IU Mini Marathon.... Prerace thoughts in my head

This will be a little different, as I replay thoughts from race day.
Here's the first of 3 installments.

PRE-RACE:
HOME
4 am. Why do I have to get up so early. If we were just rich, we could have stayed in a hotel up there and got what another hour's sleep?... I need some coffee but not too much... Other than the usual pain in my ankles, the trip to the coffee pot feels pretty good... I guess having 2 days rest and lots of stretching was a good idea... Out the door at 4:45 exactly and it's kinda cool but muggy and very dark!...
ARRIVAL
It's 5:45 am.(or 6:45 Bloomington time) and we just pulled into IU's campus... Plenty of parking available, not sure why I worried.... The walk into the field house to register is still under the cover of darkness... We go in the wrong door and have to zig zag through cones and by the indoor track to register... I look around at all the athletes who will blow by me in this first race... they look so young!... the tables are well organized and I get my packet... I can tell I am nervous cause it's taking me so long to calm my fingers enough to tie on my scoring chip (have a phobia that it will fall off my shoe) and hang my bib correctly... back out the door to be greeted by the break of day but there's no break in the humidity.... I eat 2/3 of a power bar, of which a yellow jacket decides it's entitled to a share... I surrender to it after a few frantic swats at the pest (I'm also a bee-phobic)... One last sip of water takes me toward the starting area....
WARM UPS
I see runners darting across the stadium parking lot in every different direction.... some are stretching under trees, by lamp posts and along sidewalks... Others are just sitting on parking stops chatting so casually... I study the crowd, we come in all shapes and sizes... some look very seasoned for the occasion, others seemed to have decided yesterday that they'd give this running thing a shot!... I start a very easy jog as an all systems check of my body... so far so good... I stretch in the usual ways only hold each stretch a little long and I focus a little more intensely on the muscles and tendons while rehearsing the upcoming miles.... I remind myself this is my first time but that I have covered this distance before on long runs... I think about the hot summer days and hills I have climbed but mostly just how good it is to feel ready for this new venture called the mini... I remind myself of the strategy.... conserve up hills and speed down the other side... there will be many opportunities to employ this tactic today....
RUNNERS TAKE YOUR MARK
we are called to the start line and I wonder, "where's Sue and Charity?"... I look and look and spot them... Now I don't feel like such a stranger in the crowd... We high five each other knowing the hard work we have all put in and feeling like we've won because we've made it to another starting line... The national anthem was sung by an IU student... I figured it would be good but I was wrong as she sounded like someone singing from atop the North Pole, shivering with each note... I thought it was ironic that she sounded like she was freezing, under such warm and muggy conditions.... Once the song was over, it was time for the count down 10-9-8-...3-2-1 and finally we were off! Anticipation, now in the past, my first mini marathon was unfolding in front of me as the crowded mass of runners crossed the start line triggering beeps from their timers, assuring each of us that our times were now being tracked until our return. Most of us tapped our watches as we headed out of the gate.

Last Run For Awhile

I look out on this clear and frosty morning, trying to take care of some details in the office before I take time off for surgery tomorrow. Frankly, I really have my heart set on the open road right now. The thing I'd most love to do today is just run until I can't run anymore.

I'm told that I won't be about to do this for a couple of weeks. Others "encourage" me by telling me you'll lose everything you built up to this point. Well, not everything... I won't lose heart or desire. Eventhough I know I have to pause for a short time, I am not going to be disuaded from this passion by some forced r&r.

In fact, I chose to believe once they take care of my little obstacle, I will be set free to turn it up to new levels. Once I get back to form, I will be working with a definite running plan. No more of this randomness about running but rhyme and reason. Running with purpose! This will all revolve around getting ready to race 5ks this year.

Interruptions

Now that I am into running this much, I am dreading a forced hiatus because of upcoming surgery. With 230 miles now logged in since October 9th I have become a habitual runner. I have developed a base for running and now I'm hearing that I will basically have to start over if I am laid up for a couple weeks.

In the meantime I guess I'll get out on the course to walk as soon as possible so I don't forget but mostly to trick myself into thinking I am not stopping for some minor inconvenience.

