A Passion for Running

Warning: This is going to be a long post so strap yourself in!
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I’ve had a few days to think about Sunday’s race. Some good things, some not-so-good things, and some puzzling things happened.

Before I get to into all that, I’ll start by saying I’m happy - very happy - about the result so please don’t take anything I say below to mean that I’m unsatisfied because that would not be correct. This post is simply about learning some lessons so next time can be even better. I think this sort of thing should end on a positive note so I’m going to start with the puzzling and not-so-good stuff.

Puzzling: I’m starting here because the puzzling stuff really set the tone for the race.

We runners often hear that race day jitters can cause heart rate to be higher than what we’re accustomed to in training, but what mine did really caught me by surprise. My heart rate jumped so quickly, and to such a high number of beats per minute that I was really quite shocked. If you read my race report, you have a sense of the struggle I had over deciding what to do about my unusually high heart rate. I slowed down and sped up a few times in the first five miles whilst deciding on strategy and, truthfully, the anxiety never fully left me until very late in the marathon (when the pain made puzzlement pretty much impossible).

I had a talk with the M.D. who sits near me at work. He told me I can chalk the heart rate effect up to a surge of adrenalin in my system. In other words, race jitters = adrenaline = high heart rate. Strange, because I did not feel nervous at the marathon. I guess I was more anxious that I was aware.

Lessons: Next time I will not worry if my heart rate is high and focus primarily on running by effort. I may also look into some pre-race relaxation techniques (e.g. meditative breathing).

Not So Good: The best way to run a marathon is to build up to race pace gradually and then run a steady pace from there. I did not execute this concept very well.

Of course, the first few miles were inconsistent due to problems I had managing my heart rate, but those first miles were only the beginning of my troubles. The bigger problem happened when I picked up “tag-along”. I made a BIG mistake here - I let my anxiousness spur me on to run mile 16 in 7:11. That mile really hurt me (no surprise there) and I had to battle for NINE miles after to get in at 3:30.

Lessons: I’m not mad or terribly disappointed about how I handled tag-along. After all, it was an entirely new experience for me! That said, next time I get a tag-along, I won’t waste any time telling that person to run his or her own race. I will also do a much better job managing how I react (i.e. will not increase my pace!).

Good: The first positive from the race is that - heart rate issues aside - I ran the first 15 miles very well. These were very smooth, steady miles. The small variations in pace were mostly attributable to changes in the course (up/downs + curve negotiation). Andrew has rightly pointed out that my pace was creeping a bit in the couple of miles prior to picking up tag-along. He also mentioned the creep was “not too bad”. I agree and think that even with that bit of pace creep, I felt very smooth at that point in the race. I do not think it hurt me.

The second positive is a spin on the whole “tag-along” experience. Acquiring Mr. Tag-along marks a new phase in my marathon running career - a phase that was born in Red Deer, but that made itself crystal clear in Regina. The phase is my newborn fondness for competition - for racing. What do I mean? Well, in my first six marathons, the goal was always internal. Meaning, that I never raced against other people. Back then, my focus was simple - to complete the distance in a set amount of time.

Starting in Red Deer, I began to develop some external competitiveness. By “external”, I mean that I was no longer competing with just myself - I was also competing with other runners. I can honestly say I never thought that in a marathon I would have the drive to win over other runners! I can also honestly say that, now that I’ve tasted it (twice), I love it! My favorite thing to do in the later miles of a marathon is to pass people. Sweet.

The tag-along connection is that, for the first time in a marathon, someone recognized me as a strong runner - a runner who was a good choice to draft off of. That’s a huge compliment and quite an ego boost!

The third thing I am happy about - the thing I am most happy about - is my “balls of steel” (haha! I hope that phrase I keep using has not offended anyone - I am really just having some fun). I’m really proud of the mental strength I was able to bring to the September 9 race. I was really happy to get an email from Andrew who said,

You have to credit your ability to withstand discomfort for your success. This was a major factor in this race. You focused and you got the job done. Honestly, there aren’t many who can do what you did.

Thanks Coach! Those words really hit home. I’m constantly amazed how you can look at numbers and “know” so many things about my training runs and performances.

I think a lot of new runners wonder about mental strength: How much do they have? How do you build it? The answers are, in my humble opinion, conceptually simple to explain but practically difficult to integrate.

In a word, mental strength - a lot of it - can be developed from experience. The more you run, and the more marathons you race in, the more experience you will have to build your own well of mental strength. Of course, what you do with your experience - the degree to which you are able to convert experience into mental strength - is individual. And there’s the challenge!

Experience. I had seven marathons to draw upon. Every one of those marathons - and the training that went into them - added to the well. The culmination for me in Regina was that I was able to win the mental game. I would not let pain and discomfort deny me.

This past year has been pivotal in my running career. All the long miles, the deep well of endurance I’ve been digging, Andrew’s guidance - these have have been the key to success in my last two marathons. Miles and miles of consistent focus, effort and determination is what it’s all about, folks. These things - more than anything - are what I am most happy and proud of right now.

So, keep on running. Do the work, enjoy the training (have fun!), and the rest will follow. You can do it!