Run for Joy

Back in April of 2014 at age 53, I suffered my first really serious injury that sidelined me for a while.  I had injured my hamstring while running the Boston Marathon.  While I persevered and finished the race, I am now not sure that was the best thing I could have done.  Looking back I realize that the injury could have ended my running life entirely.  That is a truly sobering thought as running is a integral part of who I am and my life.  The good news is that when I start to feel the niggling pains that could signal an injury I immediately pull back and reset my training expectations.  I have no intention of giving up on running especially due to a chronic injury.

What most runners fail to realize is that running is supposed to bring joy into your life.  It is not supposed to be something you have to do.  Sure it helps you feel good.  It keeps you healthy.  It helps you maintain a healthy weight.  But if you are pushing yourself hard all the time, you are really missing the point.  You should be embracing the fact that getting out on the road simply brings you joy and happiness.  The simple pursuit of running and sharing what you feel with others is truly what it is all about.  Why would you ever risk losing that just to hit a certain time split in your training program.

Today if I am not feeling up to a scheduled run, I change it up.  Maybe I just run a shorter distance or skip it altogether.  Skipping a scheduled run is in reality no big deal.   The key is to realize that handling failure or lack of desire is a learned skill.  Since coming back from my injury, I try to simply chalk up every failure, slow race time, or bonking as an opportunity to grow and improve.  Let's be realistic, no runner will go an entire career without having to deal with some sort of failure.   The big difference is in the attitude.  I choose to have the attitude that my many failures are simply a step towards becoming a better runner.

I have also changed my attitude towards my training.  I obviously try and meet my training goals.  I do work hard and at least twice a week I do speed work and tempo runs to improve my overall speed and stamina.  But if I am out on the road trying to finish one of my two weekend long runs and I just don't seem to have the gas to run the whole way, I simply stop and walk a bit until I feel better.  Sure it means I will log a much slower pace.  But I certainly won't do any damage to my body nor reduce the passion I have for the sport.  Besides who really cares if I run 10 miles at a 9:00 or 10:00 pace.

It is more important to feel gratitude that I can get out there and run whenever I want.  At 56 years old it is a gift to be able to continue to run and race like I do each year.  Therefore when I am having a rough time out there on the road, feeling stressed, I remind myself that I get to do this each morning.   I don't have to get up early and log the miles.  I choose to.  If I am truthful to myself, this little reminder brings me back to center and I am grateful to just be out there running.

May 14 – 6.10 miles (1:07:26, 11:03 pace) – Hill Repeats
May 15 – 6.20 miles (53:51, 8:41 pace) – Speed work
May 17 – 9.30 miles (1:21:30, 8:46 pace) – Tempo Run
May 18 – 6.20 miles (55:02, 8:53 pace)
May 19– 8.50 miles (1:15:16, 8:51 pace)
May 24 – 9.40 miles (1:22:24, 8:51 pace) – Tempo Run
May 25 – 7.20 miles (1:05:19, 9:04 pace)
May 26 – 10.40 miles (1:35:15, 9:10 pace)
May 27 – 10.10 miles (1:30:57, 9:00 pace)
May 28– 6.10 miles (1:09:46, 11:15 pace) – Hill Repeats
May 29 – 6.30 miles (53:35, 8:52 pace) – Speed work
May 31 – 9.40 miles (1:21:51, 8:42 pace) – Tempo Run
Jun 1 – 6.10 miles (55:42, 9:08 pace)
Jun 2 – 8.10 miles (1:14:10, 9:09 pace)
Jun 3 – 11.20 miles (1:51:26, 9:57 pace)
Jun 4 – 6.10 miles (1:01:33, 10:05 pace)
Jun 5 – 3.10 miles (23:55, 7:43 pace) – Speed work
Jun 7 – 9.40 miles (1:22:11, 8:45 pace) – Tempo Run
Jun 8 – 7.10 miles (1:07:21, 9:29 pace)
Jun 9 – 10.30 miles (1:38:06, 9:31 pace)
Jun 10 – 10.10 miles (1:35:17, 9:26 pace)

Total Miles:  166.6 miles
2018 Total Miles:  760.6 miles

Running Allows us to Live Life to the Fullest

“People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they'll go to any length to live longer. But don't think that's the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you're going to while away the years, it's far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive then in a fog, and I believe running helps you to do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that's the essence of running, and a metaphor for life — and for me, for writing as whole. I believe many runners would agree”
― Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

I love this quote from Murakami.  He is absolutely right.  I may run to stay healthy and live a longer life but it is really so that I can live a fuller life.  Apparently I have translated my love for running to my children.  Most recently my daughter signed up to run her first Half Marathon.  Up to this point in time, she had run a few 5K races and ran regularly for exercise.  While my initial reaction to the news was trepidation, I knew that it was her way of living her life to the fullest.  How could that be a bad thing no matter what happened on race day.

