My First Trail 30k

Just enjoy it.

It is more than "Just Do It."

To me, distance running is a journey. (Literally, yes.) It is a journey of self-discovery, of finding one's limits and then shattering them, and learning to love & be thankful for each milestone along the way.

Last Saturday, I completed my first 30k trail race. 18.6 miles on an out and back course. September 25 and a warm, humid morning. And 400+ friends to run with. (Another 500+ were set to compete in the 10k starting a bit later that morning)

During the preparation to start and arriving to the start line, I always enjoy seeing friends, hearing about their race plans, and catching up for a few minutes. Everyone is bouncing around, ...some focused, some chatting, others nervous, ... and others looking as though they are not sure what they have gotten themselves into. I was in the latter category on Saturday morning.

Although, I had run 20 miles for a long run the weekend prior to this race and I knew that we were going to use it as a hard workout -- I was still somewhat anxious because I was not really sure how it would feel to run that far -- and how my body & mind would react.

Yet, it is all about taking one step at a time - and I knew that this effort would be one more step towards my goal of the marathon. So calmly, I stepped up to the line.

And here is where the lessons I have learned over the years through my running journey came into play. I knew that:

All I need to do, is take it one mile at a time. And if not that, then one point in the near distance at a time. And if not that, then one stride at a time. And eventually, I would make it.

All I need to do is take a deep, calm breath and let my worries go away. On race day, I have done the work to get there and I trust my training.

All I need to do is embrace the experience and enjoy it.

(Now this is a tough one; when the pace gets quick and when the miles stretch on and when patience is hard to come by and when the pain begins to kick in and the legs tighten up and the lungs start to burn.)

But there is one simple reminder and it changes everything for me: "Just Enjoy It."

Then, I remember how wonderful it feels to be flying through the course. I think about how fortunate I am to have the ever-present strong support of family and friends. I am doing what I love and I am getting, moment-by-moment, closer and closer to making my dream a reality.

And then I am thankful --and this changes my whole perspective making it a completely different racing experience.

JUST DO IT

A great friend of mine just emailed me with this from a Nike ad. I found it VERY true and wanted to share:

“You pretended the snooze button didn’t exist. You dragged your butt out of bed while others slept. While others ate their pancakes you had a feast of protein, glucose and electrolytes. You double-knotted. You left the porch light on and locked the door behind you.

You ran 5Ks, 10Ks, 26.2 miles. Some days more, some days less. You rewarded a long run with a short run. And a short run with a long run. Rain tried to slow you. Sun tried to microwave you. Snow made you feel like a warrior.

You cramped. You bonked. You paid no mind to comfort. On weekends. On holidays. You made excuses to keep going. Questioned yourself. Played mind games. Put your heart before your knees. Listened to your breathing. Sweat sunscreen into your eyes. Worked on your farmer’s tan.

You hit the wall. You went through it. You decided to be man about it. You decided to be woman about it. Finished what you started. Proved what you were made of. Just kept putting mile after mile on your interval odometer. For 25 years, you ran. And we ran with you. How much farther will we go? As far as you will.”

19

There are a lot of places I could go, locally, should I decide to travel 19 miles.

I could swing by the grocery store and pick up some Chiquita bananas (ole!), I could make it to Total Wine for some La Crema, drop by Costco for some Bounty in bulk, and even pick up an Americano, no room, from Starbucks.

100,320 feet! (go simple math skills)

Instead, I decided to run in circles; 7 mile-long circles.

Currently, I am in a base/strength phase and building to some pretty high mileage per week in order to get ready for my first marathon next year. Up to last Sunday, I had never gone over 18 miles in one long run. (Cue the Chariots of Fire theme for a montage)

Last Sunday, my coach and I ran 19 miles together. The toughest part about running farther and farther is learning to be mentally patient in the early miles. I think we can learn a lot about ourselves through distance running. One thing I have learned learned about myself as a runner is that I take a long time to really be 'warmed-up' - or in other words, the longer I go, the better I feel (...freak flag is now flying). Therefore, those early miles are challenging for me as my motor slowly warms up... However, I am learning and adopting that attitude of patience...after all, life is a marathon, not a sprint --- and I am a marathoner (almost) and not a sprinter.

Cruising through the miles at somewhere between 6:50 and 7:10 pace, I felt amazing (and was strongly encouraged by my coach to chill out and run more towards the 7:10 range as we have a while to go until January arrives). We ended up averaging 6:58's for our 19 mile run...

I really enjoy the first, deep breath after finishing these runs (and chugging a LOT of gatorade....and eating bananas...followed by a frappachino or milkshake or, well and a BIG BREAKFAST).

Some small other tips I have picked up are to:

Hydrate/Fuel a lot. The early miles, I usually stick to water. However, as we go further - I switch over to gatorade to replace some of what I have lost.

BODY GLIDE or vaseline ... work wonders for the chaffing that happens with long distances.

Eat something after finishing. For me, this seems to help my stomach not feel crampy for the remainder of the day and helps to restore energy levels as soon as possible.

Stretch! Stretch well!....and go for a walk (or move around some) later, then stretch again! This one has been exceptionally important as muscles start to tighten up later in the day or when I wake up the next morning. I also try to ice any areas that feel sore.

Toe nails will be lost.

Enjoy the journey.

Overall, I love running these longer distances. If anything, it gives me time to think, to be quiet, (or... get my weekly fill of Eminem and obscure techno), and to 'relax' for a while. I am so very thankful for each run -- so enjoying the journey is probably one of the most important lessons I have learned. I found this quote recently - and I think it sums it all up pretty well:

“I've learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.”