If You Go

Lots of runners have aspirations of running a long race. A 10k, a half marathon, or the big sha-banger - 26.2 baby. But what about just going to a race to see the finish line? I didn't set out as this for my goal, but lucky circumstances and wanting to see a friend led me to the finish line of the Brooklyn half marathon.

The entire atmosphere of a race is electric. Before a race you see faces trying to be relaxed while stretching. But are so obviously fierce with anticipation of the word, "GO!" Music loud. Watches set, reset, then tested again. Bibs checked, calculations made. Everyone waiting for "go." But after a race, at the finish line, there is where the story is told.

I recommend going to the finish line after the top finishers have already crossed the line. Like an hour after. It's these finishers that have the best stories. Of course they don't personally tell you with words. But some stories are written on faces. Expressions, smiles, near tears, raised hands. You can imagine you're own stories and reasons how these finishers made it to the finish line. These finishers weren't the fastest. The elite runners finished over an hour ahead of them. But these runners didn't set out to be the fastest. They set out to just finish. The lady who wasn't exactly the perfect specimen of fitness sprints by me, finding some adrenaline left in the tank to finish strong. The two friends who probably ran side by side the entire race and held hands the last 100 yards, grinning, smiling. They accomplished something great - together. The older man (I mean I've seen men his age bed ridden and arthritic and in wheel chairs) who waves back at the cheering spectators. I can't remember where I've seen more genuine grins all in one place.

I love the spontaneous applause of race spectators. They don't know the names of the runners they are cheering for, but cheer anyway. And it's sincere. "Good job Purple!" (Lady in purple top.) "Way to go 1290!" (Yelling out the runners bib number.) "Good job runners!" One tired lady tripped and fell with 50 yards to go. Everyone around her, including me, waited quietly until she got up. There is a time to cheer and a time for giving the runner quietude. It's amazing how everyone watching her knew what to do. Then when she got to her feet, she received thunderous cheers, telling her good job, you're almost there, way to go, keep going. Dozens and dozens of finish line spectators lined up on either side shouting encouragement to strangers. Of course there is the occasional watcher who actually knows one of the finishers. "JANA! JANA! Way to go honey! I'm so proud of you! YOU DID IT! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE! WHOOOO!" And Jana smiles, puts her hands up to her face when she crosses her 13 mile goal.

I defy you to to stand at the finish line of a long line and feel no emotion watching the runners come down the home stretch. I loved it. There were thousands and thousands of runners. Each one with more than one supporter, cheering them on, pats on the back, hearty embraces of congratulations. Between the runner's high of thousands of runners and their proud friends and family, I was surrounded by a wonderful atmosphere, aura, ambiance, (something!) of exhilaration on the boardwalk at Coney Island. It was a great way to spend a Saturday.


My beautiful friend Erin, and her looks too young to be her mom (along with several other of her running rock star friends I met after the race) cranked out the 13.1 miles that day. It was great to see you girl! Way to go on your 2ND! halfer!

Pseudo Hills and Dollar Bills

I am running a race in June. It's the Wasatch Back Ragnar. I'm quite excited. Back in September, I was considered an alternate, back of the mind team member. But things happened, and now I'm in. I am now an official team member of Team TRANSFORMnow. The high school basketball coach (Cap'n Steve) of Riverton is funding a scholarship. More info here. I am collecting my own donations that go directly to the scholarship. I think it's great. It's a scholarship based on lifestyle changes that make you a healthier person. I think it's so important you run a big race for a cause. Whether it's benefiting someone else or the cause is your own self getting off the couch and becoming more active and alive. Don't just run. Run with a purpose.

My part of the race has a very steep hill. Steep? Very, very steep. Seven percent incline. It's practically straight up a mountain! Do you have any idea where I am training right now? Sea level! No mountains in sight! I can't even find a hill that's longer than 1/4 mile. I can't find a hill that is as steep as 7%. Luckily I have access to a treadmill. I know I put it down in my last post, but now that I am running this race, it has come in quite handy. I can create the hills. At least I hope I am. I can't really tell if it is really the same. So instead of leaving the gauge at the number "7," I take it up a bit. Ten, eleven, twelve is the barn burner. I'm hoping I'll be somewhat ready to run 3.something miles straight uphill. Whew. We'll see!