When she told me she had signed up for the race, I asked if she wanted me to come down and run it with her.  She politely declined.  She wanted to do this on her own.  That is something I understood fully.  when I started racing long distances, I wanted to do it on my own.  She and I talked a few times about her training.  I offered a little advice here and there.  But if there is one thing I know about her, when she decides to do something she gets it done.  I am constantly amazed at her tenacity and confidence.  I am so proud of all that she has accomplished so far in life.

In the past, she had set goals in life to finish college and work for Disney.  Both of which she accomplished.  This time she had set a physical goal for herself.  One that would challenge her in ways she hadn't dealt with before.  She is a strong willed woman and put in the time and effort to fully prepare for the challenge she signed up for.  When we talked about the race, she told me she had a goal to break 3 hours in her first half marathon.  A very reasonable goal considering she had never run this type of distance before.

On April 22, 2018, she lined up at the Disney World Resort to run the 2018 Star Wars Half Marathon – The Dark Side.  The only thing I could do here in Arizona was follow her on the web.  I certainly can't detail her race experience her as I wasn't there.  But she texted me immediately after she had finished the race.  Her excitement about her achievement came through loud and clear.   She was so proud of herself.  And she should be! Through the runner's high she told me she wanted to run another one.  She had run her first Half Marathon in 2:34:27!  What an accomplishment.  She had definitely exerted herself to the fullest and conquered the course.

Now she is going to sign us up to run the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon this November.  And I get to have her join my Penguin relay team in the Blue Ridge Relay in September.  She is filling in for one of our runners who can't participate due to an injury.  I am so thrilled that she is building the same passion for this sport that I have harbored for over 30 years.  I am looking forward to many more races with her.  But I am even more looking forward to hearing her excitement about life as she continues to be fully alive in this world.

Apr 16 – 5.10 miles (50:10, 9:50 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 17 – 6.50 miles (55:09, 8:29 pace) – Speed work
Apr 19 – 8.50 miles (1:14:35, 8:46 pace) – Tempo Run
Apr 21 – 8.10 miles (01:13:15, 9:02 pace)
Apr 22 – 9.30 miles (1:24:21, 9:04 pace)
Apr 23 – 5.10 miles (51:55, 10:11 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 24 – 6.50 miles (54:55, 8:27 pace) – Speed work
Apr 26 – 5.10 miles (43:12, 8:28 pace) – Tempo Run
Apr 27 – 4.10 miles (45:42, 11:09 pace)
Apr 28 – 4.50 miles (40:00, 8:53 pace)
May 1 – 5.10 miles (49:00, 9:36 pace)
May 2 – 6.50 miles (55:09, 8:29 pace) – Speed work
May 3 – 5.10 miles (45:07, 8:51 pace)
May 4 – 8.70 miles (1:16:31, 8:48 pace) – Tempo Run
May 5 – 8.10 miles (1:16:14, 9:25 pace)
May 6 – 8.50 miles (1:17:56, 9:10 pace)
May 7 – 6.10 miles (1:06:47, 10:57 pace) – Hill Repeats
May 8 – 3.10 miles (23:44, 7:39 pace) – Speed work
May 10 – 8.20 miles (1:11:34, 8:44 pace) – Tempo Run
May 11 – 6.10 miles (54:48, 8:59 pace)
May 12 – 5.10 miles (45:12, 8:52 pace)
May 13 – 11.30 miles (1:42:19, 9:03 pace)

Total Miles:  144.7 miles
2018 Total Miles:  594.0 miles

Password Penguin is Running the 2018 Blue Ridge Relay

It is finally confirmed.  My relay team Password Penguin will be running the 2018 Blue Ridge Relay on September 7 and 8.  The Blue Ridge Relay (BRR), which is one of the longest running relay races in the United States.  The race takes place in the Blue Ridge and Black Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina.  BRR starts in Grayson Highlands State Park, VA at an elevation of 4920′, near the base of Mount Rogers (5729′) which is the highest peak in Virginia.

