Baltimore Marathon Training Week 16

Monday: 6 Miles  (46:43)

With two weeks out until Baltimore, I wanted to spend this week focusing on running consecutive negative splits and pushing the tempo as much as possible. At this point, my base is built to the best of my ability, my speed however, still has to be improved and I am still trying to find my "sweet spot" for non-race day running. Reflecting back over today's run, I am pleased with the outcome, but it came at a cost. My stubbornness can at times be a blessing and a curse, today’s run was an example of that. While the run was invigorating, it caused other things to happen that weren’t necessary after reflecting over everything. Sometimes, I need to get out of my own way and let things go, rather than dwelling and while they helped me run at a much quicker pace, the end result wasn't what I was striving for.   

Quote of the Day:

“No matter the situation, never let your emotions overpower your intelligence.”  

Tuesday: 6 Miles  (43:58)

After pushing the tempo yesterday, my goal was to start out fast and continue to push the envelope to see what I could achieve. Having ran the last two miles yesterday under a 7:30 pace, I was determined to see if I could return to that and stay under that pace for the duration of my run. Fortunately, I was able to hit 5 of my 6 miles under that pace as well as run negative splits. Though I still had another .2 miles to go, I crushed my 10k PR by more than 2 minutes, proving that I have increased my speed and that my base building and tempo running is paying off. I am excited after Baltimore to run other race distances to see if I can improve my PR’s as I can focus more on speed work and hopefully run a race well enough to place within my age, which I am finding is hard to do.

Quote of the Day:

“You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.”

Wednesday: 3.1 Miles (24:27)

Before leaving for the Outdoor Leadership Experience Potosi, MO, I was adamant about getting a run in to continue my days of consecutive running streak. While running around my neighborhood is less than thrilling, I was faced with little time to get my run in and refused to make an excuse for not completing it. Though I was able to keep my negative splits, I didn't really put much thought into my run. At times, like today, I just sync into auto pilot and spend more time in my thoughts rather than my pacing, with packing and go through my mental checklist, it was probably beneficial to spend today thinking, rather than focusing on pacing. I am pleased to see that I am running more shorter distances at a faster pace than I did in the first few weeks of training.

Quote of the Day:

“Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you.”  

Thursday: 3 Miles (26:10)

With another negative split day in the books, I can say this was by far my most enjoyable run of the week, simply because of the scenery. After the first day of OLE I had several things to think about and reflect upon as I ran. There is something to be said about such a tranquil place such as Camp Lakewood. It has brought out a calmness within but also plenty of opportunities to be reflective of my practice and life, which aren’t necessarily calm at this time. I am excited to see what the next several days hold and hope to continue to be reflective and get something out of this experience, I know the view alone has brought about a level of peace that I desperately needed.

Quote of the Day:

“Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings, and emotions.”   

Friday: 3 Miles (26:00)

A fifth consecutive day of successfully running negative splits, though today was less than peaceful. The problem with my thinking can at times be a surplus of time to think, for thoughts to connect, emotions to spiral and in an instance a flood of thoughts instantly brought to the forefront that can change my attitude instantly. Today, I allowed my thoughts to control me and they altered my state of being and before I realized it, the peaceful environment around me was irrelevant and the rage that filled my mind eliminated any thoughts I had of peace and positive self reflection. Running has taught me a lot, but it still hasn’t allowed me to eliminate all of the negative thoughts that still swirl in my mind. Does this ever go away, or this just simply apart of life?

 

Quote of the Day:

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”  

Saturday: 3 Miles (24:42)

With another negative split day in the books, I am relieved that at least ⅔ of my runs here allowed me to dig deep into self reflection and think about ways that I could take the information gained this weekend back home and continue to work on improving my leadership abilities. Overall, I spent 3 days in an environment that challenged my thinking, made me reflective on personal and professional self, and connected me with amazing leaders that ultimately became friends. This journey couldn’t have come at a better time and though it exposed some of my own flaws that still exist, I needed to address them and I needed to have this environment to tackle them head on rather than avoid them. I know that in the end, I will be a better person in both facets of my life because of this experience.  

Quote of the Day:

“Running has given me many things but there greatest gift has been the people that it’s brought into my life.”

Sunday: 10 Miles (1:30:39)

While I didn’t run negative splits, I enjoyed running with Robert and Ashley this morning. On the eve of my taper week, I enjoyed slowing up the pace and simply being in the moment with both of them. I reflected this morning over the connections I have made along this journey and I am thankful that this led me to so many great things that have happened in my life. I have established friendships with people and built them upon a foundation that has common goals, perspectives, and respect for what the other does. I am blessed to have made developed these friendships, and thankfully even created deep friendships with some that are now so close to me in my life. We are a group that pushes each other, encouraging each other and supporting each other along the way, selfless, pure friendships.

