I think I'm ready.
I'm running a 78-mile relay race this Saturday with 7 other team mates.
The weather is forecast to be 63 and sunny, which should be optimal for running.
My portion is 12.8 miles in 3 different legs.
On the last of my training miles this morning, I started thinking about the basics. One foot in front of the other. Efficiency of breathing...in through the nose and mouth, out through the mouth. The rhythm of my cadence. Hamstrings tight. Quads heavy. Sweat dripping. Hydration. Fuel. Doable. All very doable.
And for me, this is my life.
Never perfect. Always slightly off in one area or another...
Similar to when I'm running and it starts to hurt, I have to remind myself that this too shall pass. And, with time, it does.
The problem is that I don't like to wait. I want guarantees. I want to know that the "wants" I have now will materialize into something meaningful, otherwise, what was the point of "wanting" for so long.
And then, I have to remind myself that the point of waiting, the point of sacrificing, the point of enduring is that typically, all good things come in time...to those who are willing to fight the good fight, relishing the moments in between that make it worth it in the end.
So, while putting in the last of the miles and feeling the burn, I thought about this quote by Charles Bukowski...it's a long one, but stick with it, it's worth it.
“If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start.
This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your
mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean
freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It
could mean mockery--isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others
are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And,
you'll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be
better than anything else you can imagine. If you're going to try, go
all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with
the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life
straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is.”
And sure enough, it was worth it...sun coming up, the promise of coffee in hand, training miles in the books. The blessing of a new day.
Showing posts with label Endurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Endurance. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Not On My Watch
When my alarm went off this morning at 6:30am, it was 72 degrees and humid after a hard night's rain.
I absolutely did not want to go.
My body was worn out and I'm a shitty runner in the heat and humidity. My ideal run temperature is 40 degrees in a tank and shorts. I love feeling chilled when I start, so that as the sweat pours, I'm never really hot or drained.
Despite how I felt, I laced up my shoes and headed out. A mile and a half into the ordeal, I found myself running by the park watching a girl's highschool track team do pyramid hill sprints. They were phenomenal.
The fastest girls charged the hill like it was nothing but a thing making it look effortless and easy. The bulk of the girls wove up the hill consistently gaining speed and eventually claiming victory at the top.
But it was the lone girl in the back with the bright pink shorts and the ponytail that caught my attention. The gap was growing larger and larger between her and the pack and it was clear that she was struggling and probably thinking, "What's the point? They're so much faster. Why am I even doing this?"
And so, like the former cheerleader/middle-aged stay-at-home mama/runner/underdog rooter that I am, I started screaming, "GO GO GO GO GO!!!!" on Dodge street (which is a busy, main thoroughfare in my community) until she made it up. I quickly ran away realizing that it's probably embarrassing as shit to be a high school girl with some random crazy lady cheering you on in front of your classmates.
But for a brief bit, as I was running away, I felt good....and I hope that she did too. She didn't give up. She triumphed.
6.8 miles into my own run, I was dying...the clouds parted, the sun was beaming down upon my head, back and shoulders and I was running into a wall of humidity. Even with my music cranked, ice water on my back, and lots of mantras floating through my head, I slowed to a walk, which I never do on my long runs.
And then, all of a sudden, I just thought, "Not on my watch....not today...not because you're tired...not because you don't want to....not because of your excuses....You are doing this. You are running 10 miles. You can do this and you will."
And I did. Truth be told, I wish I had a crazy lady like me cheering me on...but I became my own cheerleader and made my through.
It is because of runs like today that I love running. It shows me who I am and what I'm willing to do when my will out-wills my fear. Sometimes, no matter how you feel or what the circumstance, you just have to keep on running.
I absolutely did not want to go.
My body was worn out and I'm a shitty runner in the heat and humidity. My ideal run temperature is 40 degrees in a tank and shorts. I love feeling chilled when I start, so that as the sweat pours, I'm never really hot or drained.
Despite how I felt, I laced up my shoes and headed out. A mile and a half into the ordeal, I found myself running by the park watching a girl's highschool track team do pyramid hill sprints. They were phenomenal.
The fastest girls charged the hill like it was nothing but a thing making it look effortless and easy. The bulk of the girls wove up the hill consistently gaining speed and eventually claiming victory at the top.
But it was the lone girl in the back with the bright pink shorts and the ponytail that caught my attention. The gap was growing larger and larger between her and the pack and it was clear that she was struggling and probably thinking, "What's the point? They're so much faster. Why am I even doing this?"
