Other than a couple jaunts through Central Park on vacation a few weeks ago, I haven't run more than 4 miles on a weekday run since I finished the Chicago Marathon on October 10th. I've been in a funk, and even "short" runs of three or four miles have seemed like a burden. Motivated by the adrenaline of the last 48 hours, I decided to set out for a 5ish mile run tonight (or a "fish" as some of my running friends and I starting calling it after someone's weary early morning eyes confused it one time). It was 27 degrees. I was tired. My pre-run snack of pickles and Wheat Thins (don't ask...I was hungry) weren't the perfect fuel. And then it happened. I had an awesome run.
Two miles in, I realized that my mind already was embracing the change in strategy-from running fast to running long. I've spent the bulk of my five years as a runner training for a marathon, where I've tried to find the perfect mix of speed and distance. My goal was always to get faster. In fact, in my 13 marathons (two of which I used as training runs for my 50 miler), I set 7 personal records. I can't remember the last time I wasn't worried about speed. And tonight, as I set out for the usual neighborhood loop with my training partner, our golden retriever Lou, I realized that speed didn't matter. I just ran...and it felt good. I realized that I'll be doing this a lot over the next seven months....stretching out the distance over a longer period of time. Tonight, at least, it snapped the weekday routine that had me in a funk.
I don't plan on blogging every day, but I wanted to thank you all for your support in these first few days. I've been overwhelmed by your support, in spirit and for the Wounded Warrior Project. I'm excited to announce the creation of the "Patriot Crew" today...just one way that I've tinkered with my ideas for this race. Any donor of $100 to WWP will have one mile dedicated in his/her honor or the honor or memory of the person they designate. Of course, I am appreciative of any support you can offer...no gift is too small, and I'm going to recognize all those designated in memoriam or honor on this site once I figure this blogging thing out a bit more. The link for those who missed it is here.
I also wanted to welcome your questions about the race, my training plan, the logistics of a 100 mile training run, or whatever else you might think of. For instance, someone asked me today if we went to the bathroom during the run. It's a simple question, but a damn good one, too (the short answer is yes). In fact, I'll probably even write a post about it at some point in the future. (I do have 7 months until race day!) So please...leave a question in the comment section or send me an email! I look forward to hearing from you!
Run long!
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