It's done. In the past, I would spend weeks of training simultaneously logging mileage and engaging in mental sabotage as I consistently fought the self-doubt that seemed to rear it's nasty head with each passing mile. I always told myself, if I can just get to a certain week of training, then I would know that I was ready, never really stopping to think about how I was ultimately filling my own head with negativity which did me no good, especially during a 20 miler.
So here I stand, in a pool of my own sweat, gotta love Missouri's humidity, and I have signed up for the Baltimore Marathon. I am not several weeks into training, I actually haven't even began. So far I have ran multiple races, ranging from 5k's to half's and I feel that I have the best base that I have had coming into marathon training. I have 16 weeks to prepare for a race that I know I will not only finish, but eclipse my PR, which at this point seems less than stellar. (4:10:34)
I have seen many runners blog about their journeys from that I am inspired to do the same. Regardless of whether or not you are a novice, avid, or elite, or just someone who enjoys free laughs at others expense, I hope you read these posts, comment words of encouragement or anything else that comes to mind, but ultimately I hope it will inspire you to pursue your passion. This year, unlike any other, I have made running my magnificent obsession. How else could you describe getting up at 4:30 in the morning to run? In life, you must first take care of yourself unselfishly before you can serve others and I couldn't think of a better way to do this. Baltimore 2016 or BUST! Let the journey begin.
Tuesday: 6.1 Miles (52:21)
This morning the weather was probably the best that it has been, in regards to the humidity. I set off around 5:15 just as the sun was beginning to break the horizon and push past the clouds. My morning runs have shifted my perspective tremendously as I begin each run with a motivational video, followed by initial mindfulness as I play the day out in my mind, thinking about everything that will need to be completed and how I will go about completing the tasks at hand.
Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:
Mile 1: 9:05
Mile 2: 8:28
Mile 3: 8:22
Mile 4: 8:34
Mile 5: 8:32
Mile 6: 8:26
Overall Time: 52:21 & 8:34 Pace
The first mile started out slow, which is typically as I spend the first mile really listening to my body and establishing a rhythm. My goal for my Tuesday morning runs is stay as close to an 8:30 pace as possible. As the mileage increases I may alter this time, but my goal is to maintain low 8 minute paces during the marathon. Running on the Little Blue Trail, doesn't provide many "hills" of relevance but it does allow you hone in our your pacing and get to the point that you can feel your body running at different paces, which has helped me immensely. With this being close to home, it's the most logical place as well to log my Tuesday mileage. Overall the run felt good, though my goal was to run negative splits, I am happy with the splits that I was able to achieve.
Quote of the Day:
"You face your greatest opposition when your closest to your biggest miracle." ~T.D. Jakes
Wednesday: 3.1 Miles (23:06)
I had every intention this morning to participate in the weekly KCTC Lee's Summit Running group meet-up. I spent the morning looking into the McMillan Running "How-to" videos to prepare for my upcoming Tempo Runs and stumbled upon their "Calculator" that allowed me to identify the optimal training paces that I should use for each of my runs. If you haven't tried the feature out, you should, you can hit the link to see all of the data that can be generated. All of this was perfect and I was ready to meet-up with the group, until I walked out of work. Needless to say Missouri's humidity, mixed with temperatures in the upper 90's and heat indexes well into the triple digits, I quickly decided that I had no desire to suffer a stroke or heat exhaustion and traded the road for the treadmill.
Running on the treadmill for me equates to watching paint dry. Even with a TV, people watching, and music thumping in my ear, 3.1 miles today seemed like 10. I always have a greater appreciation for running outdoors after spending time on a treadmill, it makes you look more closely at your surroundings and appreciate what nature has to offer, rather than painted walls and news streaming in front of you while chasing the invisible carrot. For today's run I used McMillan's "Easy Jog" times. This was quite an adjustment because it forced me to slow my pace a bit, but I spent this time really concentrating on my breathing and placement as I was running. Even though it was mind numbing to run on the treadmill, I still found a way to make the most out of the opportunity.
Quote of the Day:
"We all have negative thoughts that come against us, we can't do anything about that. We can chose if we are going to give them life or chose to think of something good." ~Joel Osteen
Thursday: 5.1 Miles (39:22)
Tempo Runs, I had heard people talk about them, but quite frankly I had no idea what they actually were. (And Hopefully this video, which I followed, is the proper way to conduct a Tempo Run) After watching the video and consulting with the McMillan "Tempo Pace" times, I began with a 10 minute warm-up on the treadmill. After assessing my body I felt like I was ready to push myself. According to the McMillan Running Tempo Calculator, it suggested that I maintain a pace of 7:24 - 7:50. I also identified that it was best that I run this on the treadmill, you can imagine my joy, as the goal is to work on the pace and avoid hilly segments that would not allow me to get into this rhythm.
