peace....found in marathon training, again
9 miles. That was our training run this past Saturday.In the beginning, I think I looked like the image above. Happy. Springy. Ready to conquer the loop at the park where we were running, only to have a short 1.5 mile in/out after. Easy.We arrived at the park, before 8 am, and the thermostat already read 76 degrees. Humidity hung in the air, and the sunshine I had missed for nearly 6 months had all decided to appear on this morning.Yes, I know, I complain when it's too cold. I complain when it's too hot. It's like I'm high maintenance or something? Truly....I'd prefer to run in the cold than hot, but as the road to Marine Corps starts with a June training schedule, this is what I have to work with for now.Running outside does offer some spectacular advantages that we are always reminded of in our lives but far too often forget or ignore...
- Take time to stop and smell the roses. Well, when running may be don't stop but admire the ever-changing trees, flowers, and all the aromas that come with the natural beauty of your surroundings.
- Take time to separate from hustle and bustle of the world. While it may be acceptable (I'm not sure why, personally) to text or talk on the phone while running in the gym, when you're outside it is seldom seen and certainly frowned upon if done. Rather than being hyper sensitive to the buzzing or ringing alerting one to an incoming text, you're able to become hyper sensitive to your own rhythmic breathing connecting you to your body and soul on your run, while listening to the birds chirping, frogs croaking, and bees buzzing around you. (A) if there are bees, you might want to know where they are so you don't get stung= bad running experience and (B) this is really only achievable if you get out of the city and go somewhere where the cars horns and sirens don't muck up the symphony of nature. I HIGHLY recommend this experience!
- Get out of your comfort zone! For years, I ran the same exact course over and over and over and over again in training. When my running friends would suggest another route, it would send almost a visible panic across my face and through my body. We joke now at how "far I've come"....literally and figuratively speaking.
- Even in rain, or snow, or heat.....as long as your prepare properly you will be fine. Rain will not kill you (typically....as sweet as I am I didn't even melt. SHOCKING!). Snow is easier to run in than rain, and with proper layering, it is quite pleasant to run through the winter. Heat= hydrate. Sunscreen. Repeat.
Along the course, the endlessly thinking/observing/analyzing person that I am came away with these observations....in no apparent order.
- Wave and say hello people! Seriously. I started a game early on in our run. After few people waved or said hello after my friend Kristi and I did, I decided I was going to keep count of how many reciprocated our friendly gestures. I said hello to EVERYONE. May be a tad obnoxiously mid way as I couldn't understand why there wasn't a little "hey" or something as we ran by other runners/bikers/rollerbladers. At the end of the run, there were less than 10 who actually said "hello" in something that would resemble a friendly manner...and 2 of those friendly souls were fellow running friends of ours so that slightly skews the pathetic results.
- Pace. Pace. Pace. While it might feel great to run a full minute faster per mile than your training pace in the beginning, it catches up to you at the end. We were cooked. The last 2 miles were painfully slow and laborious.
- Hydrate. Wow how I loved the water and Gatorade I had filled my fuel belt with this week. Though I hate wearing the belt, as it messes up my fashionable running attire (I'll get to that next), it is oh so necessary during long training runs, and even more so in the summer.
- Why do people still wear cotton shirts running? Or long pants? Or jeans? Really? I cannot imagine something more uncomfortable. Dryfit/moisture wicking material is akin to wearing pads for football or shin guards in soccer.....it's there to protect your skin while running. Once expensive and exclusively made by Nike, ALL athletic attire companies make clothing now that is JUST FOR RUNNING so throw out the cotton t-shirts already. It's ok. You can do it! I opt for cute running tanks from Lululemon right now and my favorite running skirts from Brooks. I'm available for sponsorship from said companies, just saying.....
- Watch out for deer, turkeys, and other various wildlife while running in the country or at county parks. They will not stop for you, so unless you want to seek medical attention, might be wise to turn off music (or at least down) and be aware of surroundings. Turkeys: 6-8, Deer: 1. Ducks/birds/squirrels/various other wildlife, too plentiful to count.
- Pomegranate & Blueberry Smoothies from McDonald's are delicious! Try one. While I typically opt for chocolate milk made with almond milk post long run, this week we decided to try something new (SCARY for a self-professed control freak and routine follower) and WOW! Delicious! And having read several articles touting this as an effective way to lower your core body temperature following a long run, I felt like I was doing something "right" in all the things I don't do right while running..... I often.....
- Go out too fast. 2. Fail to stretch before or after running (shh...don't tell my masseuse. Oops. Damn. She reads this too!) 3. Fail to double knot laces (why don't I do this?) 4. Wear a Garmin to keep track of my pace (I'm buying my own this week so I can stop harassing my husband to borrow his).
Most importantly, this week I re-learned this......life is a journey and right now, it's about preparing for my next marathon. Rather than focus on each individual training run, and how much weight I didn't lose even though geez! one would think I would through all this running and training, I'm choosing to focus on the journey towards a stronger and healthier mind and body.Wordy blog......but leaving with a poignant quote from a writer I aspire to be like one day....."It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end." Ernest HemingwayPeace and Happy Running.....