Three days ago I ran my second marathon. I improved my time from last year by over 17 1/2 minutes. My 3:22:05 was an incredible experience.
Now, I am at a point at which I have really only one more running goal for myself--a Boston qualifying time. That goal will require more improvement.
What I struggle with is the best (and most efficient) way to achieve that.
Of course, I will need ability.
But more than ability, I will need to work hard. Working hard is a combination of attitude and goal. I made more or less my goal for the year. I have met nearly every goal I have set. Fell a bit short of a few, but the marathon was very close.
I was talking with my one student about a time during the race on Saturday when I said, "Well, even a 3:26 would be 1/2 minute per mile better than last year. Wouldn't that be 'good enough'?" And after a few more strides, I was able to banish that thought from my mind by saying, "No, that's not good enough. I trained for more than that."
At this point, I need to have a "can do" attitude.
At this point, I need to avoid self-doubt.
At this point, I need to set one reasonable goal at a time.
The key is figure out with whom to set down a plan, with whom to run, and with whom to commiserate as I move forward.
I have been coached by three incredible people in the past sixteen months. I have met many amazing, wonderful, beautiful, caring, sharing people in the past sixteen months. I want to continue to be a part of their lives.
But now I'm looking for someone (or some-ones) to pull me along. Not to the exclusion of my doing some of the pulling, of course. But to have someone to chase after to force me to raise the bar yet again.
I'm blessed to be faced with this struggle. I look forward to being pulled and continuing to pull others along in so many ways for the next running adventure.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Comments for DetermiNation
This is a long entry. It is the comments I'll make next Friday night at the dinner before the marathon. Hope you find them inspiring.
"It is an honor to have been asked to speak at the 2011 Baltimore Running Festival DetermiNation team dinner. This is my second year of participating in the DetermiNation program with the Baltimore Running Festival and the second year that I will be running a marathon (I ran the half in 2009). There are many people who have been integral parts of my experience in DetermiNation. I will focus on five as examples of the roles played by the people who helped me get here.
First, there is Gerry. Gerry’s passing brought me to run for DetermiNation last year. He was a father and fellow parent at my kids’ school. Prostate cancer took him from us earlier than anyone had expected in the summer of 2010. I had been planning to run the 2010 Baltimore Marathon anyway but I had been running by myself. In fact, ever since I finished running high school track—in 1987 before many of the tools I’ve used for fundraising the past two years existed—I was running alone except for one spring semester in my undergraduate days when I trained for and ran a 5K with a former roommate. Gerry’s passing got me to DO something. Gerry’s passing got me to take initiative with respect to my running. Gerry’s passing got me to use my running to focus on a cause—and since last year I have picked up a second cause as well—homelessness and running, but that is a topic for another evening. Gerry’s passing got me to use my running to interact with others—and I will return to the ways in which I have gone from being a strong introvert to a moderate extrovert later. Gerry’s passing got me to fit my running together with a piece of my professional life, as I also do research on cancer costs and cancer survivorship. Gerry’s passing also got my to think about him as a person and what I could do to honor him. The main thing that I have done since Gerry’s passing to honor him is to try to follow a dream that I had (in addition to running) as Gerry had done and to focus on doing whatever I do as best I can—also as Gerry had done. In the time since last year’s marathon I have written my first short novel, entitled The Radical Transformation of Runner 1313. I’d tried forever to complete a novel and this finally helped me reach my goal. This is a fictionalized version of my personal story from last year. Some parts are taken directly from my life, like the bib number. I didn’t like the idea of double bad luck, but a cousin suggested I look for a book of the Bible with verse 13 in chapter 13 that was meaningful. I found it—1 Corinthians 13:13 that talks about faith, hope, and love with the greatest being love. That was so consistent with what I had been writing about last year in my blog it was amazing. Since then, I have since started a website called Athletes’ Verses which focuses on linking bib numbers or race times to Bible verses to tprovide meaning to athletes who look to God and inspirational writing for meaning. Gerry is one person I know who has passed while fighting cancer. The link from Gerry to me to DetermiNation is key because it has forced me to focus on making myself a better person. Rising to the challenge of the race. Rising to the challenge of so many things in life.
Second, there is my mother to whom this year’s run is especially dedicated. She is a cancer survivor. Thirteen years now, so for that we are blessed. Since we live 90 miles away and I am busy with my own family (three boys ages 6 to 15), I really don’t know that much about the details of my mother’s day to day experience when she was going through her primary treatment for cancer. My mother’s struggle with cancer and her entire adult life is an inspiration to me. (Of course, my father’s life is too, but my father has not had to be a patient with cancer.) I run to honor my mother as well as to honor Gerry. My mother’s inspiration is particularly important for me, as there was a time when I could not understand why anyone would want to be a teacher. Now, in my role as a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, I not only do research, as I mentioned earlier, but I also teach, and it has become my passion. I have been fortunate to be honored by students with awards. I also teach Sunday school. I just love to teach. My mother’s inspiration is not just because she taught, but because she stuck with it. She trained to be a teacher. Then she had me. Then she was a bank teller while my father went to college after he left the Air Force. Then she stayed home with my sister. Then she was a bookkeeper before returning to teaching. She never gave up on her dream, and she had a full career as a teacher until she retired. She stuck with it. She endured. And she did not give in once she started. All of these are also excellent characteristics for running a marathon. For the example she set for how to lead a life with an enduring dream and how to fight a disease that takes a huge toll on so many, I thank my mother.