What we are most excited about is that the course follows scenic country roads the entire race.  We will be running through North Carolina’s High Country all the way to the finish in Asheville, NC.  When we looked at the course we saw that we will have the chance to see some really spectacular scenery.  According to the race description some of the highlights will include the balds of Grayson Highlands State Park, the New River, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Grandfather Mountain (5964′) and the Toe and Cane Rivers.  What more could you ask for in a 208 mile race.

We were looking for a fall relay since we had such a beautiful race in Michigan last year in the fall.  We felt that the BRR would give us the opportunity to run a very scenic race and on some roads less travelled.  What we didn't realize at the time was how difficult this course will be for us.  All of my team are recreational runners now that we are all mostly in our 40s+.  Our fastest days are mostly behind us.   Some of us even ran in college.  Many of us have run multiple marathons.  We will need all of that mental and physical training to conquer this course.  It is definitely not going to be one for the faint of heart.

The race course crosses back and forth across the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains with a cumulative elevation gain of 27,000 vertical feet.  Some relay veterans say that this is the toughest relay road race in the nation.  27,000 vertical feet is almost like climbing Mount Everest.  But Mount Everest climbers actually start at 17,000 feet on their way to the summit at 29,029 feet.  Luckily no one runner has to take on the entire vertical climb.  But in looking at the course map, there is not one runner who will not be conquering some serious hills. So no one will be able to complain that their legs are any harder than the rest of the team.

I have not actually run this race so I am having to look at the legs only on maps to see what I am in for.  What I have determined is that the course runs between 1500’ and 4000’ vertical feet every three or four legs.  Like all of the other relays we have participated in the legs are easy, moderate, hard and very hard.  But this race has rating I have never seen before mountain goat hard (MGH).  It looks like there is a reason for this rating as the MGH legs have climbs exceeding 6% along the way and one of them even peaks out at 13%. 

I am planning to be runner #3.  This means that I will be running 24.8 miles in total which is the most miles of all of the runners on my team. My first leg will be Leg 3 which will cover 5.2 miles and is rated moderate.  There is 400 feet of climb and 479 feet of descent on this leg.  My second leg will be Leg 15 which will be 10.5 miles and is rated very hard.  There will be 1,222 feet of climb and only 493 feet of descent.  The one consolation is that I will be running along the base of Grandfather Mountain which is supposed to be beautiful.  They rate it a tough leg because of the distance and most of it is a climb.  My last leg will be Leg 27 which covers 9.1 miles and is rated hard.  There is only 371 feet of elevation gain with 474 feet of descent.  Sounds like a fun challenge that I am totally up for.

Like all of the adventure relays I have participated in over the years, the Blue Ridge Relay will be more about the non-running times than the runs themselves.  Every relay has been a great experience for me.  I look forward to finding out what is different about this relay than any of the others I have run.  The best part of going to relays all over the country is that we never know exactly what to expect.  We go into the race with some trepidation as to what will happen and how each of us will do.   But we always find that when we gather to run across the finish line together we agree that we have had a grand adventure together.

Apr 2 – 4.50 miles (51:19, 11:24 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 3 – 6.40 miles (54:41, 8:33 pace) – Speed work
Apr 5 – 8.30 miles (1:13:12, 8:49 pace) – Tempo Run
Apr 6 – 4.10 miles (38:10, 9:19 pace)
Apr 7 – 2.10 miles (18:48, 8:57 pace)
Apr 8 – 7.10 miles (1:06:10, 9:19 pace)
Apr 9 – 4.60 miles (51:13, 11:09 pace) – Hill Repeats
Apr 10 – 6.30 miles (53:33, 8:30 pace) – Speed work
Apr 12 – 3.10 miles (26:19, 8:29 pace) – Tempo Run
Apr 13 – 4.20 miles (37:20, 8:53 pace)
Apr 14 – 8.20 miles (1:11:55, 8:46 pace)
Apr 15 – 8.30 miles (1:16:17, 9:11 pace)

Total Miles:  67.2 miles
2018 Total Miles:  449.3 miles

The Youth Shall Lead Us

I had the pleasure of attending the Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey concert last weekend.  If you don't recognize the names, they are the Peter and Paul of the Peter, Paul and Mary folk trio.  It was nice to see that 50 years later they both still support the counter culture movement of the 1960s.  The values the movement championed are becoming more important each day in the Me Too movement and the March for Our Lives.  Bringing forward the ideals from the counter culture will truly  allow us to build a better America.  I still believe in those values of anti-materialism, environmentalism, and non-violence.  It looks to me like these are also valuable and appealing to a broad range of my fellow Americans and especially the youth of our country.

