This post isn’t the start of an excuse matrix to explain why I might not finish my upcoming race. It’s first event I’ve done in over 11 years, and I definitely went from the couch to the freeway…so to speak. I have not run shorter faster races, I have not wasted time on events I really don’t want to do because I’ve a realist…I’m not fast so I don’t want to run shorter faster races.
But I am starting to consider whether I’ve simply jumped into a very long race too quickly and without enough distance training..ie: time on feet. This could be a distinct possibility and I’m too much of a realist not to think through this. I’ve got multiple books now with training programs for people like me…but they start at 16 weeks out from the race and they all assume you’ve got a marathon under the belt and you are training at marathon levels. Hmm, that wasn’t in the cards for me because I don’t really wanna race a marathon….I don’t really like street running and really prefer the trails. So I skipped all that. And I have not really trained very consistently, so my body has conversations with me that involve things like “zero to hero” and cursing along with groans from the ice baths I now make myself take after long runs.
Long runs have not materialized into the flowing, fun runners high type runs I was expecting. They’re still slow, plodding events interspersed with walking and cursing in which I discuss with myself whether I really want to do this running thing. In the end, I’m usually just so far away from where I started that I finish the run and feel better…so much better about myself.
So there’s no way that I’m not gonna start this giant run I signed up and paid for – and I’m not going to give myself an offramp to quit by DNF, but I’m dreading missing aid station cutoffs or meeting the sweeper. I’m sooo ok with being slow (walking) and having a basic goal of finishing before the race cutoff….so I’m calling it a long training day.