The teaching also fits into another aspect of what I do. I view one of the biggest elements of teaching as the sharing of stories. I already mentioned the short novel I wrote and the Athletes’ Verses website. I also have kept two blogs. The blogs, in some ways, are just a public diary. The blogs, in other ways, are a chance for me to share my observations about life and the lessons I learn about life and hard work. DetermiNation has led me to befriend several runners who started out only as people I saw at the Charm City Run sponsored workouts. Then we friended each other on Facebook. Several have taken to reading my blogs rather consistently and have shared their views on what I have written and shared how nice it is for me to share, through stories, what I have learned about myself and what I have learned about life and struggles. The learning about life and struggles emphasizes to me just how lucky I am and the value of the struggle against cancer for one and for all. Last year, I struggled because I had an injury just four weeks before the marathon as a result of which I lost about two weeks of running. Still, when I got downhearted about my experience, I simply thought to myself how the patients for whom I was fundraising would love to have what I was concerned about as their biggest problem. Of all my fellow runners who are blog readers, I want to thank Kathleen in particular for reading the blog entries and having something to say about most of them and encouraging me to continue to write and to continue to share.
The fourth person I would like to mention is my running friend Joselyn—also a DetermiNation alumna and supporter. I met her in the summer of 2010 although she usually ran the long slow runs faster than I did, she had a harder time making it to the track workouts than I did, and she ran more than 10 minutes faster than I did on the Saturday of the actual marathon last year. While we knew each other through the training program last summer, our friendship really began with a comment after the race last year—that we would both hope to run with the 3:20 pace group this year. There have been times in the last year when I wondered whether I would be able to follow through on that notion that began while I was sitting at the table eating snacks in the DetermiNation tent after last year’s race. The friendship and camaraderie with Joselyn have made a big difference in the hope that I can reach this goal. We have run stride for stride through almost every workout we both attended. We have listened and we have encouraged. We have said prayers for each other and stuck with it together. The bonds of people who run together are strong. The bonds of people work together for a cause like DetermiNation are strong. And for me, Joselyn is a great example of a larger theme—loving to run with others in a way that I could never have imagined recapturing from high school sports. It is why I think I am much more extroverted now than when I first signed up to run with DetermiNation. It is not just being outgoing but enjoying the strength that comes from being with other people. I have learned, once again, about the energy that can come from being with people. The energy that I use in my efforts to make myself a better person. The energy that I imagine every cancer patient uses to help themselves in their fight against cancer.
Finally, I have to comment on everyone at home, but especially my wife, Sherry. She and I have many interests in common. We both like exercise, but she is not a runner so it is sometimes hard for her to understand why anyone would ever want to run 26.2 miles. Despite that, she, and our three boys, have put up with the many hours of training. The many hours of writing. The many hurts and strains. The physical therapy. The massage therapy. The chiropractic visits. The early mornings. The late nights. The long slow runs. The track workouts. They have put up with and stuck with me through it all. I can’t thank them enough for their willingness to accept my dedication and my DetermiNation to see all the aspects of my running, my fundraising, my struggles, my attempting to help others through their struggles, and my attempts to make the best of myself through to the end.
So, as you can see, DetermiNation has made a huge difference in my life. It has helped me to set and achieve running goals. It has helped me to meet all kinds of interesting people. Runners are an interesting bunch in general. People who are willing to go out and raise money on behalf of others are an interesting bunch in general. When you combine those two traits you get some incredibly interesting people. It has helped me appreciate how my struggles are just a tiny fraction of the struggles faced every day by people with cancer. It has helped me to raise money for the American Cancer Society, inspired me to participate in one other running related fundraising event, and inspired me to participate as a volunteer in one other running organization that helps those in need. And most of all, it has given me so many reasons to raise the bar in my own life and to become a truly better person.
Thank you all for listening. Thank you, DetermiNation, for providing these opportunities. Thanks to all the individuals who have donated on my behalf—family, friends from right now who have been affected by cancer, friends from many years ago with whom I am in touch now only because of Facebook, colleagues, and former students. You have helped to raise money and awareness for such an important cause. Thank you."