I was pleasantly surprised that this pace was manageable and I found my rhythm around the 2 mile and was able to finish the 5.1 miles in 39:22, averaging a pace of 7:43. Though I have been running for years and already logged well over 500 miles this year, I haven't been able to achieve this pace for an extended period of time. Moving forward, I will continue to attempt work this pace into the 7:30's and 7:20's, but for the first tempo run that I have ever completed, I was pleased with the results.
Quote of the Day:
"We all have negative thoughts that come against us, we can't do anything about that. We can chose if we are going to give them life or chose to think of something good." ~ Eric Thomas
Saturday: 6.1 Miles (52:33)
According to the plan, I was scheduled to run 3 miles on Friday, but knowing that Saturday's run was 2-4 miles, I decided to give myself an additional day of rest and combine the mileage. Saturday morning usually consist of running with the group in Lee's Summit, but I couldn't bring myself to get up and get moving. Needless to say I would regret that decision. The day, as usual was humid and hot and I found myself back in the same position as earlier in the week, on the treadmill, staring at TV's and allowing my brain to go numb as I logged the necessary miles. Maintaining an 8:36 pace throughout I found that I was again working on my form and trying to watch myself in the mirrors to ensure that I was looking somewhat like a runner. This image ran through my head several times and allowed me to at least laugh at myself as I passed the time. (I can't seem to find a guy running, so this had to do.)
Quote of the Day:
"The truth is that your finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling the most uncomfortable."
Sunday: 10.10 Miles (1:20:53)
I always enjoy getting up on Sunday mornings knowing that I can run with group from the Wellness Running Store in Lee's Summit. The group is comprised of all abilities and has become an amazing support system as I have worked to build-up my base. I was able to run with two runners that have a tremendous amount of experience and are amazing runners. During the run, I asked questions and attempt to build my own understanding of the things that don't understand. Prior to this year, I had never ran with a group, I didn't run in high school or college and had never researched all the runner lingo, so to say it has been a learning curve would be an understatement. Both physically and mentally, this group has helped me develop a deeper understanding and most importantly a deeper passion for running.
We logged 6 of the actual 8 miles that was laid out by our amazing guide. With little breeze and the sun beating down on us, there were two sprinkler system that provided some relief as we conquered 6 miles in what I thought was an impressive time of 50:33, an 8:21 pace.
Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:
Mile 1: 9:04
Mile 2: 8:43
Mile 3: 8:02
Mile 4: 8:09
Mile 5: 8:11
Mile 6: 7:57
Overall Time: 50:33 & 8:21 Pace
Knowing that my training schedule had me slated for 10 miles today, I knew that I couldn't afford to not put in the remaining miles, but also knew the heat wasn't going to be my friend. So, after breakfast, I made my way to the gym, knocking out the remaining miles, 4.1 in 35:20. The last couple miles were definitely difficult. With the mileage itself and the treadmill, it took quite a bit of will power to continue, not to mention the wonderful chaffing that was piercing for the 3 of the 4 miles. Nothing beats a raw chest with a shirt rubbing back and forth, you're welcome for that visual. :)
Quote of the Day:
"It never gets easier, you just get better."
Final Thoughts:
So, with 30.5 miles logged, you might be asking yourself why I have logged the extra .1 each time. No, my Garmin isn't broken and it doesn't take me that long to slow down. I was inspired by someone that I have never met and never will. The legacy of George Boiardi has impacted me to always go just .1 further to always push myself just a little further than needed. Jon Gordon is a captivating author. "The Hard Hat" is one of his books that has resonated on many levels in my own life and was the driving force to push myself that .1 of a mile further each run. A simple yet powerful action by George Boiardi changed the landscape of the Cornell Lacrosse team and has also changed my own life. George was described as a selfless, loyal, joyful, hard-working, competitive, and compassionate leader and teammate, that impacted everyone he came into contact with and always provided lessons people could learn from. Sadly, while playing the game he loved in 2004, he was struck in the chest with a ball during a game and lost his life in 2004. In the book, Jon provided many opportunities to demonstrate the legacy that George left, but one that always stuck with me when it came to running was his 1 more mentality. George was motivating his teammates and when told to do a certain amount of repetitions during his training, George always did 1 more. This simple act transformed the Cornell Lacrosse because his teammates noticed that George was always willing to put in the work and then some to make himself and ultimately his teammates better.
This mentality has had an affect on me as I know that I am capable of logging the distances that I have planned, but as a tribute and daily reminder to myself, I log the additional .1 as a tribute to George. His legacy is a reminder that what we do impacts others and we have the ability to create our own legacies that can withstand the test of time, or fizzle out, ultimately it is our own actions and words that can and will impact others, the question is, how do you want to remembered?
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