JTG; Moving Circumstantial Mountains
Miles: 409
Hal Higdon says… "One alters their natural cadence at their own risk"…. I like Hal, have used his program many times…. He is like my go to guy for marathon info. But DAMN that statement. He is of course correct. And I really really H that…… But instead of being happy with my hard earned 8something natural pace…. I have to struggle through and push harder and do better. Because 8something isn't getting me anywhere very fast. It is aout 2 minutes too slow, per mile. So. What now Hal…. any advice???? Keep working… right… people often miss that slow progress is still progress… Alright already…. I would like to win a race before I am 100 years old.
SIGH….. I remember when the 8s were a big deal. In, fact, I once remember asking my trainer if we could start every morning with an 8 minute mile. So I could get into the 8s…. Yep. I was a 9something runner and before that…. GASP of DISBELIEF…. I was a 10something runner. And at one point I was a had no idea of my pace try to make it through a mile runner…. running, walking…. running ….. wogging(some kind of weird walk jog keep moving thing)… praying for the red light so I had an excuse to stop. Now, of course…. I curse those red lights….. OMG what is this doing to my mile average… Nothing is worse than a red light ruining your 7:53 average….. "8 is great, I can't debate, but it gets me to the finish way to late"….. that's what Shannon says… to Hal.
So I push on…. praying, sweating, crying, and hoping with all of my heart for progress. This weekend was a really fun race… WOW 5ks are SO MUCH LESS pressure. I was kind of disappointed because I knew, with an injury, my solid spot at 4th was probably unattainable. I was just telling myself to be happy to tackle the hills. They gave me corral B…… I think it was because I was crying when I picked up my race bib. See, I had to pick up my half bib. I was number 88. That is kind of a big deal. This is my race… My best time….I have been doing this race almost since it started. I am in the marathon in a month club and I have been for 4 years and so in this race I am number 88. Out of thousands. I was 88 last year too. It's my number. I mean I probably pay for it….. BUT IT"S NUMBER 88. It is a double digit race number. AND IT IS….. WAS….. mine. 8! 8! 8 is great. In a race number…. I have a real thing going with 8 right now.
My NEW number was 7248. GEEZ that is a lot higher than 88. But, I was happy to just be running. Mentally prepared for like a 10th or something like that. I laughed, I joked…. it was ok. I was SO glad to be running. I missed 3rd place by 3 seconds. as the reigning 4th place champ in like EVERY FREAKING RACE I DO…. THIS did not make me happy. All I needed was 3 seconds….. FFFFFFFFFFFFF. Natural cadence MY A$$. I wanted that 3rd place medal. And lets clarify… I am talking about Age Group place…. 4/178 in my age group. Missing a medal by 3 seconds. THIS is the real life of a runner. Ups and downs. Highs and lows. Happiness and disappointment. And how we return to the miles after our disappointments defines our future… how we retain our optimism and keep trying a little bit harder… because we want it so bad. We can either give up or keep going…. We can accept where we are and move forward how ever long it takes…. or stop trying. I know why i quit the track team all those years ago. To do this well, you have to really want it.
SO. 2 weeks of nothing only yoga…. and I have done some learning…. some forgiveness…. some healing…. but that doesn't change anything. I am still 100% driven and committed to this running thing. My leg is getting better, I am giving it time…. and I am beginning to understand more about the training…. the learning…. the adapting from just running… to racing….. the difference between fighting to just keep going and fighting to just keep passing everyone you can. Stay focused on yourself and move forward as quickly as possible. Push through pain… it will pass and find that running zone… it will resurface through the pain… all of the things we train ourselves to do when we begin running and we are trying to keep going… we have to RETRAIN ourselves to do better if we want to keep going faster…. we have to be a little bit tougher… it's not keep going… it's maintain the pace…. and earn your place…keep going fast…. Finding that place inside that doesn't know how to quit… believing in yourself and giving it everything you have… because you know in your heart… you are so much better than this… and you have so much more to give……
So, in reply to Hal… and cadence…. I understand the statement is meant to say we must progress slowly… speed must be achieved naturally…. and our bodies must adjust with time…. I say...I am an 8something runner… but I am going to keep pushing until I get to a comfortable 7….and so on…. I like what Bruce Barton has to say much better! "Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance."