"It is an honor to have been asked to speak at the 2011 Baltimore Running Festival DetermiNation team dinner. This is my second year of participating in the DetermiNation program with the Baltimore Running Festival and the second year that I will be running a marathon (I ran the half in 2009). There are many people who have been integral parts of my experience in DetermiNation. I will focus on five as examples of the roles played by the people who helped me get here.
First, there is Gerry. Gerry’s passing brought me to run for DetermiNation last year. He was a father and fellow parent at my kids’ school. Prostate cancer took him from us earlier than anyone had expected in the summer of 2010. I had been planning to run the 2010 Baltimore Marathon anyway but I had been running by myself. In fact, ever since I finished running high school track—in 1987 before many of the tools I’ve used for fundraising the past two years existed—I was running alone except for one spring semester in my undergraduate days when I trained for and ran a 5K with a former roommate. Gerry’s passing got me to DO something. Gerry’s passing got me to take initiative with respect to my running. Gerry’s passing got me to use my running to focus on a cause—and since last year I have picked up a second cause as well—homelessness and running, but that is a topic for another evening. Gerry’s passing got me to use my running to interact with others—and I will return to the ways in which I have gone from being a strong introvert to a moderate extrovert later. Gerry’s passing got me to fit my running together with a piece of my professional life, as I also do research on cancer costs and cancer survivorship. Gerry’s passing also got my to think about him as a person and what I could do to honor him. The main thing that I have done since Gerry’s passing to honor him is to try to follow a dream that I had (in addition to running) as Gerry had done and to focus on doing whatever I do as best I can—also as Gerry had done. In the time since last year’s marathon I have written my first short novel, entitled The Radical Transformation of Runner 1313. I’d tried forever to complete a novel and this finally helped me reach my goal. This is a fictionalized version of my personal story from last year. Some parts are taken directly from my life, like the bib number. I didn’t like the idea of double bad luck, but a cousin suggested I look for a book of the Bible with verse 13 in chapter 13 that was meaningful. I found it—1 Corinthians 13:13 that talks about faith, hope, and love with the greatest being love. That was so consistent with what I had been writing about last year in my blog it was amazing. Since then, I have since started a website called Athletes’ Verses which focuses on linking bib numbers or race times to Bible verses to tprovide meaning to athletes who look to God and inspirational writing for meaning. Gerry is one person I know who has passed while fighting cancer. The link from Gerry to me to DetermiNation is key because it has forced me to focus on making myself a better person. Rising to the challenge of the race. Rising to the challenge of so many things in life.
Second, there is my mother to whom this year’s run is especially dedicated. She is a cancer survivor. Thirteen years now, so for that we are blessed. Since we live 90 miles away and I am busy with my own family (three boys ages 6 to 15), I really don’t know that much about the details of my mother’s day to day experience when she was going through her primary treatment for cancer. My mother’s struggle with cancer and her entire adult life is an inspiration to me. (Of course, my father’s life is too, but my father has not had to be a patient with cancer.) I run to honor my mother as well as to honor Gerry. My mother’s inspiration is particularly important for me, as there was a time when I could not understand why anyone would want to be a teacher. Now, in my role as a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, I not only do research, as I mentioned earlier, but I also teach, and it has become my passion. I have been fortunate to be honored by students with awards. I also teach Sunday school. I just love to teach. My mother’s inspiration is not just because she taught, but because she stuck with it. She trained to be a teacher. Then she had me. Then she was a bank teller while my father went to college after he left the Air Force. Then she stayed home with my sister. Then she was a bookkeeper before returning to teaching. She never gave up on her dream, and she had a full career as a teacher until she retired. She stuck with it. She endured. And she did not give in once she started. All of these are also excellent characteristics for running a marathon. For the example she set for how to lead a life with an enduring dream and how to fight a disease that takes a huge toll on so many, I thank my mother.
The teaching also fits into another aspect of what I do. I view one of the biggest elements of teaching as the sharing of stories. I already mentioned the short novel I wrote and the Athletes’ Verses website. I also have kept two blogs. The blogs, in some ways, are just a public diary. The blogs, in other ways, are a chance for me to share my observations about life and the lessons I learn about life and hard work. DetermiNation has led me to befriend several runners who started out only as people I saw at the Charm City Run sponsored workouts. Then we friended each other on Facebook. Several have taken to reading my blogs rather consistently and have shared their views on what I have written and shared how nice it is for me to share, through stories, what I have learned about myself and what I have learned about life and struggles. The learning about life and struggles emphasizes to me just how lucky I am and the value of the struggle against cancer for one and for all. Last year, I struggled because I had an injury just four weeks before the marathon as a result of which I lost about two weeks of running. Still, when I got downhearted about my experience, I simply thought to myself how the patients for whom I was fundraising would love to have what I was concerned about as their biggest problem. Of all my fellow runners who are blog readers, I want to thank Kathleen in particular for reading the blog entries and having something to say about most of them and encouraging me to continue to write and to continue to share.