And so, like the former cheerleader/middle-aged stay-at-home mama/runner/underdog rooter that I am, I started screaming, "GO GO GO GO GO!!!!" on Dodge street (which is a busy, main thoroughfare in my community) until she made it up. I quickly ran away realizing that it's probably embarrassing as shit to be a high school girl with some random crazy lady cheering you on in front of your classmates.
But for a brief bit, as I was running away, I felt good....and I hope that she did too. She didn't give up. She triumphed.
6.8 miles into my own run, I was dying...the clouds parted, the sun was beaming down upon my head, back and shoulders and I was running into a wall of humidity. Even with my music cranked, ice water on my back, and lots of mantras floating through my head, I slowed to a walk, which I never do on my long runs.
And then, all of a sudden, I just thought, "Not on my watch....not today...not because you're tired...not because you don't want to....not because of your excuses....You are doing this. You are running 10 miles. You can do this and you will."
And I did. Truth be told, I wish I had a crazy lady like me cheering me on...but I became my own cheerleader and made my through.
It is because of runs like today that I love running. It shows me who I am and what I'm willing to do when my will out-wills my fear. Sometimes, no matter how you feel or what the circumstance, you just have to keep on running.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
The Only Way Out...Is Through
I woke up late knowing that I had to do a 7-mile run.
I didn't get out the door until 10am...which was epic fail number one.
Greeted by a wall of humidity the likes of which only happens when the temperatures are climbing fiercely towards 90+ degrees, it's been raining the previous evening and a monsoon arrived the day before, the weather was out to get me...epic fail number two.
Equipped with a Camelbak full of ice and cold water as well as a decent play list, I thought, it can't be so bad...it's only 7 miles..epic fail number three.
Forgetting that it was Dundee Days (a neighborhood celebration of parades, pancakes, candy, community pride and lots of people), I rounded a bend and headed up a steep hill only to see hundreds of my closest friends while I was nearing cardiac arrest. Thankfully, dear family friends chatted with me while I caught my breath, pet their dog and wished their sweet kiddos well.
But as the run progressed, I was withering. Drenched, sweating profusely and light headed, I knew it was stupid...but I couldn't stop myself.
And this is why I love long-distance running...not because it's a suicide mission in the making, but because it pushes the boundaries of your will farther than you can imagine and leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment, endorphins, and adrenaline that I've never found in anything else.
And then, I added this sweet song to my playlist..which is absolutely not classified as running material at all...but it took my mind off the pain and reminded me why we're here. You must take a listen and a watch.
And then, I pulled my ass through the park and I was home free...seven miles, rounding out my third week of training. And I realized that much like anything in life...the only way out is through.
I didn't get out the door until 10am...which was epic fail number one.
Greeted by a wall of humidity the likes of which only happens when the temperatures are climbing fiercely towards 90+ degrees, it's been raining the previous evening and a monsoon arrived the day before, the weather was out to get me...epic fail number two.
Equipped with a Camelbak full of ice and cold water as well as a decent play list, I thought, it can't be so bad...it's only 7 miles..epic fail number three.
Forgetting that it was Dundee Days (a neighborhood celebration of parades, pancakes, candy, community pride and lots of people), I rounded a bend and headed up a steep hill only to see hundreds of my closest friends while I was nearing cardiac arrest. Thankfully, dear family friends chatted with me while I caught my breath, pet their dog and wished their sweet kiddos well.
But as the run progressed, I was withering. Drenched, sweating profusely and light headed, I knew it was stupid...but I couldn't stop myself.
And this is why I love long-distance running...not because it's a suicide mission in the making, but because it pushes the boundaries of your will farther than you can imagine and leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment, endorphins, and adrenaline that I've never found in anything else.
And then, I added this sweet song to my playlist..which is absolutely not classified as running material at all...but it took my mind off the pain and reminded me why we're here. You must take a listen and a watch.
And then, I pulled my ass through the park and I was home free...seven miles, rounding out my third week of training. And I realized that much like anything in life...the only way out is through.
Friday, June 22, 2012
The Mundane Beauty of Running
It's funny.
I have a friend who grew up playing high school sports. She's a sprinter. Competitive as hell. She gets in, gets out, and gets the job done.
So, when I threw down the gauntlet and challenged her to run a half marathon with me, she laughed out loud in my face. "Shit, what's the point? All you're doing is just running and running and running and running. I don't want to do something I love for 13.1 miles. Nope, it's all you, Gering."
And the truth is, she's right. After you've been doing it for a while, running gets mundane, rote, boring, same running shoes, same course, same breathing, same sweat.
