Life lessons and random thoughts from a child of the 80s trying to survive in the technology era
Posts tagged running
In Search of Some Stability.
0Remember when you used to get new sneaks as a kid and you immediately went out to see if they made you run faster and jump higher? In my experience, they almost always certainly did.
I still kind of get that feeling when I break out a new pair of shoes after each 300-mile stretch. I might not go out and see what I can clear on a jump, but I certainly find myself focusing a little more on my run and how I feel. It’s like I want to really enjoy any extra cushion, stability or feel I get from a fresh pair of sneakers.
I’ve been wearing Asics Gel Evolutions for a couple of years. They’re great shoes. I recently discovered from my local running store that Asics had changed (read RUINED) my shoe. So I switched over to a Brooks Adrenaline.
The Adrenaline is a good show, but it didn’t hold up in the cushioning department as much as I’d like. so I’m giving the Brooks Trance 10s a shot. It was between them and Asics Kayano.
It seems to me that the shoe that a runner wears (a pronator like me anyway – we tend to really despise you neutral runners) are a very personal thing. I know friends who’ve scoured the internet looking for last years version of a shoe to horde. So having to shift around after finding such a great shoe in the Evolution is a bit traumatizing to me. Or maybe I’m just being dramatic.
So we’ll see. If you see me sprinting and jumping stumps on a trail, I’m just trying them out.
P.S. – Dear shoe companies: Please leave well enough alone. Please.
A Whole New Perspective
0I think I’ve mentioned before that I made the decision, right or wrong, to run the Tobacco Road Marathon. With only 10 weeks of training. So I realize that this race will probably not be a PR for me, but taking off training until a fall race puts a full year between marathons for me. It’s really key that, in my training, I have a goal to work towards. Otherwise, I lose motivation quickly, and it all goes to pot pretty quickly. With that in mind, I still can’t really afford to miss any training, at least in my mind.
On Monday night, we had a pretty massive ice storm here in Central NC. I woke up Tuesday to a day off from work and almost a 1/4 inch of ice over every flat surface in town. So first off, sleeping in was great, but I had 6 miles scheduled for the day, and the specter of getting out in the mess wasn’t too exciting. But I did it anyway.
I’ve got two different loops I’m married to for my weekday runs. I always start in the same place, and either do a loop through UNC Campus or a loop through Carrboro. I’ve probably run 1000 miles between these two loops. Tuesday it was Carrboro, and it was more like ice skating than running. There are few things scarier in running than ice, and it didn’t take long to determine that surviving a training run on a solid sheet of ice without cracking your noodle should be considered a success, no matter what your pace turns out to be. But I also discovered this:
- Keeping your balance and not falling down as you “Ice Run” is one helluva core workout. Just working to stay upright as I ran really required that I keep a strong core and long spine and I found that I was constantly having to compensate for slipping and sliding. It was a great reminder of how important core is to runners.
- Run your loop on a frozen morning, and you’ll see at least one thing you normally wouldn’t. Not only was my mind more on my run, but there was so much more to see, things that weren’t typical to my run. They were: A) Two girls making an “Ice Man” in their yard. I’m guessing it didn’t turn out so well. Ice makes a lot smaller “man” than snow. B) Go for an “Ice Run” and there’s a good chance you’ll get to help someone push his or her car out of their icy driveway or yard. Just think of it as bonus strength training. C) Kids will sled on anything. Ice works as well as snow, sometimes better. D) Mostly, you’ll have the roads to yourself, and boy will it be quiet.
Taking the run turned out to be fun and the sights along the way made it more entertaining than it would have been on a “typical day.” I only got 5 miles in, because having to work to stay upright kinda wore me out, but they were fun miles. The things I saw, that the ice brought made it new and fun and different, and gave me a whole new perspective on the Carrboro loop I’ve run so much. I just had to keep my eyes open to what was there. Here’s hoping your run tomorrow (and mine) show something new too.
3:49.43…and i lived to tell about it
24 years ago
by gmlee73
in Uncategorized
It’s friday, march 27 – 5 days after completion of my first ever full marathon. I still catch myself recalling certain points in the race. it helps that everyone who knows i ran it wants to know all about it. i’m thankful to say that i really was able to focus on taking in the whole experience while running it. i remember the walk from the hotel and how it was much less crowded than i’d thought it would be. i remember getting to the end of atlantic ave. on the first trip out and the guy blasting contemporary Christian music and cheering us on. i remember a lot of stuff, but most specifically, i remember it was hard.
tweeting prerace
i got to the start line and decided i’d start between the 3:40 & 3:50 pacer. now i really didn’t think i’d finish in 3:40, but there was a good spot for me there, and the goal was under 4, so i knew i could cruise along somewhere in there. i rolled out at the start and really cruised through the first 7 miles, actually a bit fast. my 7 split was 59:50. My 13.1 split was 1:52.50. I felt great at that point and had really settled in to a pace I was happy with, although it was still faster than I had planned. Coming back through atlantic ave. was nice as there were people all along the road cheering us on. Shamrock prints your name on your race bib, which i thought was a nice touch. i realized once the race started that it gave spectators the ability to call you out by name. which is a bit strange. and then it just gets old.