The fourth person I would like to mention is my running friend Joselyn—also a DetermiNation alumna and supporter. I met her in the summer of 2010 although she usually ran the long slow runs faster than I did, she had a harder time making it to the track workouts than I did, and she ran more than 10 minutes faster than I did on the Saturday of the actual marathon last year. While we knew each other through the training program last summer, our friendship really began with a comment after the race last year—that we would both hope to run with the 3:20 pace group this year. There have been times in the last year when I wondered whether I would be able to follow through on that notion that began while I was sitting at the table eating snacks in the DetermiNation tent after last year’s race. The friendship and camaraderie with Joselyn have made a big difference in the hope that I can reach this goal. We have run stride for stride through almost every workout we both attended. We have listened and we have encouraged. We have said prayers for each other and stuck with it together. The bonds of people who run together are strong. The bonds of people work together for a cause like DetermiNation are strong. And for me, Joselyn is a great example of a larger theme—loving to run with others in a way that I could never have imagined recapturing from high school sports. It is why I think I am much more extroverted now than when I first signed up to run with DetermiNation. It is not just being outgoing but enjoying the strength that comes from being with other people. I have learned, once again, about the energy that can come from being with people. The energy that I use in my efforts to make myself a better person. The energy that I imagine every cancer patient uses to help themselves in their fight against cancer.
Finally, I have to comment on everyone at home, but especially my wife, Sherry. She and I have many interests in common. We both like exercise, but she is not a runner so it is sometimes hard for her to understand why anyone would ever want to run 26.2 miles. Despite that, she, and our three boys, have put up with the many hours of training. The many hours of writing. The many hurts and strains. The physical therapy. The massage therapy. The chiropractic visits. The early mornings. The late nights. The long slow runs. The track workouts. They have put up with and stuck with me through it all. I can’t thank them enough for their willingness to accept my dedication and my DetermiNation to see all the aspects of my running, my fundraising, my struggles, my attempting to help others through their struggles, and my attempts to make the best of myself through to the end.
So, as you can see, DetermiNation has made a huge difference in my life. It has helped me to set and achieve running goals. It has helped me to meet all kinds of interesting people. Runners are an interesting bunch in general. People who are willing to go out and raise money on behalf of others are an interesting bunch in general. When you combine those two traits you get some incredibly interesting people. It has helped me appreciate how my struggles are just a tiny fraction of the struggles faced every day by people with cancer. It has helped me to raise money for the American Cancer Society, inspired me to participate in one other running related fundraising event, and inspired me to participate as a volunteer in one other running organization that helps those in need. And most of all, it has given me so many reasons to raise the bar in my own life and to become a truly better person.
Thank you all for listening. Thank you, DetermiNation, for providing these opportunities. Thanks to all the individuals who have donated on my behalf—family, friends from right now who have been affected by cancer, friends from many years ago with whom I am in touch now only because of Facebook, colleagues, and former students. You have helped to raise money and awareness for such an important cause. Thank you."
Impatience
Yesterday was the first time in this summer's training that at a track workout I was not one of the first one or two people to the end of each interval run. Last night, in contrast, I was near the front but not in the front. For once, I had the patience to run the target time to really try to get the feel for the pace I'm supposed to run next Saturday.
At the end, my running buddy and sometimes coach asked if I was hitting the times right on. I commented that I was, and he admitted that, in contrast, he and the others in the very front last night were impatient. What can impatience lead to?
Well, it can lead to being imprecise, inconsistent, or incomplete among other things. Reaching a goal in a marathon is not always going to result from my going as fast as I can from the start. Sometimes, reaching a goal in a marathon (or any extended activity in life) requires a slow start while building up and waiting for the appropriate time to accelerate and maintain a high level rather than trying to start at a high level.
I learned that lesson a few weeks ago on the track. I seem to re-learn the lesson every Saturday on the long slow runs. The key question now is whether in 10 days I can apply that lesson to a race situation.
We shall see!
At the end, my running buddy and sometimes coach asked if I was hitting the times right on. I commented that I was, and he admitted that, in contrast, he and the others in the very front last night were impatient. What can impatience lead to?
Well, it can lead to being imprecise, inconsistent, or incomplete among other things. Reaching a goal in a marathon is not always going to result from my going as fast as I can from the start. Sometimes, reaching a goal in a marathon (or any extended activity in life) requires a slow start while building up and waiting for the appropriate time to accelerate and maintain a high level rather than trying to start at a high level.
I learned that lesson a few weeks ago on the track. I seem to re-learn the lesson every Saturday on the long slow runs. The key question now is whether in 10 days I can apply that lesson to a race situation.
We shall see!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
You Put Your Whole Self In
Why quote the Hokey Pokey song when thinking about physical and spiritual well-being? And why stop with just putting my “whole self in” and “not taking my whole self out”?
