My training partner and I took off on a 13.1 mile odyssey around 9:30 in the morning. After meeting at my house and getting in a good stretch we started our timing devices and hit play on the Ipods. We took off side by side, sloshing through the mushy and partially melting snow. We both knew that it would be the hardest test of this young 2011. We have both completed a half-marathon. I had actually completed four, one as the finale of my first 70.3 at Cedar point last fall. But early on Friday morning, I wasn't competing with my running partner, the athletes of Rev3 and my other half distance marathons, I was competing inside my own head.
Running that 13.1 was one of the hardest "events" I have done in a long time. Without other runners close by, it was a mental struggle to keep going. I was alone, very cold with wet feet, and carrying my hydration on my back. Running with a Camelbak was not fun for me. The route I had plotted was one six mile loop, one three mile loop repeated three times, and a 1/2 mile out and back that really made this one of the worst courses ever! The course also included a couple long uphills, each repeated three times during the smaller loops. I hope that makes sense, I can barely understand it and I designed it!
The most positive thing to come out of the experience was a running philosophy that I started to embrace. It was simple, run now, worrier about later then! What I mean is, if you can run in the moment, don't worry or think about ten miles in the future. Many times I have asked myself, "How are you gonna keep this up for X more miles?" Friday I ran at a steady, conservative pace and focused on the moment and let the future unfold with every step. It worked for me, I will make it work again for sure.
I lost track of my running partner at the end of the six mile loop, I never saw him again. We run at different speeds and know to go look for one another after a certain time has passed on our regular bi-weekly runs. Friday would be unlucky for my buddy when he developed a headache mid-run and had to abandon with over half the distance already under his belt. He consistently finishes our runs, but just ran out of luck last Friday, it happens.
I was also suffering, mentally and physically. My right glute and hamstring were both bothering me and my wet feet were freezing cold! My left index finger was numb, it always gets numb when I run, but it was twice as bothersome on this run for sure. I was pretty miserable and just wanted to finish. As I started to get close to home I realized that the course was going to be very long, probably a half mile too long. I decided to stretch and walk the excess distance, instead of continuing running and possibly injuring the hammy or glute.I finished and started to walk, but that was just not sitting well with me. I was too cold to walk so I ran anyways. It helped keep me warm and got me out of the elements a couple minutes sooner. It wasn't until I saw my buddy's car was gone that I knew only one man was finishing the 13.1 miles on the last Friday of January.
We plan on running a half on the last Friday of each month, and I am sure he will be finishing strong in February, I only hope I will as well, because January's was brutal!
No comments:
Post a Comment