Since my last post I have enjoyed two accomplishments. I bested my 5k running time to 24:47 (just 77 seconds from my summer race goal) and I ran the farthest in a day with 10 miles as the new personal best. This second attainment cost me though as I haven't run that well since then. I guess that's a costly lesson for a rookie running.

Running Into More Than Miles & Personal Bests

I am a pastor and I run. I have found these two practices to be highly compatible. There are many reasons I am discovering for being a running minister. I have noticed it has had a very positive impact on my emotional well-being. When I run, I burn away a lot of the pressures and stresses that come with spiritual caregiving. I am starting to view church problems like those hills on a course that require a different approach to conquer instead of be conquered. So for that reason, running allows me to deal with negative energy in a way that does not deplete me.

But I also see a positive product of my running in the release of creativity thinking. This happened yesterday when I went on a 5k run. Honestly, I had to force myself to suit up and go but I'm glad I hit the pavement in the end. Here's where an idea spawned and grew to the point that I am anxiously looking forward to an upcoming event: Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion. Would those thoughts have surfaced minus running? I really doubt it.

I didn't experience a personal best time on the 5k route yesterday but it was still well worth it. And I'm learning that running is much more than breaking a record or logging a number of miles. Just seeing some of these hidden benefits of running as a beginner makes me eager to discover what other surprising realizations await me as I start a new year of striving to become a healthier and, hopefully, more productive individual on this planet.

I Ran A Marathon!...It Took a Week

It took me a week to run a marathon, which is not going to be good enough for the Boston race. If I were to run the race next year I'd have to cross the stripe in under 3:30.00. Oh well, I'm not disheartened since I just pick up this passion over the past six months.

In fact, to me it's a big accomplishment to run 26 plus miles in one week. If some one would have told me a year ago that I was going to run an average of 4-5 miles a day each week, I would have been exhausted at the thought. This past Tuesday I ran a 7 miler and then on Saturday I went 6.

After I finished I asked myself if I could have gone an extra mile along the way. That is a significant shift in my thinking since this summer. Back then I was just wondering if I could run 3 miles non-stop or last 30 minutes with out dropping over. Yeah, a marathon race seems so far away until I begin to think how much my mental and physical makeup has changed in such a short time.

Before I can run a marathon, I, first, have to cultivate a marathon heart and mind. That may take awhile but I'm closer than I was when I first decided to make myself run.

Questions From a Novice Runner

As a beginner, I have some questions that are typical yet important questions I suspect a lot of fledglings wonder. So here are some that whirling around in my head while I run:

1. What is the right pace that pushes me but doesn't burn me out?
2. Whenever pain occurs, when is it good to push through or ease up?
3. How do I make sure I am setting realistic goals for running?
4. What is the right way to run hills, conserve or attack?
5. Why are there times I feel an energy surge later in a run?
6. How do I become a more focused runner so I don't get sidetrack by minor distractions?
7. How do I know when I am running too much in a week?
8. How long can I really do this running thing in my life?
9. Why do I now love running where I once barely tolerated it?
10. How much running stuff do I really need to improve my performance?
    

Running 400 Meter Repeats

Yesterday I decided to do some work on the track. While it's fun to see if I can top my personal best on the 5k course everyday, I'm trying to look at the bigger picture, developing leg strength. As I find the aerobic side improving, I find that the strength side needs to catch up so I can push to a new level.

That's why I hit the track for my first venture into 400 m repeats. I had planned to do six but ended up with four instead. I was a bit apprehensive at first with this new challenge to my overall plan.

After a mile warm up I started in with the goal of running the laps in 1:45. Between each lap I did a 200 m cool down. The cool down before the final repeat seemed to be shorter than the previous three recoveries.

I was pleased to run in the 1:41-1:51 range on each lap. Out of that experience I gained some more confidence, even if I didn't go six repeats. I could feel the work in the calves afterward. It reminded me of the pinging noises you hear coming from under the carhood after you shut off an engine. Even this morning my muscels reminded me I pushed myself yesterday. I think I gained ground and came away believing I can do more and go faster.

Today I will try to resist the temptation to lace up and head for the track. I have to believe today's rest is an extension of yesterday's work.