Well, let me share a non-running story—for once, in recent times. This story is about the worship band at our church. This fall, I was given a chance to reconsider a decision I’d made at the start of 2010—after several years of playing bass and singing with the worship band at our church, I decided to pull back for a while because I was struggling spiritually and I had too much going on. The person who took my place as the regular bass play for 20 months is a better bass player than I am, but recently he was finding that other commitments were becoming a big deal for him. So, I am now the regular player again and enjoying the opportunity.
On most Sundays there are enough singers that I can just play bass and concentrate more on my bass playing—which leads to improved bass playing. However, this week, the worship band was a mixed group of some core members, one alumna, and a couple substitutes. It went well. As a result of the lack of singers, I was able to have a microphone and just play on a few songs while choosing to sing and play on a few others. It was a nice mix and I was able to concentrate my efforts where they were needed most.
The key for me was that the feeling was different. In addition to just playing for the joy of playing—not because I had been the bass player almost from the start and wondered who else would play (which was why I felt like I was playing at the end of 2009) and not just because I was asked to sub (between the start of 2010 and the start of September this year)—the opportunity to put my “whole self” into the music was amazing. It felt so empowering. It helped me feel the joy. Sometimes just playing bass doesn’t feel quite like putting my whole self into the music. And, of course, I would not ever want to take my whole self back out.
So, I’ve written about doing things that bring me joy. I wrote, sometime in the past twelve months, about feeling God’s joy when I run. Now, I am reminded about the joy that I feel and that I can tell God feels when I put my whole self into something. Taking it a bit further, just the other day I commented on the importance of focusing on one thing at a time in some cases. It is interesting to consider all the good that might come and all that I might accomplish from putting my whole self into something that brings me and God joy.
Well, let me share a non-running story—for once, in recent times. This story is about the worship band at our church. This fall, I was given a chance to reconsider a decision I’d made at the start of 2010—after several years of playing bass and singing with the worship band at our church, I decided to pull back for a while because I was struggling spiritually and I had too much going on. The person who took my place as the regular bass play for 20 months is a better bass player than I am, but recently he was finding that other commitments were becoming a big deal for him. So, I am now the regular player again and enjoying the opportunity.
On most Sundays there are enough singers that I can just play bass and concentrate more on my bass playing—which leads to improved bass playing. However, this week, the worship band was a mixed group of some core members, one alumna, and a couple substitutes. It went well. As a result of the lack of singers, I was able to have a microphone and just play on a few songs while choosing to sing and play on a few others. It was a nice mix and I was able to concentrate my efforts where they were needed most.
The key for me was that the feeling was different. In addition to just playing for the joy of playing—not because I had been the bass player almost from the start and wondered who else would play (which was why I felt like I was playing at the end of 2009) and not just because I was asked to sub (between the start of 2010 and the start of September this year)—the opportunity to put my “whole self” into the music was amazing. It felt so empowering. It helped me feel the joy. Sometimes just playing bass doesn’t feel quite like putting my whole self into the music. And, of course, I would not ever want to take my whole self back out.
So, I’ve written about doing things that bring me joy. I wrote, sometime in the past twelve months, about feeling God’s joy when I run. Now, I am reminded about the joy that I feel and that I can tell God feels when I put my whole self into something. Taking it a bit further, just the other day I commented on the importance of focusing on one thing at a time in some cases. It is interesting to consider all the good that might come and all that I might accomplish from putting my whole self into something that brings me and God joy.
Friday, September 30, 2011
A Life Lesson in Seven Hours Sleep
The title suggests I may have had a "vision" of some sort in my dream. Not quite.
Instead, my entry this morning could be as simple as—"Past three nights’ sleep totals: 4 hours, 4 hours, 7 hours. Feeling better after the seven hours."
That is important but it does not capture the lesson learned because I think that the lesson learned in this case is more than simply “get more sleep”.
Get more sleep implies a better balance. I won’t deny that that is something I need.
Get more sleep in this case, however, implies, in my mind, something a little more. It is not just balance. I try to get in “a little of this and a little of that.” I try to do “a little of this and a little of that.” And, I can sometimes achieve, “a little of this and a little of that” but the key here is “little.” Little time. Little attention. Sometimes that implies little quality.
I have heard and read that there is increasing evidence that humans don’t multi-task very well. In this case, multi-tasking implying trying to do more than one thing at the SAME time. I’d go further to say that it is not clear that this human can even do more than one thing at a time in rapid succession very well. Sometimes I may be forced (by a combination of pressures put on me and choices I have made) to try to do that. But it doesn’t usually work out as well as planned.
The seven hours sleep last night indicate that I needed to give more attention to one thing. It worked. The key for balance may be more to know which thing in my life needs the most attention right away rather than trying to distribute my attention each day. The challenge is working within the constraints that I face based on previous choices. And, for that, I have no easy answer other than to press on while giving more attention to the choices I need to make wisely and with guidance and serenity granted to me by God.