Peter and Paul both spoke passionately about the March for Our Lives and the need for us to listen to the youth leading this movement.  It made me think back to a song that Debbie Freidman wrote and recorded about children.  The first time I heard it was at my son's pre-school graduation.  It is such a beautiful song and is even more relevant today than when it was first written.  It should be the anthem for the youth movement that are fighting for much needed gun control in this country. 

Here are the lyrics:

And The Youth Shall See Visionsby Debbie Friedman

Childhood was for fantasies, for nursery rhymes and toys.
The world was much too busy to understand small girls and boys.
As I grew up, I came to learn that life was not a game,
That heroes were just people that we called another name.
And the old shall dream dreams, and the youth shall see visions,
And our hopes shall rise up to the sky.
We must live for today; we must build for tomorrow.
Give us time, give us strength, give us life.
Now I’m grown, the years have passed, I’ve come to understand:
There are choices to be made and my life’s at my command.
I cannot have a future ’til I embrace my past.
I promise to pursue the challenge, time is going fast.
And the old shall dream dreams, and the youth shall see visions,
And our hopes shall rise up to the sky.
We must live for today; we must build for tomorrow.
Give us time, give us strength, give us life.
Today’s the day I take my stand, the future’s mine to hold.
Commitments that I make today are dreams from days of old.
I have to make the way for generations come and go.
I have to teach them what I’ve learned so they will come to know.
And the old shall dream dreams, and the youth shall see visions,
And our hopes shall rise up to the sky.
We must live for today; we must build for tomorrow.
Give us time, give us strength, give us life.
Give us time, give us strength, give us life.

Debbie was right.  Our nation's youth is taking a stand against guns and gun violence.  They are protesting the fact that our country continues to basically have unchecked access to guns of all kinds.  Since our elected leaders are beholden to the gun lobby, it will take the youth to fix this problem through their rallies and keeping the pressure on the government.  Whether you want to believe it or not, something has to change and now.  I am not advocating taking away guns entirely.  But 150,000 primary or secondary school students have witnessed a shooting incident at their school since the Columbine shooting in 1999.  And they have had enough.  When I watch these incredibly passionate and well spoken youth, I am both heartbroken for and proud of them for stepping in where the adults are unwilling to go.   All they are asking for is commonsense gun safety reforms. 

As Debbie sang...they are taking the stand today to allow them to live not only for today but to build for tomorrow.  I join them in their discussions of solutions and glad to see them organizing, stepping up and demanding accountability of our spineless elected leaders.  It's time that we elect legislators that are not in the pockets of various lobbyists.  We want to be led by people who listen to what we the citizens want in this country.  If that can ever happen, I believe we will finally pass commonsense laws that will allow this country to thrive and allow our children to be able to go to school without fear of being injured or killed. 

Mar 20 – 6.30 miles (54:13, 8:36 pace) – Speed work
Mar 21 – 4.20 miles (40:00, 9:31 pace)
Mar 22 – 8.30 miles (1:14:08, 8:56 pace) – Tempo Run
Mar 23 – 4.10 miles (37:21, 9:06 pace)
Mar 24 – 10.10 miles (1:31:41, 9:05 pace)
Mar 25 – 7.50 miles (01:09:40, 9:17 pace)
Mar 26 – 4.50 miles (48:35, 10:48 pace) – Hill Repeats
Mar 27 – 6.30 miles (54:37, 8:40 pace) – Speed work
Mar 29 – 5.10 miles (42:36, 8:21 pace) – Tempo Run
Mar 30 – 8.10 miles (1:16:05, 9:23 pace)
Mar 31 – 12.40 miles (1:53:08, 9:07 pace)
Apr 1 – 5.50 miles (50:16, 9:09 pace)

Total Miles:  82.4 miles
2018 Total Miles:  382.1 miles