Hal Higdon says… "One alters their natural cadence at their own risk"…. I like Hal, have used his program many times…. He is like my go to guy for marathon info. But DAMN that statement. He is of course correct. And I really really H that…… But instead of being happy with my hard earned 8something natural pace…. I have to struggle through and push harder and do better. Because 8something isn't getting me anywhere very fast. It is aout 2 minutes too slow, per mile. So. What now Hal…. any advice???? Keep working… right… people often miss that slow progress is still progress… Alright already…. I would like to win a race before I am 100 years old. SIGH….. I remember when the 8s were a big deal. In, fact, I once remember asking my trainer if we could start every morning with an 8 minute mile. So I could get into the 8s…. Yep. I was a 9something runner and before that…. GASP of DISBELIEF…. I was a 10something runner. And at one point I was a had no idea of my pace try to make it through a mile runner…. running, walking…. running ….. wogging(some kind of weird walk jog keep moving thing)… praying for the red light so I had an excuse to stop. Now, of course…. I curse those red lights….. OMG what is this doing to my mile average… Nothing is worse than a red light ruining your 7:53 average….. "8 is great, I can't debate, but it gets me to the finish way to late"….. that's what Shannon says… to Hal. 
So I push on…. praying, sweating, crying, and hoping with all of my heart for progress. This weekend was a really fun race… WOW 5ks are SO MUCH LESS pressure. I was kind of disappointed because I knew, with an injury, my solid spot at 4th was probably unattainable. I was just telling myself to be happy to tackle the hills. They gave me corral B…… I think it was because I was crying when I picked up my race bib. See, I had to pick up my half bib. I was number 88. That is kind of a big deal. This is my race… My best time….I have been doing this race almost since it started. I am in the marathon in a month club and I have been for 4 years and so in this race I am number 88. Out of thousands. I was 88 last year too. It's my number. I mean I probably pay for it….. BUT IT"S NUMBER 88. It is a double digit race number. AND IT IS….. WAS….. mine. 8! 8! 8 is great. In a race number…. I have a real thing going with 8 right now.My NEW number was 7248. GEEZ that is a lot higher than 88. But, I was happy to just be running. Mentally prepared for like a 10th or something like that. I laughed, I joked…. it was ok. I was SO glad to be running. I missed 3rd place by 3 seconds. as the reigning 4th place champ in like EVERY FREAKING RACE I DO…. THIS did not make me happy. All I needed was 3 seconds….. FFFFFFFFFFFFF. Natural cadence MY A$$. I wanted that 3rd place medal. And lets clarify… I am talking about Age Group place…. 4/178 in my age group. Missing a medal by 3 seconds. THIS is the real life of a runner. Ups and downs. Highs and lows. Happiness and disappointment. And how we return to the miles after our disappointments defines our future… how we retain our optimism and keep trying a little bit harder… because we want it so bad. We can either give up or keep going…. We can accept where we are and move forward how ever long it takes…. or stop trying. I know why i quit the track team all those years ago. To do this well, you have to really want it.
SO. 2 weeks of nothing only yoga…. and I have done some learning…. some forgiveness…. some healing…. but that doesn't change anything. I am still 100% driven and committed to this running thing. My leg is getting better, I am giving it time…. and I am beginning to understand more about the training…. the learning…. the adapting from just running… to racing….. the difference between fighting to just keep going and fighting to just keep passing everyone you can. Stay focused on yourself and move forward as quickly as possible. Push through pain… it will pass and find that running zone… it will resurface through the pain… all of the things we train ourselves to do when we begin running and we are trying to keep going… we have to RETRAIN ourselves to do better if we want to keep going faster…. we have to be a little bit tougher… it's not keep going… it's maintain the pace…. and earn your place…keep going fast…. Finding that place inside that doesn't know how to quit… believing in yourself and giving it everything you have… because you know in your heart… you are so much better than this… and you have so much more to give……
So, in reply to Hal… and cadence…. I understand the statement is meant to say we must progress slowly… speed must be achieved naturally…. and our bodies must adjust with time…. I say...I am an 8something runner… but I am going to keep pushing until I get to a comfortable 7….and so on…. I like what Bruce Barton has to say much better! "Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance."
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