So, the challenge is...how do you maintain the discipline to keep doing it and to keep stepping up the ante without having to run barefoot with a loin cloth in the outskirts of an African country to feel like you're pushing your body?
I know why I run. I run because the endorphin rush afterwards is incomparable. I run because it is the only waking hour of the day that I truly have to myself. I run because it keeps my mind sharp and my heart beating. I run because I can knowing that others can not.
So, on the days when it's freaking 90 degrees and 60% humidity and I want to stab myself in the eye...I say, it may be boring, it may be mundane...but it's habitual for a reason because it's satisfying, it's enduring, it's a slice of me in the world (in a cute Lululemon skirt, of course) saying perseverance matters, even if just for this moment.
I have a friend who grew up playing high school sports. She's a sprinter. Competitive as hell. She gets in, gets out, and gets the job done.
So, when I threw down the gauntlet and challenged her to run a half marathon with me, she laughed out loud in my face. "Shit, what's the point? All you're doing is just running and running and running and running. I don't want to do something I love for 13.1 miles. Nope, it's all you, Gering."
And the truth is, she's right. After you've been doing it for a while, running gets mundane, rote, boring, same running shoes, same course, same breathing, same sweat.
So, the challenge is...how do you maintain the discipline to keep doing it and to keep stepping up the ante without having to run barefoot with a loin cloth in the outskirts of an African country to feel like you're pushing your body?
I know why I run. I run because the endorphin rush afterwards is incomparable. I run because it is the only waking hour of the day that I truly have to myself. I run because it keeps my mind sharp and my heart beating. I run because I can knowing that others can not.
So, on the days when it's freaking 90 degrees and 60% humidity and I want to stab myself in the eye...I say, it may be boring, it may be mundane...but it's habitual for a reason because it's satisfying, it's enduring, it's a slice of me in the world (in a cute Lululemon skirt, of course) saying perseverance matters, even if just for this moment.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Son of a #$%*&!
Shoes...check.
Heart rate monitor/Garmin...check.
Hat, gloves...check.
iPod...check.
Motivation...semi-check.
I had most everything I needed for a decent run this morning. I wasn't going to kill myself. I just wanted to do 3 miles and be home in a half an hour. Seemed doable. Until, my feet hit the pavement and a mile into it, I got really angry.
Why in the hell is this so hard for me? I have a goal in mind with a plan. I have a ton of family/friend support. The weather is breathtaking for a January morning. I live near lots of great places to gander at while running. What is wrong with me?
Half-way into my moping, I realized that for the most part, my life is a series of hurry up and waits. No lie. Parenting little ones is an extreme lesson in letting go otherwise, you will literally go stir-crazy if you think that anything is on your time table. So, when it comes to running, I don't know what to do with myself. Do I start slow? Do I get cooking out of the gate? Do I pace myself or go balls to the wall until I pass out? And more than anything...how do I release and try to just endure? Because running, at least long distances, is not a hurry up and wait game. It's a fluid, flowing, get comfy, because we're gonna be here a while deal.
I know exactly why I was intended to run this race. I've got lots to learn about myself, much of which I have yet to comprehend. I'm grateful for the pain even though it sucks in the interim.
"I assess the power of a will by how much resistance, pain, torture it endures and knows how to turn to its advantage. " Friedrich Nietzsche
Heart rate monitor/Garmin...check.
Hat, gloves...check.
iPod...check.
Motivation...semi-check.
I had most everything I needed for a decent run this morning. I wasn't going to kill myself. I just wanted to do 3 miles and be home in a half an hour. Seemed doable. Until, my feet hit the pavement and a mile into it, I got really angry.
Why in the hell is this so hard for me? I have a goal in mind with a plan. I have a ton of family/friend support. The weather is breathtaking for a January morning. I live near lots of great places to gander at while running. What is wrong with me?
Half-way into my moping, I realized that for the most part, my life is a series of hurry up and waits. No lie. Parenting little ones is an extreme lesson in letting go otherwise, you will literally go stir-crazy if you think that anything is on your time table. So, when it comes to running, I don't know what to do with myself. Do I start slow? Do I get cooking out of the gate? Do I pace myself or go balls to the wall until I pass out? And more than anything...how do I release and try to just endure? Because running, at least long distances, is not a hurry up and wait game. It's a fluid, flowing, get comfy, because we're gonna be here a while deal.
I know exactly why I was intended to run this race. I've got lots to learn about myself, much of which I have yet to comprehend. I'm grateful for the pain even though it sucks in the interim.
"I assess the power of a will by how much resistance, pain, torture it endures and knows how to turn to its advantage. " Friedrich Nietzsche
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