Taper Time

The last week of very intense training is now complete.  20 days remain until the gun goes off at the start line of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.  Today, while doing an 11 mile 'survival run', my mind stayed occupied with thoughts about my training and whether or not I had done enough, or if I was ready for this challenge.  The response to all those questions echoed in my head as if it came from a holler in the hills of Kentucky (Yes, I know this sound very well.  Ask my mom!!).  Either that, or my brain was empty enough today to create that echo.  Either way, I hope you get the point.

I ended last week on a very, very high note.  My long run last week was 15 miles and I set out to run it at my BQ pace.  Nailed it.  First time I've ever come close to my marathon goal pace during a long training run.  

Monday - Track Work - 2 Mi. WU, 7 x 1 Mi., 1 Mi. CD

For the first time all summer, I enjoyed a track session.  The weather was absolutely incredible and there was a slight breeze.  My goal was to be consistent at whatever pace that meant.  My 2 Mi. warm-up was slow and I ventured away from the track and onto the green way to get this done.  That's something new for me and I believe that may have helped eliminate some of the monotony of a track session.  Anyway, I nailed the workout with 7 miles averaging something like 6:45.  The last 3 were at 6:50 each.  I believe that I could have posted some faster mile times, but not sure if I could have continued that through the end of the workout.  Consistency achieved and confidence boosted, again. 

Tuesday - Easy 10

Well, this was supposed to be easy following the Monday track session.  And, physically it felt that way.  10 miles at 7:44 pace is, or has been, pretty fast for me.  On this day though, it felt very comfortable.  It feels very good to look down at your watch 8 miles or so into a run and realize you are killing it and barely breathing hard.  Another confidence booster.

Wednesday - 11 Mi.

This turned into a craptastic run!  When talking with non-runners, I get the question all the time, 'Don't you get bored out there?'  Heck yes I get bored and this was a perfect example of that!  Bored to death with the green way path that I run 2 or 3 times a week, I decided to venture off it to 'spice things up'.  Well, that worked going the 5.5 out.  The way back, I found myself bored to the point of walking!  I was chugging along pretty good until mile 9 or so when I just shut things down, walked for a couple of minutes, talked to myself in a very demeaning tone, and tried to find some motivation to finish.  That motivation was that I was still 2 miles from my vehicle.  Sometimes, I'm smarter than I give myself credit.  Multi-loop routes give you 'outs'.  Out and back routes, don't.  You get 5, 7, or 11 miles away from your vehicle, there's only one way to get back. And....the quicker you do it, the quicker it's all over.  Confidence destroyed.  I think I may quit.  Running sucks!

3 days in and 31 miles on the books!  BIG WEEK.

Thursday - Easy 6

Somehow, I was able to quickly put the previous day's craptastic run behind me and go out to enjoy this one.  I told myself to not look at my watch and to acknowledge everyone that I passed.  As a runner, I think we are all guilty of obsessing over the watch.  This day, it was simply a tracking mechanism and would not define my run.  Acknowledging everyone for me is a very simply way to relax and run.  A wave, smile, a 'hello', 'good afternoon', 'cute puppy' or some other comment to another runner, walker or just goofing on the old guy that I passed on his bike while he was climbing a hill.  I told him that he may fly by me when we start down hill, but that I owned him when it came to climbing.  We both got a pretty good laugh out of it.  Really, really needed this run.  

Friday - 11 Mi.

My Friday runs are intended to be faster, near marathon pace runs.  That wasn't happening this week. The legs felt like cement blocks and I didn't need the additional pressure with a 20+ miler coming on Saturday.  So, I took it easy and knocked down 11 at an average 8:00 pace.  I'll take it considering the big week.

Saturday - 20+ Mi.  

My buddy Nate is getting ready for the Rocket City Huntsville Marathon and his training is starting to ramp up pretty good as well.  He and I run together pretty well and it's easy to pass the miles when we could both talk baseball the whole way.  We did a route in Nashville that I call City Loop.  This is a 13 mile loop starting and finishing at LP Field.  To add my extra miles, I would go out toward and into Shelby Park.  When we arrived at 6 a.m., we found that there was some sort of pre-race prep going on and that we'd likely catch the tail end of it.  Either he and I killed the run, or my timing is just horrible!!!  When we came back to LP Field, we found that one of the 'color run' events had just started.  Nate got out of there as quick as he could and I grabbed a Hammer Gel and a water and started out Davidson.  OH H-E-double hockey sticks!  These 'color run' events are not really 'runs' at all.  They are walks and gimmicky walks at that.  (Don't get me wrong, anything that gets people to move is a good thing but I didn't need a traffic jam in the last 9 miles of a long run.)  So, not only was I attempting to run through walkers spread all over the street, I had to avoid the 'color' stations where people were throwing powdered 'paint' or chalk, or the 'spray paint' stations.  UGH!!!!  I finished my last 20 miler and now have a basically new pair of shoes with pink paint on them!!!  Did I mention it was pouring rain when we started???  Started out thinking 22 miles. Very, very content with 20.  