Quote of the Day:

“A person’s mind is so powerful.  It can invent, create, experience, and destroy things with thoughts alone.

Final Thoughts:

Next week, I will be reflecting over the Baltimore Marathon. With 580 miles in the rearview mirror, it is bittersweet but also nerve racking knowing that I will breaking 600 miles during the marathon next weekend. Refusing to think negatively about what might be, I am reminded of quote that I have read weekly and continue to feel the affects it has on my life day. Here it is:

“There is something magical about running; after a certain distance, it transcends the body. Then a bit further, it transcends the mind. A bit further yet, and what you have before you, laid bare, is the soul.”

My body has changed in this process, hell, it had too, both positive and negative, The constant pains and at times fatigue though make me appreciate this journey, before, it would have resulted in me gracefully bowing out of such a challenge. But now, I have embraced these feelings as I know the end result far exceeds the feelings that I have.  

My perspective, my mind, has shifted in perspective due in large part my training. At times however, the past can rear its ugly face, by my mental threshold has increased exponentially and I can almost always move past the spiraling thoughts. My tolerance for pain has become a mindset, my tolerance for outside influences has shifted and my overall state of being has been changed through this process. You might say, running saved me, from myself.

My soul… The spiritual aspect in all of this has been the most transformational. I no longer spend my days, well most days, worrying about things that are out of my control. I am the captain of my soul, no one has taken that control and no one ever will. At some points in my journey, the moments of weakness, I clinged to things to help me get through. But as each week has passed, I have remained focused on the fact that I and i alone control my destiny and what I do daily and what I will become from this is me and only me. I can’t put my faith in things or people, they will all let me down. I can however, put my faith in something stronger and know that each day I am striving to get there and no one is responsible for that, except myself. It’s liberating and empowering and ultimately, I am giving myself that power, no one else.

   

Baltimore Marathon Training Week 15

Tuesday: 3 Miles  (26:56)

Even runs through my neighborhood have become the norm the last few weeks and I remember why I am not a fan.  Thought this was my first run after Quad Cities, I was surprised at how good my legs felt today. I actually experienced less pain running than I had experienced all day while walking at work, though any downhill movement is still painful.  

The biggest surprise of this run was the 2nd mile as I hit an 8:10 pace and had to slow my pace as I spent the first half of the mile in the mid to high 7’s.  I didn’t feel pain, which considering how I felt over the last 48 hours, it came as a complete shock.  Ultimately, I came back to reality quickly afterwards as when I stopped running, my legs again felt like jello, leading to almost 30 minutes of walking afterwards just to ensure I didn’t fall over. The runs after marathons are definitely interesting for me to say the least.

Quote of the Day:

“Strength grows in the moments when you think you can’t go on but you keep going anyway.”

Wednesday: 6 Miles (50:46)

Our Wednesday night run led us to Main Slice in downtown Lee’s Summit. It was nice to be able to get back to running with the group and be able to talk with Stephanie about Quad Cities. Our conversation definitely and our pacing throughout was relatively quick considering the marathon was less than 72 hours ago.  Talking about my takeaways from the marathon as well as advice she gave allowed me to reflect over Quad Cities and continue to feel more and more like I have a good chance of having even more success in Baltimore in October.  

Quote of the Day:

“Do it over and over again until it becomes who you are.”  

Thursday: 3 Miles (22:29)

“That what Speed Do!” This pretty much sums up the thoughts in my mind as I finished today. After feeling as though I was holding myself back the last few days, I decided to push the envelope and see what I could accomplish.  I can’t recall the last time I was able to maintain such a pace, but I felt great in the end. Though running through my neighborhood is hilly, each hill is always met with an equal amount of downhill which seems fitting for the elevation chart that I have been analyzing for Baltimore.  These days make me believe that I can push the tempo in Baltimore at the end, most certainly not the entire time, I would be fooling myself, but I do have the ability to get into the 7’s and finish strong, just have to continue to believe and make it happen.

Quote of the Day:

“You see things and say, why? But I dream things that never were and say, why not?”

Friday: 5 Miles (43:57)

Back to the trail! Friday morning at LBT with Stephanie was the perfect way to start the morning.  The difference temperature and humidity makes is almost indescribable.  My body reacts differently, the aches and pains are less severe and the my overall tolerance is elevated. Our pace wasn’t fast by any means, but with taper week in full effect, it was nice to get out early, stretch the legs out and be in nature this morning.

Quote of the Day:

“Stride forward with a firm, steady step knowing with a deep, certain inner knowing that you will reach every goal you set yourselves, that you will achieve every aim.”  

