This past weekend, I was left with multiple occasions to reflect on a spectrum of running-related emotions and thoughts as I pounded out the miles. I may have just found myself in the midst of a microcosm of an entire training cycle, all in the span of 72 hours, and it reminded me of just how much I love lacing up my shoes on any given day.
I never stopped being committed to my training, but there is something about pulling the trigger on your A race (The Mark Twain 100) that re-invigorates you and re-commits you to staying true to what you know you are capable of with hard work, dedication, and determination. I had stuck to my training plan throughout the week, and even squeezed in some unexpected speed work after the USMST defeat at the hands of Germany. I was in a good place heading into the weekend, and was looking forward to a long run to kick off my Saturday.
Friday is normally one of my built-in rest days, and I woke up content to do just that. However, around 11AM, I began to get that itch you feel when you really want to just get out and move. I fought the urge momentarily, but then gave in to my instincts and laced up my shoes. I ventured out a relatively relaxing 7-mile run that left me with plenty of opportunities to reflect on the week, prepare for a busy weekend, and enjoy the sunshine and warm (albeit humid) weather. HIGH.
After I returned, I was feeling even more jazzed about my long run the next day, and I portioned out my nutrition needs and set out my clothes and gear so the early morning would be a bit easier. The epicurean’s mom has been visiting this week, and we all had a delightful dinner, and curled up in the evening to watch American Hustle, which was much better than I expected. I was in bed at a decent hour, and running through the next day in my mind as I drifted off to sleep.
I set my alarm for 5AM, so that I could meet a friend for some early miles at 6AM, before meeting the rest of the group. I slowly rolled out of bed, checked the time, discovered it was 5:50AM and I had slept through my alarm, and promptly became rather annoyed with myself. LOW. Then I looked outside and discovered that the slight chance of rain had turned into a full-fledged thunderstorm, which certainly wasn’t a part of my morning plan. LOW.
Despite the rain, I was dragged outside to run anyway, courtesy of a few intrepid friends who are just as adventurous. The four of us met at the start of the predetermined route, waited around for a few minutes to see if anyone else was going to venture out into the rain with us (they didn’t), and we headed out. I’ve always enjoyed running in the rain once I get started, and this adventure was no different. After the initial shocked of being rather quickly drenched, we embraced the rain and had a wonderful time in the process. We stopped by a local diner to give a few friends a hard time for not joining us, then continued on along a random, rather haphazard route. We tackled trails, stomped through puddles, ran through flooded ditches, and even took a few laps around the ISU track and practiced our high-jump on the soggy mat. We made our way around town, and as we ran past a friend’s house, decided that a dip in the pool was in order. Mind you, it was still raining quite steadily, and we were soaked, so we didn’t even bother to take our shoes off and we jumped right in! HIGH.
I made my way back home after we finished swimming, and I was all smiles. I only managed 10 miles but was quite content to come home, dry off, and avoid any blisters on my feed. In the process, I managed to put the drainage abilities of my current favorite shoes, the Montrail Fluid Flex, to the test and they performed admirably. Despite being soaked, my feet were never “squishy” and didn’t suffer any slippage. HIGH.
An enjoyable rest left me ready to tackle a second run for the day in order to pick up the miles I still needed. I headed out on my own this time, and the sun had risen quite a bit higher by the time I ventured out around 1PM. The run was certainly a sharp contrast from that of the morning, but nonetheless enjoyable and I knocked out another 11 miles rather easily. The added heat did, however, give me pause, and I found myself wishing it was still raining. This run was a good reminder that sometimes you simply need to get out there and take care of business. There are no highs, and no lows. You simply PUSH THROUGH. You just finish.
The next day, the epicurean and I hosted friends at our house for a backyard pancake get-together. It was quite humid, and the temperature rose quickly, but it was still a delight to share the morning with so many friends. The delicious (as always) pancakes didn’t hurt either :) However, I didn’t hydrate very well, so I was already at a bit of a deficit when I headed out to run around 2PM. The 85 degree temperatures and high humidity were immediate factors and I was ready to be done after no more than half a mile into the run. However, with 10 miles to go, I PUSHED THROUGH. I made more frequent stops for water than normal, and soaked my hat in water fountains to provide a bit more cooling, but it was still quite disgusting outside! The real turning point (pun intended) came at mile 5, when I reached an intersection and could turn left to head home or right to continue my run. I thought long and hard about calling it a day and heading home, but ultimately I turned right and decided to PUSH THROUGH. I knew I had the energy left in me, and would have plenty of access to water and shade if I needed it. Ultimately, I was very glad that I kept going, and it made arriving back at home as my Garmin struck 10 miles that much sweeter.
Keeping my goals in mind…and remembering that it’s not REALLY that hot.
Endurance runs are about more than simply training and working your way up to a certain mileage. They are about more than basic athletic ability (although that certainly plays a part). In the end, when you have passed a certain point, it’s a mental game. You need to be prepared for the HIGHS and LOWS, and know that there will come a point when you have nothing left to do but PUSH THROUGH and finish. This weekend provided me with an excellent training opportunity to experience all three of these factors, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. In the end, it was a great weekend, and I couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out!