Danger Will Robinson! Danger!

I now have a treadmill at my disposal. I'm pretty sure this is a bad thing. Before, with no treadmill, I had to plan the best time of day to run. Daylight, temperature, etc. But now? It's available to me 24/7! I'm trying not to take advantage of that. I feel like when I run on a treadmill, it makes it harder to run outside. But that's where all the races take place! Outside. No one has a 5K on a treadmill. That would be just silly. So I am just going to pretend that it is out of order. Broken. Stick to the road! Stick to the road!

Geeked Out

This race is going to be su-weet.

Disappointed

This is kind of how I felt after my long run yesterday. My silly knee started hurting. Grrr. My six miles did not go well. I finished it. I didn't do it as fast as I wanted, but I completed the six miles. This coming week, I supposed I am going to do a lot of IT band stretching. I even resorted to taking a couple ibuprofen. My knee was still throbbing a little after I had finished and stretched. I don't do drugs. That in and of itself was kind of a set back. The fact that my run went so bad kind of put me in a funk for the rest of the day.

Trying to stay positive however, the sunrise was absolutely gorgeous. It was totally worth getting out of bed at 5:55 in the AM. Just beautiful.

6.02 Miles
1:23:52
13.56 min/mile

Sweet!

That is what I said in my head today after I finished my "magic mile" time. Two weeks ago, I cut four seconds off my time and I was mildly excited. 8:48 to 8:44. Really, four seconds is nothing to get your Under Armor in a bunch. Frankly, I was kind of disappointed. The training schedule today said it was magic mile time. I was almost apprehensive. What would I get today? 8:40? Warm up mile. Stretch. Go. I felt great. I was really pushing it. Mile over. Check my time.

8 minutes! Are you serious? Is it possible I cut 44 seconds in two weeks? Needless to say, I was a bit ecstatic. Not only did I have an incredible runner's high from practically sprinting for a mile, (a slow sprint) but 44 seconds?

I re-read the story this morning of Katherine Switzer before my run. The first woman to enter the Boston Marathon in 1967. The amazing part of her story is that in 1967, it was illegal for women to compete in the big race. She entered with the help of her cross country coach, Arnie, using her initials, K.V. Officials didn't know she was a woman. When the race started, word spread that a woman was running with an official number! (Roberta Gibb Bingay entered the Boston Marathon the previous year without an official number. She just jumped in and finished the race in 3:20.) Unbelievably, the race organizer, Jock Semple, physically tried to stop Katherine from finishing the race. Here is an execerpt from Running to Catch the Hero Inside, an essay she wrote about the experience:

At 4 miles, it turned into a nightmare...I could hear a barrage of cameras snapping. The race director, Will Cloney, stepped into my path to shake a menacing finger at me. I side stepped him.

Then I heard quick scrabbling steps behind me and turned as a ferocious Semple grabbed me by the shirt and shoulders, spun me around and screamed, "Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers!" For a second, I was paralyzed with fear, embarrassed beyond words.

Arnie tried to pull Jock away, saying, "She's okay; I've trained her," but Jock was like a terrier, clenching my shirt. "Stay out of this Arnie!"

There was a flash in my peripheral vision, then a crunch. Big Tom [Katherine's boyfriend] hit Jock with a flying shoulder block and sent him through the air. There was another thump when he landed. Now I was truly frightened. A wide-eyed Arnie shouted, "Run like hell!" and away we ran, cursing and crying..."




So maybe it was Katherine's image of defying ignorance over 40 years ago, helping to set the scene for women to compete whenever where ever they wanted. Literally blazing trails of equality in women's sports. Maybe it was this image that spurned me on. I know 8 minutes isn't the fastest mile around. But today, for now, I did run like hell.



More on this race hero, click here.

Motivation Tip For the Week

I don't feel completely qualified to offer solid advice on running. I'm not an expert. But here it goes anyway.

Have a long run coming up?

Drive somewhere to run it. This completely helped me today. It was so much easier to get started when I wasn't running straight from my driveway. New scenery, new trails, new asphalt. The five miles went by no problem.

Drive. Then run.

5.00 Miles
1:05:03
13.00 min/mile