Long Run to Philly - 16 Miles

So the taper begins. It wasn't a perfect training process. Work and travel consistently intruded on the training so that I was only able to build to 16 miles for my longest run. I'm tempted to squeeze one more long run in before the Philadelphia Marathon in three weeks. A little voice inside me says, it is what it is. I'll run what I can and walk the rest; whatever it takes to finish. I've been relatively consistent in the training and kept this commitment to myself even through the Central Texas heat. I figure cooler temps will tell my body I've got a few more miles left in me. I pushed myself out the door when I didn't feel like it. I've run in some great places-Alexandria, DC, Corpus Christi, Rockport, Milwaukee, and New Orleans. I've run some great races-Freedom 5000, Run for the Water and completed the Runner's World #runstreak in the summer. Trust the process, if not the long runs.

Run for the Water Ten Miler - October 26, 2014

I try to participate in races that either have an interesting course or support a compelling story. When they do both, signing up is a no-brainer. The Run for the Water (RTW) 10-miler on Sunday, October 26, 2014 was one of those races.

RTW is the second largest fully charity-produced road race in ATX. Registration benefited the Gazelle Foundation, a local non-profit that funds and builds clean water projects in Burundi, Africa. The foundation was inspired by Gilbert Tuhabonye, a Burundi survivor of the Hutu/Tutsi civil upheaval of the 1980’s and 90’s. Gilbert always greets the runners as they finish. His smile alone is worth the effort; however, the tech shirt and #Finish 3st socks were an added bonus.

The race start was a clear, calm 62 degrees with 85% humidity. I used this run to gauge my fitness for the Philadelphia Marathon next month. It’s a challenging course cresting at six miles before a gentle downhill finish. The reward for reaching that highest point is a panoramic view of the Colorado River bending around the hills of Austin. It’s difficult not to stop and snap a picture. This year, I didn’t. I was having too good of a run. I tried to thank every police officer I passed and express gratitude at each water stop; the race, after all, was all about water.

I finished in respectable shape and within my time goal. My quads were a little tight the next day, but it was from a good and true effort. RTW was one of those races that make me feel like a better runner – inside and out.

Long Run to Philly - 13 Miles

Slowly but surely building back up the mileage. Travel played havoc with my training schedule. Managed to work in weekday runs. I searched some training advice that said I should be okay. I'm back on schedule and about ready to do the final mileage buildup. I can't believe I"m two months out. A couple of weeks ago it felt like I had forever to go.

Seventeen weeks down. Eight to go.

Long Run to Philly - 8 miles

I'm learning at my age that I get the runs I deserve. It's not like when I was younger and could roll out of bed and knock off a long run regardless of what I did or didn't do the week before. Ah, youth. This was a recovery week before more weeks of mileage build up. An 8-miler. I didn't eat, sleep, or hydrate well the week before. My body knew it on Saturday. I finished the run under my goal time; however, my mind and body were never into it. I had to push myself the whole time. Can't let that happen next week because it's a 13.5 miler. Begin with the end in mind as I plan my week. What kind of run do I want next Saturday? It all starts Sunday. Today.

Fourteen weeks down. Eleven weeks to go.

Long Run to Philly - 12 Miles

I'm halfway through training. So far so good. The past three months meant my schedule was at the mercy of business travel and with the exception of a couple of weeks, I was able to get out for the long runs. During next three months I will need to adjust around a different schedule-football. I shifted my long to run Saturday because I knew that there was no way I was getting up the next day to hit the running trail at 6 a.m. I could do it in my younger years, but not now. It was a good way to start the three-day weekend. I ran to the Capitol and back. The smell of fired-up BBQ cookers filled the air. People were tailgating already for a game that started at 7:00 p.m. It was a wonderful feeling to wake up on Sunday and know that I had already put int the work.

Thirteen weeks down. Twelve to go.

Only

I write the same quote on the first blank page of every month’s notebook. It’s by Natalie Goldberg and reads, “If you are not afraid of the voices inside you, you will not fear the critics outside you.” It’s a reminder of why I have the notebook at all and how I can be my own worst critic. It’s helped me professionally and personally. It’s my emotional coach.

I’ve noticed the “only” voice cropping up in my running and subsequent journal entries lately. I’ve read several articles that say it’s the voice of perfection, which is ironic given the state of the inside of my house right now. It’s the voice with a measuring tape and a stopwatch. It’s the voice that tells me I only ran X miles today, only ran/walked today or only ran two days this week. It finds an “only” even on my best days. Combine it with my “should have” voice and it’s a miracle I run at all.  

Still, I’ve been getting out there for three months now. I’m halfway through my Philadelphia Marathon training, I’ve finished eleven out of thirteen long runs, and even those missed ones were due to travel and meetings. The trick I’ve found is to tell myself getting out there is the bar. A bad run is better than no run so long as I get out the door. My mind may think I’ve “only” run so many miles, but my body doesn’t know the difference. Just get out there; that’s good enough and that’s a standard that even my “only” voice doesn’t know what to do with.

Long Run to Philly - 11 Miles

I must be serious about this marathon thing. I tried to talk myself out of the last long run. It's been a busy month. I've traveled to Milwaukee, New Orleans, and Dallas for business. While I was able to keep up with weekly runs on the road, I wasn't as successful as working in the long runs. I told myself while lying bed bed the night before this last run. I didn't eat enough. I drank too much. My body is tried. Somewhere inside me came this tiny voice, you're doing it and that was that.

It was a nice and easy run down to campus and back. I was under my time goal for the mileage and I felt like I could've gone on a few more  miles. My only regret was that I didn't head out earlier. The humidity was a pain after the first hour. Still, I knocked it out. The next challenge will be planning around football games and tailgates. Hopefully, that little "you're doing it" voice has its game day face ready to go. I'm going to need it.

Twelve weeks down. Thirteen weeks to go.