Just Playing
I'm three days removed from running my eighth marathon, this one in Charleston. The muscles are still a little sore, but improving. Though I did complete the distance (actually about 4/10 of a mile more than the 26 miles 385 yards because of an error by the pace car) I can find few positives to take away from this event except for lessons learned. The course itself is perfectly flat, and though not always scenic lends itself to good times. The weather was great- a little cool, but not cold. There was virtually no wind on race day. However, on this day, on this course, there would be precious little glory for me.
As anyone who has done one of these events can attest, there's nothing at all natural about running the equivalent of the distance from Spartanburg to downtown Greenville. Relatively speaking, there aren't that many people who have ever run one. This is an event that demands respect, and does not tolerate disrespect. The half marathon is a good and challenging distance that I enjoy, but all sorts of things psychologically and physiologically happen in the waning miles of a marathon that make it much more than twice as hard even though it's only twice as long. There are many things we can do in life that can be done "on the cheap." In fact, most of what we do in our everyday lives does not demand single-minded focus and commitment. A successful marathon is not one of them.
On this beautiful Saturday in a beautiful city I had a pretty ugly race. Sure,I felt pretty good for some 16 miles. Sure, I executed my pre-planned pacing exactly right. But as the poet said, "the best laid schemes of mice and men, often go awry." First, it was the mind that rebelled somewhere about 17 miles where the insidious doubts began creeping in, "you'll never keep this up another 9-10 miles." "You've got to back off a lot or you'll be dead meat." Not long afterward the legs started to go, any notion of form and pace vanished.
Ironically, the marathon is only starting at mile 20. Most people never go beyond that distance in training runs because it is too taxing on the body. Miles 21-24 are the real "witching miles" when all sorts of strange things can happen on a good day. You've been in long enough to be exhausted, but you're not quite close enough to smell the finish line. Beyond 20 the body frequently runs out of glycogen, its fuel of choice and most efficient fuel. Deprived of fuel the body begins burning fat stores, which is very inefficient. Muscles begin to break down. The mind begins producing large amounts of seratonin and tryptophan making it increasingly difficult to concentrate. At the time when your body most needs a strong mind to keep going, the mind itself starts to go. All of this happens even in a good marathon. Saturday, my race was essentially over before I ever got to the "witching miles."
The problem with my run Saturday wasn't anything to do with Saturday, but had everything to do with the several months leading up to it. My mileage totals were not quite what I should have done, but they weren't that far off. I had done right much running, but precious little training. I hadn't done nearly enough to truly push myself to go harder and longer. The same plodding 4-5 mile runs several times a week, with equally plodding long runs on Fridays or Saturdays don't equal true training. I had been playing at running, but hadn't really dug deep to transform and hone body and mind. This was my eighth marathon, but I had not truly respected the event and as I said earlier, the distance will tolerate no disrespect. The challenge had been before me and despite my experience, I had underestimated it. No amount of good feelings, positive vibes, and good inspirational music will ever overcome a lack of respect and appreciation of the obstacles that one encounters in running or in life.
What is true of a significant challenge like running 26.2 miles is also true of anything else in life that is significant that we want to accomplish. Precious little that is great is ever accomplished simply by playing. Palmer, Nicklaus, Watson, and Woods didn't become great golfers by playing golf, but by truly honing their skills. The virtuoso musician doesn't amaze in the concert hall without countless hours in a practice room doing mundane scales and drills. The Christian doesn't become Christlike simply by "playing church." The long distance runner gradually transforms mind and body by pushing harder, faster, and longer. The Christian is transformed by the renewal of the mind as the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12. The training for Christians includes mundane acts of study- Samuel and Leviticus as much as Romans and John. It means praying when there seems to be no answer as much as when we are assured of God's presence. It is worshiping even if it feels like their is no audience, as much as when we are awestruck by the numinous. It is in the doing of a good deed when no one is looking and the "blessing" we get out of it isn't a thought. I limp away from Charleston with a lesson learned and fresh determination to work hard to hone body and mind, to transform them for the next one. Let's all work equally hard to be "transformed by the renewal of our mind," in a race that is infinitely more important.
