“Well, you are another year older.” – Unlike my mother, I
could have thought of a million reasons why my 10K time as part of a company
relay team at the 2011 Kiawah Island Triathlon was two minutes slower than the
year before that had nothing to do with my age…. For example, that I spent the
majority of that summer drinking IPAs while painting the interior of my
recently purchased condo in Charleston instead of out walking my dog or jogging
the Ravenel Bridge.
I think it’s fair to say I’ve proven to myself (and my
mother) that my running didn’t peak at age 25. Fortunately, running is a sport where the Olympians aren’t
some thirteen-year-old girls that haven’t yet hit puberty. In fact, Kara Goucher who, at age 34,
represented the U.S.A. in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London actually gave
birth to her son two years earlier.
I love that a 34-year-old mother(!) can still train hard and beat out
much younger girls to earn a coveted spot on the American Olympic team.
In addition to my speed work on the pavement this week, I
did a little speed reading as I breezed through Dean Karnazes “Ultra Marathon
Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner.”
Karnazes, who has become a celebrity in the running community as a result
of his 2004 win at the famed Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley and his
various escapades such as running a marathon to the South Pole and, as
mentioned in the August 2013 edition of Runner’s World magazine, across the
whole United States. While I found
Karnazes dedication and shear strength to be inspiring, what touched me most
about his book is his story about how (and when) he began his journey to
ultramarathoner legend. At age 30
exactly (it was his birthday), Karnazes realized there was a void in his life
and career that he eventually succeeded in filling through long-distance
running…which, he began promptly doing the night of his birthday after boozing
it up for hours at a bar.
Like Karnazes, I recognize that I would not be running and
training if there was not something missing in my life. You see – I have always been an
over-achiever. I thrived in school
because I was motivated, and I loved that I could work hard and score a high
grade as a direct result of my efforts (strikingly similar to a fast time in a
race). While a professor may
hand out the assignments and tests, you really worked for yourself in
college. There was no “working for
the man.” I didn’t have to “give
away” part of my test score or work an obscene amount of hours and cross my
fingers it would pay off. You got
what you earned. Period.
While living in Charleston, I remember going on a date with
a guy who was a med student at MUSC.
As first dates go, it was really more of an interview and I inquired
about how he ending up researching psychotic disorders and sticking his finger
up guys’ butts. He told me that he
always wanted to do something “cool” for a living...He first wanted to be a
pilot for the Air Force but he failed the sight exam. Thus, he decided to be a doctor instead. As someone who felt that my only
options for a living were the very practical, dull ones (even though I know
some people who seriously get jazzed about tax provisions), I remember feeling
jealous that he was pursuing a livelihood that he would actually find to be
fun.
I often ask my little niece what she wants to be when she
grows up (lately it’s been an artist).
Then I ask her what she thinks I
should be when I grow up. “Aunt
Paula, you are grown up.”
Am I? Last
month I wanted to be a CIA agent (I watched Zero Dark Thirty) and last year I
wanted to be a politician (The Iron Lady). I even told my own boss that I was planning on running in
the Olympics. It may seem silly
and I may be joking (partially), but very few (if anyone) gets somewhere in
life by thinking small. While I
may never kick ass in Pakistan, Parliament, or the Olympics, I will keep
pushing and I will keep running because unless you try, you will never know how
far you can go…And also because I really (REALLY!) don’t think I peaked at
25.
MCM Training Week Six: 50 Miles
After coming off a tough week, this past week’s training was
far better than I could ever hope.
My long run may have been my best ever training run (now that’s a bold
statement!). On Sunday, I ran an
18-mile fartlek (Yes – it’s a funny word and has brought countless jokes to the
sport of running for years.
However, since I’ve already discussed fingers up butts, I think I’m done
in the crude department this week.) It was a day when my body seemed on it’s A-game,
and I finished the long run feeling like I could have easily (used relatively)
ran another eight.
While the South Charlotte trail where I ran was not the
perfect location due to a portion temporarily closed, several muddy spots as a
result from all the rain, and the fact that I may or may not have hid in a
greenway bathroom stall to avoid speaking to an ex-boyfriend’s mother, it was
shaded and provided some mileage off the pavement. The run called for twelve 30-second bursts of speed at 3K-5K
effort throughout the workout.
Even though the additional speed made the otherwise easy long run of
8:00 – 8:30 minute miles more difficult, I loved this training run! The speed play made the workout more
fun (running fast is fun!), and, in a strange way, the short changes in pace
gave my muscles a break from maintaining the same effort for 18 miles. The last 30-second interval was done a
little over 17 miles in…A few seconds after upping the pace I heard my watch
beep (completely unplanned) which meant I could get a read on how fast I was
running…When I slowed, I glanced at my watch: 4:57 mile pace. While you do have to take a Garmin with
a grain of salt, I still knew that I was moving swiftly. A little bit of fast – but relatively
comfortable – running (even just 30 seconds) after logging some serious miles
can do wonders for your confidence, and if you haven’t figured it out
yet…Building your confidence is half of the goal of marathon training.
I got a request for details on what I eat before and after a
long run so here goes… Saturday night I had chips & salsa (salt helps
retain water), two springs rolls and a spicy tuna avocado roll (“LG” roll from
Miyagi’s in Charlotte http://miyagisnoda.com/),
and three Bell’s Two Hearted Ales.
Before my run Sunday morning, I had two slices of Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted
bread toasted with jam, a banana, a small glass of chocolate soy milk, and two
cups of coffee. During my run, I
had one Gatorade (NOT low-cal).
Immediately post-run, I had about two cups of chocolate soy milk. About an hour after my run, I had a
veggie burrito (whole-wheat tortilla, brown rice, black beans, guacamole,
chunky sausa, corn, and lettuce.
No meat and no cheese.) with another Bell’s Two Hearted.
This Week’s Beer Choice: Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
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