Saturday: 11 Miles (1:31:28)

With a 10 miler on the calendar today, my goal was to arrive early, get in a couple miles before 6:30 and then spend the time running with Stephanie and her sister Amanda.  While I had only anticipated running 2 miles, as soon as my feet hit the pavement, I felt great, so my 2 miles turned into 3 miles after running the first mile under 8 minutes.  

Miles 3-6 took the 3 of us away from Gusto and through a neighborhood near by.  As Stephanie told her sister to slow down, which you never hear Stephanie say, again tapering week, the engaged a little banter which reminded me of the conversations I never got to have as an only child.  It is neat to see siblings that enjoy the same sports especially when they are able to do them together.  

After completing the first 6 miles, at a relatively fast pace, we met up with the other runners and found that “The Godfather” selected a very unique dress attire for our run, see photo below.  This is yet another reason why I love our group.  We have so many unique personalities that collectively make our group the most fun loving combinations of personalities I have ever been able to be apart of.

In addition to the unique outfit, we had a moment to honor our friend Jim, who lost his sister unexpectedly with bands in her remembrance as well as a donation to the foundation that his family created in her honor. To see everyone rally around him demonstrates the selflessness that they possess and while running brought everyone together, it's rooted in something far greater, it's a family that looks out for each other and is there to support one another in good times and bad.

Quote of the Day:

“Running has given me many things but there greatest gift has been the people that it’s brought into my life.”

Sunday: 6 Miles (49:58)

With the weather cooperating again this morning, our pacing was identical to yesterday’s pacing. Running down the outer road along 50 with the sun rising gave me an opportunity to do some reflecting on my week and the week and gain some clarity.  At one point, I was so focused on my thoughts, that Stephanie had told me to slow down, not realizing that I was picking up the pace, it shows what you think about has power, especially when it is fueling a significant amount of thoughts and energy. The last 4 miles also looked very much like the middle portion of Quad Cities and hopefully in two weeks, I can say looked like the middle and end of Baltimore!  

Quote of the Day:

“A person’s mind is so powerful.  It can invent, create, experience, and destroy things with thoughts alone.

Final Thoughts:

This journey began with a simple but strategic step to achieve a goal that I have been chasing for almost 4 years. Though Quad Cities allowed me to break the 4 hr barrier, I didn’t feel as though I able to fully push past my threshold for fear of hurting myself in preparation for Baltimore. Now, with 12 days remaining until I face one of the last obstacles in my mind, I am very reflective over this journey and where it has taken mentally, physically, and spiritually along the way.

Mentally, my mind is at peace, something that hasn’t existed for quite some time. While I still have my moments, as we all do, my runs continue to allow me to process, decompartmentalize and rationally think about where I am going and how running has allowed me to get there. Physically, I have changed, not necessarily on the outside, but I can feel my legs propelling me, my core staying tight, and my body not breaking down as it did in 2012 and 2014.  Spiritually, I have not had this much clarity in quite some time. Life is simple, we make it complex, running has stripped the complexity away, its broken barriers and it has helped me understand that no one else’s opinions, thoughts, or even actions have an impact on me, until I let them in.

As each mile passes, 546 to date, I am reminded that this journey, this life, has no guarantees, except for one. Every step, every breath, every mile, every race, could eventually come crashing down. But yet, we seldom think of those things as we create lists and worry about our obligations rather than to stop and simply take in life and appreciate what we have. Those lists and obligations however can easily be altered in an instance when life throws a curveball and instantly everything slips away and you lose what you took for granted.  So are those lists really that important, those obligations all that necessary, or are the fleeting moments of peace that we experience in such small instances what we should really be chasing, I guess in the end, it’s all in how you want to look at your life.

Baltimore Marathon Training Week 14

Monday: 2 Miles  (19:12)

14 weeks ago, I would have enjoyed the idea of running short distances and taking days off, but this week, it has killed me. The thought of “tapering” as it’s called in the running world, is an agonizing thought. To put so much time and energy into weeks of training and then to suddenly turn it off and focus on just going through motions has been difficult to comprehend. I understand the process completely, but during this transformation, my focus has been on building my base and now, I feel as though I am working against myself, running less miles and slowing pace tremendously. I know it is the right thing to do, but the thought of logging so few miles is painful.  Today’s run was simply that, painfully slow. Not only was I on a treadmill, but my pace was less than stealthy.  But, two miles is two miles and I can live with that.

Quote of the Day:

“I would have never thought that one sport could change my entire life, until I began running.”