Instead, my entry this morning could be as simple as—"Past three nights’ sleep totals: 4 hours, 4 hours, 7 hours. Feeling better after the seven hours."
That is important but it does not capture the lesson learned because I think that the lesson learned in this case is more than simply “get more sleep”.
Get more sleep implies a better balance. I won’t deny that that is something I need.
Get more sleep in this case, however, implies, in my mind, something a little more. It is not just balance. I try to get in “a little of this and a little of that.” I try to do “a little of this and a little of that.” And, I can sometimes achieve, “a little of this and a little of that” but the key here is “little.” Little time. Little attention. Sometimes that implies little quality.
I have heard and read that there is increasing evidence that humans don’t multi-task very well. In this case, multi-tasking implying trying to do more than one thing at the SAME time. I’d go further to say that it is not clear that this human can even do more than one thing at a time in rapid succession very well. Sometimes I may be forced (by a combination of pressures put on me and choices I have made) to try to do that. But it doesn’t usually work out as well as planned.
The seven hours sleep last night indicate that I needed to give more attention to one thing. It worked. The key for balance may be more to know which thing in my life needs the most attention right away rather than trying to distribute my attention each day. The challenge is working within the constraints that I face based on previous choices. And, for that, I have no easy answer other than to press on while giving more attention to the choices I need to make wisely and with guidance and serenity granted to me by God.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
It had Nothing--or Everything--to do with Running
My social networking friends and followers may be tired of hearing about my tempo runs on Thursdays (a constant when I am running with a Charm City Run group) ut at least they are used to seeing the posts. Today, I did not post. Why?
Well, today's run was functional rather than excellent. The last two weeks were excellent runs--when I hit average paces of 7:01 and 7:02 over seven miles of fast paced runs.
This week was functional. All miles were below the average pace I hope to keep for the marathon. All but the first mile was below the pace I hope to keep for any 10K during the marathon--unless I have a whole lot left for the last 10K. The second three miles in total were faster than the first three--so, I ran negative splits. The last two miles were the fastest. None of that is bad. It is just functional.
First lesson learned--humility. When I get 4 hours of sleep two nights in a row it is hard to run an excellent tempo runs. I have to understand my limits.
Second lesson learned--humility (yes, again). When the twelve preceding days included an 18 mile run during which I ran one of the fastest 13.1 mile segments I'd ever run, Yasso 800's, an excellent tempo workout, a twenty mile run around the city, and a track workout of 3/4 mile repeats that I ended with a 4:39, there is a limit to what I can do. That is why we taper.
Third lesson learned--humility (still, again). I could say it has nothing to do with running. I didn't have a strain, a sprain, an ache, or a pain like I had at this time last year when I could barely run and spent most of my time resting. On the other hand, I have to admit that it has almost everything to do with running--the reason I have been up so late the past two nights is the commitment I've made to running. It is why I am so looking forward to the marathon. Due to the commitment I am ready to run. Due to the commitment I need time to move on to other things for a while.
Through and through--this is a time for humility to remember that there is only so much I can do in so many ways. To thank those who give me the chance. To thank those who run with me. And to thank God for the blessings I have received.
Well, today's run was functional rather than excellent. The last two weeks were excellent runs--when I hit average paces of 7:01 and 7:02 over seven miles of fast paced runs.
This week was functional. All miles were below the average pace I hope to keep for the marathon. All but the first mile was below the pace I hope to keep for any 10K during the marathon--unless I have a whole lot left for the last 10K. The second three miles in total were faster than the first three--so, I ran negative splits. The last two miles were the fastest. None of that is bad. It is just functional.
First lesson learned--humility. When I get 4 hours of sleep two nights in a row it is hard to run an excellent tempo runs. I have to understand my limits.
Second lesson learned--humility (yes, again). When the twelve preceding days included an 18 mile run during which I ran one of the fastest 13.1 mile segments I'd ever run, Yasso 800's, an excellent tempo workout, a twenty mile run around the city, and a track workout of 3/4 mile repeats that I ended with a 4:39, there is a limit to what I can do. That is why we taper.
Third lesson learned--humility (still, again). I could say it has nothing to do with running. I didn't have a strain, a sprain, an ache, or a pain like I had at this time last year when I could barely run and spent most of my time resting. On the other hand, I have to admit that it has almost everything to do with running--the reason I have been up so late the past two nights is the commitment I've made to running. It is why I am so looking forward to the marathon. Due to the commitment I am ready to run. Due to the commitment I need time to move on to other things for a while.
Through and through--this is a time for humility to remember that there is only so much I can do in so many ways. To thank those who give me the chance. To thank those who run with me. And to thank God for the blessings I have received.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
What a Difference a Year Makes
Yesterday, I ran the course preview in preparation for the 2011 Baltimore Marathon. It was so different from last year’s course preview run that I thought it would be worth reflecting on why things are so different. Of course, I am sure that I will have some reflections to share after this year’s marathon in three weeks. But, since I have not been writing nearly as much this year during the training, I think it is worth pausing to make an assessment of how different things were and why that was the case.