As anyone who has done one of these events can attest, there's nothing at all natural about running the equivalent of the distance from Spartanburg to downtown Greenville. Relatively speaking, there aren't that many people who have ever run one. This is an event that demands respect, and does not tolerate disrespect. The half marathon is a good and challenging distance that I enjoy, but all sorts of things psychologically and physiologically happen in the waning miles of a marathon that make it much more than twice as hard even though it's only twice as long. There are many things we can do in life that can be done "on the cheap." In fact, most of what we do in our everyday lives does not demand single-minded focus and commitment. A successful marathon is not one of them.
On this beautiful Saturday in a beautiful city I had a pretty ugly race. Sure,I felt pretty good for some 16 miles. Sure, I executed my pre-planned pacing exactly right. But as the poet said, "the best laid schemes of mice and men, often go awry." First, it was the mind that rebelled somewhere about 17 miles where the insidious doubts began creeping in, "you'll never keep this up another 9-10 miles." "You've got to back off a lot or you'll be dead meat." Not long afterward the legs started to go, any notion of form and pace vanished.
Ironically, the marathon is only starting at mile 20. Most people never go beyond that distance in training runs because it is too taxing on the body. Miles 21-24 are the real "witching miles" when all sorts of strange things can happen on a good day. You've been in long enough to be exhausted, but you're not quite close enough to smell the finish line. Beyond 20 the body frequently runs out of glycogen, its fuel of choice and most efficient fuel. Deprived of fuel the body begins burning fat stores, which is very inefficient. Muscles begin to break down. The mind begins producing large amounts of seratonin and tryptophan making it increasingly difficult to concentrate. At the time when your body most needs a strong mind to keep going, the mind itself starts to go. All of this happens even in a good marathon. Saturday, my race was essentially over before I ever got to the "witching miles."
The problem with my run Saturday wasn't anything to do with Saturday, but had everything to do with the several months leading up to it. My mileage totals were not quite what I should have done, but they weren't that far off. I had done right much running, but precious little training. I hadn't done nearly enough to truly push myself to go harder and longer. The same plodding 4-5 mile runs several times a week, with equally plodding long runs on Fridays or Saturdays don't equal true training. I had been playing at running, but hadn't really dug deep to transform and hone body and mind. This was my eighth marathon, but I had not truly respected the event and as I said earlier, the distance will tolerate no disrespect. The challenge had been before me and despite my experience, I had underestimated it. No amount of good feelings, positive vibes, and good inspirational music will ever overcome a lack of respect and appreciation of the obstacles that one encounters in running or in life.
What is true of a significant challenge like running 26.2 miles is also true of anything else in life that is significant that we want to accomplish. Precious little that is great is ever accomplished simply by playing. Palmer, Nicklaus, Watson, and Woods didn't become great golfers by playing golf, but by truly honing their skills. The virtuoso musician doesn't amaze in the concert hall without countless hours in a practice room doing mundane scales and drills. The Christian doesn't become Christlike simply by "playing church." The long distance runner gradually transforms mind and body by pushing harder, faster, and longer. The Christian is transformed by the renewal of the mind as the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12. The training for Christians includes mundane acts of study- Samuel and Leviticus as much as Romans and John. It means praying when there seems to be no answer as much as when we are assured of God's presence. It is worshiping even if it feels like their is no audience, as much as when we are awestruck by the numinous. It is in the doing of a good deed when no one is looking and the "blessing" we get out of it isn't a thought. I limp away from Charleston with a lesson learned and fresh determination to work hard to hone body and mind, to transform them for the next one. Let's all work equally hard to be "transformed by the renewal of our mind," in a race that is infinitely more important.
Thanks Dan!
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