Finding Another Gear
Posted on 27. Apr, 2011 by Joe in Marathon Training
As Monster Month wears on, marathon training is starting to leave me with a sense of vulnerability. The runs are getting downright long now. Even in the middle of the week. When the longs get this long, they leave you at the mercy of the elements. When you have a three or four mile run, you’ve got some flexibility. I’m an avid weather radar watcher when I am looking to get out for a run. If I have a lunchtime run planned, I can usually predict with some precision if I have time to squeeze it in before the infamous “green blob” reaches me on the weather map.
On the other hand, when you have an 18 mile behemoth on the schedule, like I did a couple weekends back, there’s not a whole lot you can do to be flexible. I’m out there for over three hours and even Al Roker can’t tell me what is going to happen over that kind of time frame. With a run that size, and a schedule like we keep in this house, you get out there when you have the time. End of story. You get out on the road and just take what Mother Nature chooses to dish out at you.
For over three hours that Saturday, Mother Nature pretty much threw the buffet at me. In my last post, I wrote about the need to develop my mental strength for this race. That 18 mile run certainly helped in that department. Sustained winds checked in around 20-25 mph for the whole 18 miles. Gusts well over that came and went as they pleased. The winds by themselves were not a huge hurdle to overcome. The majority of the loop I use at the local park made it more of a crosswind than anything I needed to run into.
But, the rain. Ah, the rain. There were some showers to deal with at the start, which wasn’t too bad, but wasn’t refreshing either with a stiff wind behind them. After five or six miles, they stopped for a while. Even saw a couple peeks of the sun! Alas, it wasn’t to be. Around mile 12, a stiff rain/snow mix started whipping around that eventually resembled hail more than snow or rain. Beautiful.
Remember that mental toughness? Well, I would be hard pressed to think of much that can beat that on May 30. So, I trudged on. At mile 15, I noticed my shoelaces were red. I thought the dye was running from my shoes. Guess I should have bandaged that troublesome toe that keeps getting blisters. Ugh. After that, I simply had to keep running the reasons through my head as to why I am doing this again. I had to, as it was really starting to resemble some dark comedy.
While that run was anything but enjoyable, it did serve a valuable purpose. It showed me I still had another gear in me. When you are logging 12, 13, 15 miles and you have never done it before, you keep wondering when you will reach your max. After I dragged myself across the finish line at last year’s half marathon, I keep wondering how much more I have in me. When will I hit the wall? Well, on that dreadful Saturday in the wind and rain with blood seeping through my shoe, I learned I still had at least one more gear. I wanted nothing more than to bag it and head for a hot shower. Instead I pulled myself through and finished that 18 miles. I’m pretty sure I’ve got another gear or two still unused. I think I am going to need them.
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