In it for the long run

July 1, 2004

Today was the first workout with just the marathon group. Normally, this would have been during the weekend, but the schedule was changed to accommodate the holiday weekend.

Since Dave leads the longer runs (into which he incorporates some speed/strength), I knew this would be a longer outing tonight.

I was curious about how the workout would differ from both what we do on Tuesday and from my normal pokey long runs. While Dave did outline the workouts in the schedule that each of us received, the paper version only gives you the facts; the body will tell the rest of the story.

Tonight, we started with a 50 min. warm-up, 25 mins. out, then turn around. It was pouring rain when the time came to start, and we paused a few minutes under the overhang of Lloyd Hall, hoping that the rain would stop and we could set out somewhat dry. But that didn't seem about to happen, so we started out, resigned to getting wet.

Instead of running Kelly Drive, we headed for West River Drive, less populated usually, especially in the evening. It did cross my mind that the reason it's less populated is that the reputed serial rapist tends to lurk there, but I wasn't too concerned, since we had plenty of people in the group, outnumbering anyone with unfriendly intentions.

During the warm-up, I quickly fell off the pace of the others. Initially, this was upsetting--I'd already had a stressful day--but I reminded myself that we were all going to run for the same amount of time and why ruin a perfectly nice run. By the time I reached West River Drive, crossing from the Art Museum with a caution born of once almost getting run over by a Ryder truck, the rain had stopped, and the sun had re-emerged. The smell of wet flowers, the river lit up once again, the play of clouds and sun--they all turned my attention away from any negative thoughts about not keeping up. I was here, so why not enjoy the experience? Which didn't stop me from castigating myself when I saw Dave near the turn-around, saying to him, "I'm such a slowpoke!" But then I thought, don't focus on that, just keep having fun. As it happened, I ended up passing one of the guys who was walking at that point.

I asked how he was doing. "Hurting," he said. And I realized that had I stayed with the group going out, I'd be in the same place only I'd have to walk more.

Last place is a familiar position for me in group workouts, and I've managed to find myself in that position in some races as well. In masters' track meets, I'd pretty regularly find myself lapped and alone on the track when others had finished. In the World Veterans Games 1500, in which I ran my fastest 1500 ever, 6:02 (and yes, that was a while back!), I was dropped in the last straightaway. When you love a sport and find yourself in such a position, it's very important to remind yourself of what you love about the sport. T.S. Eliot's words come to mind, "For us there is only the trying. The rest is not our business."

So with this in mind, I finished the warm-up, accepting where I was, reminding myself that if I couldn't risk looking bad, I'd never get better.

The next phase of the workout was a 2x6 min. tempo run with 3 mins. rest between. This took place on the new section of bike path that heads toward Center City--a bit less crowded. Dave set up cones that I am guessing may have been about 1/4 mile apart, and we ran from one to the other and back for six mins. at a time.

I actually found myself keeping up nicely in this phase, not anywhere near the front of the pack, but still somewhat in the thick of things, despite quads that kept reminding me of last Saturday's track meet and Tuesday's workout. (Did I mention that I'm a glutton for punishment?) Further, Dave was offering some helpful advice and suggestions as I passed him (he was observing us during this period), which when I tried, seemed to improve my pace a bit. He also advised me to slow down--oh, right, I keep forgetting I'm not doing 1/2 mile repeats! The idea was to find a "middle" gear. I tend to go to extremes, thus my slow warm-up. (Well, actually, my max effort would not to some observers seem too much at the opposite end of my slow pace, but we won't go there.) ;)

Somewhere in between the fastest and slowest gears is the pace I'll need for a marathon. And, what, am I crazy? Will I really be able to sustain something faster than a slog for 26.2 miles? I am in this group because that's what I hope to do. At this stage, it's too soon to tell, and the object is to learn, not to obsess over where I am today.

Our last segment consisted of hill drills. For that, we went to the lawn behind the Art Museum that's bordered on each side by walkways. We headed up the left side, across the middle at the base of the steps, and down the other walkway. The object when going up was to lift our knees in an exaggerated style, so as to build strength. That was difficult, and I soon found myself at the back of the pack again. But it was one of those pieces that, I figured, would get easier/better with time.

After the workout, Dave said he noticed my quads being very tight, which was why I was probably not getting the lift that I needed. He recommended some stretches/strength exercises, which I will try.

By the end of the workout, the days stresses had evaporated. Running is one of the few activities that, no matter what my performance level, I can enjoy immensely, simply the doing, simply the movement. When I'm not doing well in a work-related activity, I judge myself so much more harshly, probably let it impact my subsequent performances, feel less good about myself. But I can leave ANY run feeling good about what I've done. I can give myself credit for the effort, but more importantly, I can enjoy the experience in itself--being outdoors, taking in the sights and sounds and smells. I can find satisfaction in the process, independent of the end result. That speaks well of this sport!

posted by DPMcManus @ 7:26 PM