so the north loop of the race gets lonely. it moves up past the atlantic ave. then loops up through a military base. I felt completely awesome right on up to mile 17. that is when i started to get a bit tired, and it happened to be at the furthest point out, and the most lonely. i could tell that the runners around me were starting to fade a bit too, as there was less chat, less positive vibe in general.
it was at mile 22 that i was beginning to think i was ready to be done. the good news was, by then i could see that i was certainly going to come in under 4 hours, which was the goal. the entire race, i’d been peaking back to see if i could see the 3:50 pacer, and not until this point did i see him creeping back up behind me. he was beginning to hoot and holler and had started his kick. i’ll admit i had these visions at a couple of points of finishing with the 3:40 pacer and owning it. i really wanted to keep him behind me, but at about 24 miles, i fell behind the 3:50 pacer. i was able to keep them in my sights though, and crossed the line within about 20 seconds of him.
i can see the finish line from here
immediately, at the finish line, the first thing i thought of was how much my back and legs hurt. the second thing i thought of was how awesome it was that i had just finished. once i made it down onto the beach to the after party, it all hit me and i did get a bit emotional, and shed a few tears. it was an amazing experience. yes it was hard. yes, i’ll do it again.
i’ve never thought of a bucket list for myself. but as i thought of it the other day, if i did have one, it would have “run a marathon” checked off. if you’ve ever considered it, do it. you can. there were thousands of stories at the race last weekend. mine was just one. yours could be there too.
thankfulness.
14 years ago
by gmlee73
in Uncategorized
I’m 9 days away from my first full marathon. I’ve moved into my taper and it’s given me lots of time to begin a reflection of what the last 17 weeks have been like for me. What a great experience, and although I’m sure the experience of running and finishing the Shamrock Marathon will be amazing, I can’t discount what I’ve learned about myself through the training.
For me, maybe the most eye-opening bonus of distance running is the ability to think more clearly than I ever recall thinking. The clarity I have during and after a long run is so refreshing and often I look forward to that experience as much or more than the physical act of running.
Haruki Murakami really describes what goes on in a runners mind (at least from my experience) in his book What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. He talks about the idea that he runs in a void, or rather that he runs to acquire a void. Though occasionally thoughts sip into this void, they are more like clouds in the sky. The sky remains the same, but the clouds come and go, leaving only the sky behind. I really like that description and it works for me to, doing a good job of describing where I go when I run. If that alone is what I have gained through this journey, it will have been worth it.
About 2/3 of the way through my training, I developed what would later be diagnosed as a calf tear. About half way through a 6-mile run, I started experiencing intense pain in my left calf. Knowing I couldn’t simply wait it out, I contacted the experts at Balanced Physical Therapy. Chad Flickinger was assigned as my therapist and without his great direction and advice I could not have recovered so quickly or changed and improved my running form to help prevent future injuries. Shortly after that, I contacted Sage Rountree and began attending her Yoga for Athletes Class at Carrboro Yoga Company in hopes of improving my running as well as finding more new places inside my spirit to explore. I have really enjoyed her teaching and Yoga has been an interesting adventure so far, so we’ll see. All along, one of my most treasured guides along the way, Heather Wuthrich, has helped me to see the trail more clearly, and understand why some of the obstacles have been there. So another important thing that I have learned is that although I am strong enough to accomplish much through the spirit that I am, part of the journey is discovering what others have to teach me and finding the courage to ask for help.
All along the way, I have had a partner with me. Anyone who has taken a similar journey knows what a time commitment it can be. There are also commitments to diet, scheduling and finances. In most situations, we all have people who share our lives and when I embarked on this adventure, that was true for me. It still is, and Cindy has been the perfect partner, supporter, coach, counselor and friend. She has never waivered or done anything but support and love me, and seeing that the love she had for me was an important part of the whole journey has been an incredibly important learning experience.
There have been other things I have learned along the way. Patience. Perspective. How to find the Stillness inside me. But perhaps, no clearly, the most profound thing I have discovered, is a new understanding of thankfulness. For the ability to run. For the opportunity to do what I have grown to love. For the sights I have seen as my feet have moved me along the road. For the other spirits I’ve met and continue to meet along this journey. For the clarity that has always been there, but that I can now have. For moving closer to a clear picture of who I am. For the journey itself.
