Since my last race I have not been quite as fired up to keep running as I was when I first began. I still love to run and still get a rush from it, but it's not the same rush that it was when I started. I guess what they say about addictions is true. Once you get that first taste, it takes more and more to get the same high.
That said, I started marathon training this week and am working with a great beginner's program. Week 1 is as follows:
Mon - rest (that was the easiest day for me)
Tues - 3 miles
Wed - 3 miles
Thu - 3 miles
Fri - rest
Sat - 6 miles
Sun - cross training (for cross training this week, I am going to attempt pull ups. Notice I said attempt and not perform. I am still building the muscle necessary to perform this insane body weight resistance exercise. 12 of those bad boys and I feel it the next day for sure.)
So today was my first "long" run on this program. Let me also add here that it is insanely HOT right now in Dallas. Today's high temp is 103 with a heat index temp of about 115. I went out to the Katy Trail and did my 6 miles. The first 3 went pretty well and then I hit the turnaround. I felt as if my body had never gone that distance before. I clearly had lost the athletic ability with a one month break from running. When I finished I was running 1/4 mile and walking 1/4 mile. That was what I had to give. I finished though and live to run another day.
I had a similar experience with my run on Thursday. I ran at about 8:00 PM and the temp was 101 with about 98% humidity because we had just had a very short spitting of rain for about 3 minutes. I got about 2 miles in and had to walk the final mile because I just could not breathe. The air was so humid and thick that I could not breathe. I shortened my stride, I slowed down, and nothing worked, so I called it a day and walked the remaining mile. I am actually proud of that finish though because I didn't quit. I was running a loop course in my neighborhood and it would have been easy to just walk in the front door after 2 miles. Because I went the full 3 miles though, I walked in the door with my head held high because I finished.
Both Thursday evening's and this morning's runs reminded me of the professional triathlete, Rutger Beke. I became familiar with him while watching re-runs of past Ironman Hawaii triathlons. I am not sure which race I was watching, but I believe it was the 2004 race. Rutger had a good bike leg (112 miles if you are not familiar with the Ironman distances) and was ready to go into the run portion of the race (26.2 miles if you are not familiar with the Ironman distances) when he had to stop running and just started walking. He walked the entire run portion of the race and finished in about 800th place. In his post race interview he said that his legs just "wouldn't fire". A tough day and a tough race for sure, but what made Rutger's performance stick in my head was that even though he knew at about mile 2 of the run that he could not run to the finish line, he didn't quit. He walked the rest of the marathon. Normally a professional triathlete would call for a support vehicle to take them back to the staging area and call it a day, but Rutger demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship that day by finishing when it was not comfortable, enjoyable, or fulfilling. Rutger also said in his post race interview that he wanted to finish no matter what because it would not be fair to the age-groupers who would see him take the easy way out.
Hat's off to Rutger Beke. Even though he won't look back on that day as one of the highlights of his career as a triathlete he did so much more for the age-groupers like me by finishing the race no matter how badly it hurt his pride. Thanks for the great example of fortitude and sportsmanship Rutger! It helped get me through the week.
Keep on running!!
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