Let me begin with a statement that a friend sent me in an email the day before the course preview. She suggested that I run with joy. One year ago, for many reasons, there was little joy in the course preview run—other than finishing at all. This year, the entire experience was different and so much more positive. I could run with joy. And it amazes me how much I can accomplish when I run with joy—or do just about anything with joy. Bringing joy as a primary motivator to my work, my family, or any other activity makes a big difference.
So, why so much difference in the ability to run with joy?
Let me begin with something as simple as the weather. Last year, I don’t have the exact temp written down but it was hot. Probably 80 degrees before 8 AM. It was like a late summer day rather than an early fall day. And trying to run 20 miles without much shade in such temperatures was just crazy. Yesterday was humid, which was still not fun, but not nearly as hot.
The second thing was my own physical status. Last year, I was a first time marathon runner. I’d run two races in September—a 20 mile run at the beginning of the month and a half marathon the week before the course preview. The latter was a very good half marathon for me (personal best on time up to that point) but I made the mistake of scheduling to run a half marathon immediately before getting on a plane for a trip to South Africa. My already sore muscles (last year was the first time I pushed myself to achieve this level of fitness) tightened up more than I ever would have thought possible. When I returned, I spent much of the remaining three weeks in physical therapy. This year, my muscles are a bit sore but it is nothing like last year. One reason—my body has had the experience before. Second reason—my training has been consistent for nearly the past nine months. Third reason—I have taken the consistent training very seriously.
Third thing that was different was some lessons learned since last year—try to get some calories in my body in the morning before I run, hydrate well (even on practice runs), and bring something for calories while I run. Last year, despite the heat, I did not hydrate as much as I should have AND I did not bring anything with me to get more calories in me while I ran. This year, I have had such a different approach before I run, while I run, and even after I run (lots of protein as soon as possible), that it has made a big difference.
The fourth difference is that the course no longer feels like a nemesis to be conquered but more like an old friend. I know that must sound crazy, but here is the thought. Last year, I didn’t know much about the part of the course around the Inner Harbor and I didn’t like the part of the course through either Druid Hill Park or coming away from Lake Montebello. This year, I have run a race and several practice runs around Druid Hill Park. Lake Montebello and 33rd Street are areas that I am more familiar with, and I have had the opportunity to do several practice runs near the Harbor area. So, yesterday’s run was about getting in miles, having a solid (rather than necessarily a very fast) performance, and visiting the places that I know well and that I know I will revisit one more time three weeks from now. Last year, especially on the practice run day, I just felt like I had to overcome. Yesterday was just like checking in. And I think of it as checking in with an old friend as I have friends that will sit across the table from me in discussion and challenge me. Challenge me to change my thinking—which the course has done with respect to my running and from running to how I manage my life in general. Challenge me to change my health behaviors—and, again, I have taken my running to a different level. Challenge me just to live a better life and be a better person.
Now, you may ask how a marathon course has done that. Well, last year I blogged a LOT more often. This year, I have been writing about other things (for work), although I miss blogging. I actually think that it helped me to structure my life better as I took not only a designate time for running but also a designated time for writing almost every day. Structure is good. And, in the end, I turned last year’s experience into a short novel. This year, where did the overall improvement in the rest of my life come from?
The overall improvement came from realizing that, after doing this once, I have something to offer. In a question of whether art imitates life or life imitates art, the story that I wrote had the main character eventually speaking to the group of runners for the charity for which he was raising funds. For me, that will come true in three weeks. In the story I wrote, the main character became a leader within his community. Last year, I was a member of the community. This year, I’m not sure I’d say I’m a leader, but I am definitely a member in a MUCH different way. My running has become a source of being extroverted—gaining strength from a group—rather than being introverted—spending endless hours on my own and enjoying it. I have reached a point at which I encourage others and they encourage me. There are some where we don’t run anywhere near the same times, but my encouragement to them is just to keep getting better—till they are as good as they can get. Their encouragement to me is pretty much the same. And, at the end of the day that is what matters.
Running can make me not only the most fit person and fastest person I can be, but running—in the right proportion with everything else in my life and taken with all the meticulous seriousness that I put into writing a grant or paper at work—can help me to be a better person.
Have I forgotten all the spiritual and life lessons I learned last year, after Gerry Paradiso passed and I raised money for the American Cancer Society? Certainly not. Has the focus shifted a bit from last year? Yes. But I just see it as part of an ongoing evolution that began with my response to Gerry’s passing. And the challenge that I bet most people at his memorial service came away with—to be the best we can be in all that we do.
As a final thought--yesterday I finished the course running north on Linwood back to Patterson park with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. The year before I had to drag myself to the finish. I just hope now that the year in between has brought enough so that I am feeling just as much difference at the end of the marathon as I did at the of the training run.
