focus on the end," etc. Sometimes this works, other times its burdensome.

It was then, as my conversation with Carrie began to dwindle, that I invoked a new perspective, focusing my attention on the present moment. Immediately, the voice returned although this time with a change in tone. "I can do this" became "I am doing this". "Only X miles to go" and "Focus on the end" became simply "I am running. I am running. I am running." Then, as if by magic, time seemed to stand still.

I am running.
I am doing this.
I am running.

At the 17 mi marker, I felt a surge of energy course through my body, and my pace instinctively increased.

I am running.
I am doing this.
I am running.

It's difficult to articulate in writing how I felt during those remaining three miles. What I recall can perhaps be described as a feeling of "deep warmth". I might also use the word "weightlessness." Towards the end, a distinct "buzz" of some kind seemed to encapsulate my entire body, especially around my head. It reminded me of the release I feel when a migraine finally dissipates: goose-bumpy, exalting relief.

Whether or not this was in truth the so-called "runner's high", I dare not speculate. Such terminology seems at times to minimize the actual momentary experience. I am however fond of the word "revelation" as it wondrously combines the words "revel" and "elation," as in "I revel in my elation."

Needless to say, I am aware that I've turned a corner in my training. I am running. I am doing this.

Last Leg

With an estimated 320 training miles under my belt, I now face the last leg of this journey. I'll admit, the last month has been rough as my running partner has conveniently been away for the last three or so long-runs. She has since returned and vows not to abandon me until the race where no doubt she'll leave me in the dust.

Regardless of my wavering confidence, I am inspired to bring these final four weeks of training into focus. I have embarked on a dietary regimen, based on the famous South Beach craze. Don't worry, I will not be vainly sacrificing my health. The South Beach diet emphasizes a high protein, low sugar diet. It also asks that you monitor your carbohydrate intake; separating good carbs from bad, so as to optimize metabolic processes. It encourages little to no alcohol consumption and offers a wide range of amazing recipes and snack options. So far, it has been a kick.

One thing is for certain: I need to shed a few more pounds in order to complete this 26.2 mile trek that has thrown my knees, joints and muscles into a great and unforeseen tizzy. In conjunction, I am taking more initiative to cross train, focusing on core and upper body strength training. I have begun some "conditioning" yoga, and plan to schedule a massage later in the month.

I am also happy to welcome this cooler, dryer September weather, which already has proven helpful. Just yesterday I ran five miles in 60 degrees and it was sublime. All too often, heat and humidity take their toll on my body when I train; as far as I'm concerned, the cooler and the dryer, the better.

Hopefully I will be posting more often now that it's crunch time. Tomorrow I run the penultimate long run of 14 miles. I say penultimate because next week will be the longest (20miles) and from then on, the training backs off.

Thanks again to all of you who read this and have given me advice along the way!

The Longest Run Of My Life

The past two weeks have proven tougher than anticipated. I attribute this to a variety of factors. 1) The mid-week runs are getting longer, 2) The weekend long-runs are getting longer-longer, and 3) I’ve had to face the past two long-runs on my own. Typically I have been running the weekend long-runs with my good friend Carrie who successfully ran the marathon last year and is training to run it again. Until we started running together, I hadn’t run with a partner since high school. I had forgotten that running with a partner changes everything for the better and I have missed running with Carrie these past two weeks immensely.

That said, I should give myself more credit for completing this past week’s 15-mile long-run all by my lonesome. I chose a new route along the river from the Franklin Bridge heading towards Ft. Snelling. The weather was ideal (cool but sunny) and I was surprised by the general tranquility of a Sunday morning run (contrasted by the hustly-bustly Saturday mornings I’m used to). Moreover, I was pleasantly surprised to find an excellent trail in the Ft. Snelling State Park – shady and quiet – reminiscent of the north woods. I intend to explore these trails further at some point, perhaps by starting at Minnehaha Park.

Those with whom I’ve spoken about the experience relay the synergetic experience of running amidst thousands of other runners and spectators. I look forward to this with great anticipation. Successfully finishing this 15 mile run instilled in me the awareness and confidence that I am indeed capable of completing this training and successfully running the marathon.

And Then There Was Blog

As many of you may already know, this past spring I signed up for the 2008 Twin Cities Marathon to be held on October 5th. Indeed, this was a surprise even to me as I have a well-earned reputation for declaring outlandish goals and then “changing my mind” before taking the first step. In spite of this, I decided, upon entering my thirtieth summer, to re-calibrate my life by mounting a task of historic magnitude. In short, I hereby elevate my status as “dreamer” to that of “doer.”

It has always been my opinion that running marathons is a wholly selfish and unnatural endeavor. I mean, who in their right mind would subject their body to such exorbitant extremes? The only answer I can conjure at this point is achieving the right to proclaim the age-old adage, “I did it because I could.”

I have two functional legs. I am in reasonably good shape. I want to get into better-than-reasonably-good shape. And yes, folks, I like to run. I run instead of pray. I run to meditate. When I run, the chaos that is my life ceases to trouble me.

Currently, I am one day away from completing the 8th week of training. The training schedule consists of 18 weeks in total. I run three short runs during the week (between 3-7+ miles) and then up the ante on the weekends with a longer run (longest so far was 13 miles). I use the Hal Higdon training schedule for the novice marathon runner (visit http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/novices.html for the complete schedule) as a guideline but have strayed from time to time, usually by adding a few miles during the mid-week short runs.

Given my established opinion that marathons are abnormal and completely self-absorbed , I am going to share with you my feelings about blogging: it is the same. Granted, I read the occasional blog – cousins abroad and the like – but for the most part, I find blogs… well, abnormal and self-absorbed. Blogging, in essence - public journaling, is in my mind the antithesis of the traditional diary. And yet, today the word “blog” is as commonplace and accepted as bread and pandas. Without blogs, many of us cease to exist.

That said, it only makes sense that I should follow suit and blog. Truly, I have no other choice. And so it begins…