Sunday - 11 Mi. Survival Run

I've quit referring to the day after my long run as a 'Recovery Run'.  These have simply become about survival.    Beautiful day and it seemed as though a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.  I ran easy, relaxed and without the stiffness that typically follows a 20 miler.  I ran thinking about this entire summer of training and whether or not it was enough to improve upon my previous personal best marathon time.  Whether my training had given me the strength, endurance and foundation upon which to run that magical BQ.  11 miles at 8:00 pace.  I'll take it and wrap up a very solid run week.  

80 miles on the nose this week.  2nd highest mileage week ever.  Physically, while a bit tender from the week, I feel strong.  Stronger than I have at this point before any previous race.  Mentally, I'm beginning to believe.  Confidence is high and I'm looking forward to the next 3 weeks of shorter runs that I can really try to push the pace.  I know that I have work to do, but I honestly believe that I'm a better runner today than I ever have been and have prepared for success.  

Taper time is here.  For those that don't know, in endurance training, the last 2 to 3 weeks are progressively lighter work weeks to allow the body a chance to heal from all the hard work and let you approach the start line eager and refreshed.  Early on in a training cycle I find myself wishing taper time would hurry up and arrive.  Once it's here, I question my previous work and wonder if I can sneak in an extra couple, or 5, or 10 miles and not hurt myself.  I've learned to trust the taper itself.  I haven't learned to trust the work that I've done over the previous 15 weeks. 

When it rains........I catch up!

It has been one of those summers. The temperature hasn't been excessively hot, but it has rained more than any other summer I can remember. Last summer, it seemed that it didn't rain for weeks upon weeks and the temperature most definitely reflected as much. Tens of days with the temperature above 100 degrees made training for a marathon a death trap of it's own. So much so, that by the beginning of August, I was forced to take 4 or 5 days off just from the sheer exhaustion of it all. This summer is so very different. We've had some hot days, sure, but nothing in comparison to a year ago. With the more mild temperature, you'd think that I would have sweat less. Haha! Not so much. High humidity due to the rain makes even the shorter runs feel like a trip to the sauna. 

In the early spring of 2009, I decided that I needed to do something absolutely ridiculous to get into shape. I'd just come off a couple of difficult months in the gym trying to get ready and in shape for the upcoming baseball season. This couple of months were the most difficult I'd ever experienced in the gym and made me wonder if it was age starting to creep up on me, if maybe I was eating too poorly, drinking too often or a combination of them all. I spent a month or so thinking about what I could do to accomplish this ridiculous feat. How could I get into ridiculous shape? How much was I willing to change my entire life to get into this kind of shape? And lastly, and very much the least important at that time, what would I do once I got there, if I did? (Of course, I never thought I'd seriously follow through on this effort!!) It didn't take me long to figure out that I wanted to run a marathon. I had always viewed people who run the marathon as the elite of fit people. I believed, and still do, that you are truly fit if you can finish 26.2 miles. So, I signed up for my first marathon without a single freaking clue as to how to train for or accomplish this feat. Half of the battle for me was writing the check. Once that was done, I was fully committed to this effort and have been ever since. 

8 marathons later, I've improved my race time by more than an hour over that first race. 8 marathons later, I still believe that I have room to improve as a runner, a person, an employee, a friend, a son, a brother and an uncle. Most people view running simply as a physically activity, and while it can be that, for me, it is so much more.  Running gives you a chance to think, or not think.  To reflect, or not.  To listen to nature, the city, or your favorite hip-hop artist, or not.  Running gives you a chance to work out the angst from the day at work, the frustration with friends or loved ones, or a chance to glow and enjoy a significant accomplishment in your life.  Running is 'free therapy'.  It listens and consoles, or congratulates as needed.  

I've learned an enormous amount over the past four years about who I was before I started this process and who I've become since. I've learned that the human body is an incredible machine that is capable of almost anything if you train, rest and feed it properly. I've also learned that runners are not typically people that are content with the as-is and are willing to work as hard as it takes to make those improvements.  I've also learned that some runners take the day off when it rains.  

This summer, after many conversations with friends and acquaintances, reading, studying, listening and more conversations, I decided to get more aggressive with my training.  Previous training plans had maximum weekly mileage of about 55 miles per week.  That's where I would start this plan and go up from there.    This week is the final big week of my training plan before I begin my taper for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, 80-85 miles by the end of the week.  During this training, I find myself very reflective.  Thinking about my first race just as much as I think about the next.  Thinking about where I was as a runner the day that I started this nonsense just as much as I think about where I am today.

October 13th is 27 days away and whatever happens that day, I've already won.  I've won a lifetime activity that gives me perspective on life from many different angles.  From the homeless guys on the benches at 6 a.m. in downtown Nashville, to the kids and puppies on the greenways, perspective of life from so many things that I never dreamed of seeing years ago.  

I am a very blessed and lucky man.  I'm blessed with my health to be able to pursue these ridiculous goals of mine.  I'm lucky to have an amazing family, amazing friends and incredible running friends that push me to be better every day.  If you are a better runner than I am, when it rains, I don't take the day off.  I catch up!