The race is 9 days away, and it should be fun. And I hope to report back on it then.
the art of running in the snow
04 years ago
by gmlee73
in Uncategorized
don't let it stop you
yesterday we got about 3 inches of snow here. it’s not much, compared to what we got in PA. it was a normal training day, so it gave me the chance to check something off my list: go for a run in the snow. let me say this : its obvious where the term a “blanket of snow” came from. i love the snow. it’s like nature’s mute button. there is nothing like going out alone for a run and having the planet turned way down so that all you here is the sound of crunching ice crystals under your treads. when it’s that quiet, i can hear my breath so clearly that it’s like I can feel it entering my throat, filling my lungs and pushing back out of me even more.
i suppose running has always been a solitary event to me. and it’s something i really look forward to doing alone. for years now my days have been spent working with and for people, constantly talking face-to-face, on the phone, sending emails, checking blogs, updating twitter, reading articles, doing research – i often feel overwhelmed by the amount of information exchange going on around me. not when i run. lots of people are part of running groups, or have running buddies. not me, at least not yet. as i said earlier, running is a lonely undertaking for me, and it’s on purpose. i think that sometimes we’re scared to be alone, for fear of what our thoughts might reveal to us. on my runs, things become clearer – they seem to crystalize for me. so that lonely trek is one i almost always look forward to.
now the first half of the 6-miler was into the snow, and that was interesting – tough to look up without getting an eyeful of snow, so most of it was done head down, eyes on the road in front of me. once i made the turn to head back though, the wind was at my back and i could really get a good look at the world around me. it was beautiful, white, and perfect. other people were out enjoying it by then, and campus was particularly buzzing. it was definitely cold, so the thermal tights and windblocker came in handy. but a handful of snow was the perfect thirst quencher. so that’s checked off, but i hope to get to do it again. and you should too.
today was a different story – 18 degrees when i set out for a 5-miler. the sun was out, but dude – it was cold. about half way through i literally couldn’t feel my fingers. and my face was pretty numb. the biggest trick was dodging all the ice on the sidewalks. tons of “refrozen” snow so it required lots of focus. all-in-all this last week has been a real baptismal in winter running for me – a 18-miler all below freezing, a GREAT run in the snow and and icy obstacle course today. all proof for me that winter is a special time for runners, a great time to see nature in her splendor and no excuse to stay in.
A New Earth revisited
04 years ago
by gmlee73
in Uncategorized
Back last summer when I picked up “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle and began to read it, I had just left for vacation in Western NC. I’m really glad I got the chance to start this book in a setting like that, away from distractions, quiet and secluded. I imagine that this book came along at exactly the right time for me, as it has begun to open up doors for me and I’m seeing things in a much different way.
For me, the key to this book is understanding what Tolle means when he talks about the “ego.” This is probably the most difficult part of the book to understand, a least for me, but once I did begin to understand it, some of the other messages in the book began to reveal themselves. He does a great job describing the ego as that voice in our heads that talk to us, sometimes incessantly throughout the day. That incessant stream of thought, or, as I perceive it, life based on that thought, is the ego. According to him, most people are still completely identified with that stream of thought.
One way to look at it, one that really clicked with me was a statement he made in the book: ”When you say you have to convince yourself of something, who are you convincing?” There is only one of you. That is a glimpse of how your ego works, a constant stream of thought.
I can relate to that. I’ve always been a person whose mind is constantly racing. I wake up in the morning and the first hour of my day is spent in thought, just putting together what my day will look like. Throughout the day, my mind bounces from topic to topic, thought to thought, and by the end of the evening, it takes extra time in quiet to let myself wind down, sorting through the day’s events. So I know what Tolle is saying when he talks about an incessant stream of thought.
Another interesting topic Tolle covers is Identification with things. Its the idea that the things you have make you more of a person, or others who don’t have them less than you. More clearly stated, its the idea that not having something diminishes who you are. I catch myself (and people around me) on a regular basis fighting this battle – i need an iPhone. I so want an HD plasma TV. I need that Patagonia jacket. It’s as if we are less of a person without the thing we need. So I should ask myself – without this thing, am I less of a person? Am I not still as much of a human without it?
So can I get beyond this? Can I at least start to become present, to be aware of my inner presence and see things more clearly. Since beginning to read this book, I’ve worked to become more aware of the times when I’m more present than others. One of the times when I am most present, most aware of my inner strength, is when I am running.
There is no other time when I have more clarity than during a run. I’ve discovered that when there is nothing but me and my breathe, when I can run until my mind can no longer incessantly whisper to me, when I can only focus on breathing in and out and moving my legs forward, I become keenly aware of my inner self. My senses are heightened and I begin to process things more clearly and see people, situations and scenarios more for what they are.
So now my new goal is to practice getting to this point, a point of clarity, without actually having to be on a run. I want to be able to get to that place and for now at least, the best way for me to do that is to focus on my breath – to even practice that and put myself in that state of only me and my breath, with a goal to be present when I need to be – at least at first – and a long-term hope of learning to always be present.
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