Let me begin with a statement that a friend sent me in an email the day before the course preview. She suggested that I run with joy. One year ago, for many reasons, there was little joy in the course preview run—other than finishing at all. This year, the entire experience was different and so much more positive. I could run with joy. And it amazes me how much I can accomplish when I run with joy—or do just about anything with joy. Bringing joy as a primary motivator to my work, my family, or any other activity makes a big difference.
So, why so much difference in the ability to run with joy?
Let me begin with something as simple as the weather. Last year, I don’t have the exact temp written down but it was hot. Probably 80 degrees before 8 AM. It was like a late summer day rather than an early fall day. And trying to run 20 miles without much shade in such temperatures was just crazy. Yesterday was humid, which was still not fun, but not nearly as hot.
The second thing was my own physical status. Last year, I was a first time marathon runner. I’d run two races in September—a 20 mile run at the beginning of the month and a half marathon the week before the course preview. The latter was a very good half marathon for me (personal best on time up to that point) but I made the mistake of scheduling to run a half marathon immediately before getting on a plane for a trip to South Africa. My already sore muscles (last year was the first time I pushed myself to achieve this level of fitness) tightened up more than I ever would have thought possible. When I returned, I spent much of the remaining three weeks in physical therapy. This year, my muscles are a bit sore but it is nothing like last year. One reason—my body has had the experience before. Second reason—my training has been consistent for nearly the past nine months. Third reason—I have taken the consistent training very seriously.
Third thing that was different was some lessons learned since last year—try to get some calories in my body in the morning before I run, hydrate well (even on practice runs), and bring something for calories while I run. Last year, despite the heat, I did not hydrate as much as I should have AND I did not bring anything with me to get more calories in me while I ran. This year, I have had such a different approach before I run, while I run, and even after I run (lots of protein as soon as possible), that it has made a big difference.
The fourth difference is that the course no longer feels like a nemesis to be conquered but more like an old friend. I know that must sound crazy, but here is the thought. Last year, I didn’t know much about the part of the course around the Inner Harbor and I didn’t like the part of the course through either Druid Hill Park or coming away from Lake Montebello. This year, I have run a race and several practice runs around Druid Hill Park. Lake Montebello and 33rd Street are areas that I am more familiar with, and I have had the opportunity to do several practice runs near the Harbor area. So, yesterday’s run was about getting in miles, having a solid (rather than necessarily a very fast) performance, and visiting the places that I know well and that I know I will revisit one more time three weeks from now. Last year, especially on the practice run day, I just felt like I had to overcome. Yesterday was just like checking in. And I think of it as checking in with an old friend as I have friends that will sit across the table from me in discussion and challenge me. Challenge me to change my thinking—which the course has done with respect to my running and from running to how I manage my life in general. Challenge me to change my health behaviors—and, again, I have taken my running to a different level. Challenge me just to live a better life and be a better person.
Now, you may ask how a marathon course has done that. Well, last year I blogged a LOT more often. This year, I have been writing about other things (for work), although I miss blogging. I actually think that it helped me to structure my life better as I took not only a designate time for running but also a designated time for writing almost every day. Structure is good. And, in the end, I turned last year’s experience into a short novel. This year, where did the overall improvement in the rest of my life come from?
The overall improvement came from realizing that, after doing this once, I have something to offer. In a question of whether art imitates life or life imitates art, the story that I wrote had the main character eventually speaking to the group of runners for the charity for which he was raising funds. For me, that will come true in three weeks. In the story I wrote, the main character became a leader within his community. Last year, I was a member of the community. This year, I’m not sure I’d say I’m a leader, but I am definitely a member in a MUCH different way. My running has become a source of being extroverted—gaining strength from a group—rather than being introverted—spending endless hours on my own and enjoying it. I have reached a point at which I encourage others and they encourage me. There are some where we don’t run anywhere near the same times, but my encouragement to them is just to keep getting better—till they are as good as they can get. Their encouragement to me is pretty much the same. And, at the end of the day that is what matters.
Running can make me not only the most fit person and fastest person I can be, but running—in the right proportion with everything else in my life and taken with all the meticulous seriousness that I put into writing a grant or paper at work—can help me to be a better person.
Have I forgotten all the spiritual and life lessons I learned last year, after Gerry Paradiso passed and I raised money for the American Cancer Society? Certainly not. Has the focus shifted a bit from last year? Yes. But I just see it as part of an ongoing evolution that began with my response to Gerry’s passing. And the challenge that I bet most people at his memorial service came away with—to be the best we can be in all that we do.
As a final thought--yesterday I finished the course running north on Linwood back to Patterson park with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. The year before I had to drag myself to the finish. I just hope now that the year in between has brought enough so that I am feeling just as much difference at the end of the marathon as I did at the of the training run.
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