Tuesday: 4 Miles  (30:55)

Remember that conversation from above, well like the stubborn mule that I am, I ignored my own words and I took off today with the intent to cover 4 miles as quickly as I could to push myself after the agonizing run yesterday. The temperature was in the 90’s, humidity also relatively high, but the run felt great, I was able to push my tempo averaging a 7:43 pace and running negative splits, which hasn’t happened in quite some time.  Though I was out of breath at the end, I still felt like I had a lot in the tank to continue to push, but resisted knowing that this weekend I would have all that I can handle. I want to get to the point that I can maintain this type of pace for long distances, I know I still have a ways to go, but these types of run give the hope that I can eventually achieve the lofty goals I have in my head.  

Quote of the Day:

“The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race, it’s to test the limits of the human heart.”

Wednesday: 3 Miles (26:43)

I had another date with the treadmill this morning. Though I love my new Garmin watch, the indoor running feature isn’t necessarily accurate or aligned to the treadmill and though I ran to 3 miles on my watch, the treadmill picked up almost .2 more, so today’s run was basically a 5k, but it felt good running slower negative splits and feeling as though this pace was very comfortable for the entire time.

Quote of the Day:

“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. The potential for greatness lives within each of us.”  

Sunday: Quad Cities Marathon (3:57:53)

The range of emotions I experienced today left me mentally drained but simultaneously at peace.  Quad Cities was not part of my plan, but reflecting on today’s experience, if i had the chance to do it again, I would take it. I allowed myself to really run my own race today, I experimented with fuel and pacing, and really learned how to listen to my body. I ran solo as well, which doesn’t seem like a big deal to most, but to me, it was probably the most difficult aspect. During training runs, I am always with someone, it helps pass the time and the conversations distract from the little voices in my head, but today, the little voices were heard loud and clear. I had intended to race with music, but by mile 6 my brand new wireless headphones had failed me and I about lost it. At that point the voices in my head started in and needless to say, I was ready to throw myself in the river and backstroke it to the finish line.

With no one to talk to and music no longer an option, the weather also reared its ugly face as the race progressed.  With the sun beating down and the rays bouncing off the river, water stations turned into hydration for not only the inside but outside of my body. I was taking two cups of water at most stops, dumping one on my head to cool my body down and trying to drink the other. If it says anything, even the pacer that I had began running with, pulled away from because of her inconsistent splits, eventually caught back up with me to only tell the 2 remaining people with her that she couldn’t continue and stopped running at mile 22 to sit down on the side of the road.  

With Baltimore 3 weeks away, I did learn some valuable lessons that I wouldn’t have acquired without running Quad Cities and have a new time to beat as I knocked another 12:41 off my marathon PR.  In addition, Ashley, Robert, and Ben provided insight into situational events that helped me overcome some obstacles that occurred during the race. I feel much more prepared for Baltimore having finished Quad Cities and I truly believe that I can clip my PR dramatically if the weather conditions are right and I got my fuel figured out in the later stages of my run.  

Quote of the Day:

“Everything you ever wanted to know about yourself you can learn in 26.2 miles”

Final Thoughts:

With just 3 weeks remaining, I have officially logged 512 miles in my training (35 this week), 44 miles ahead of what my projected totals should be at up to this point. Though 44 miles is not a lot, to think that I have been able to achieve this type of mileage in just 14 weeks gave me additional confidence that I needed leading up to Baltimore in October. Do I still have doubts, absolutely, but do I feel more confident in my abilities, most definitely.  

During the marathon I experienced a “runners high” unlike any other. While this high very immensely for everyone, my body felt weightless.  Any discomfort I was experiencing disappeared my pacing dipped as low as an 8:02 pace and never went above 8:17, nearly 30 seconds faster than I had anticipated running.  During this time, I felt amazing. It wasn’t because of the pacing, but with all of the feelings and emotions that came with it. Marshall Ulrich described it in his book as if he was watching himself run as a spectator and while I can’t say my feeling was identical, my body was weightless and I spent many miles unaware of my pace or even where I was because I was entranced by the feeling and scenery where I was. There were several miles during this time that I don’t remember because the state of euphoria I was in at times seemed like a dream, running 26.2 miles shouldn’t seem like a dream, but it did. The clarity during this time was also vivid. My thoughts seemed so black and white, I didn’t need to overthink because the pieces in my mind just fell into place, any issues that i felt, I had problem solved and ultimately, even with my body being put through torture, I felt at peace, as if my mind and soul had been cleansed.  

These moment, I will continue to chase them.  The raw emotion and vivid clarity have made running my magnificent obsession because even in these moments, I find the peace I am searching for both in running and my own personal life. I know it’s there, I just have to find it, capture it, and figure out a way to bring it back after the high wears off, because after it is gone, it's like falling out of the sky without a parachute, and we all know how that ends.