Marathon By 40

Onwards from AKQA on Vimeo. Many thanks to Starling Fitness for the find.

It’s been quiet around here for several months, but I’m gearing up again to get back into a routine.

I think this is from S. C. Hughson’s Spiritual Guidance, referring to a plan for personal piety:

When circumstances demand divergence from the Rule, quickly return to regularity.

Certainly it applies to my half-marathon training plan as well as my devotional life. I was so thrilled with the 10k “Rocky Run” I ended up blowing off the rest of the week’s runs. Sure, I was doing things worthwhile like helping my daughter collect materials for her science fair project, and socializing with my project team. But tonight when faced with the fun of watching 24 with friends, or getting back on the treadmill to start the week, I chose to return to regularity. Otherwise, the more I slip, the harder it is to get back on track.

A while ago I wrote about what fun it would be to run the same courses as several famous real and fictional runs.

On a whim tonight a buddy and I (in Philly for the week on business) decided to run up the steps. I use the term “run” loosely, as there were many lights we had to stop for and lots of pedestrian traffic to work around. But, it was a good jog. It wasn’t a wet snow like I mentioned in the original post, but 40F was plenty cold enough, thank you very much.

Our hotel is just over a mile away from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We ended up running to the museum, going up the steps, posing for pictures, then running along the river, up Race to City Hall, on to the Liberty Bell, and then to the Comcast Building lobby (to see the amazing video wall - it must be seen to be comprehended) before heading back to the hotel.

It sounds goofy, but after going up the steps, we felt invincible (yes, another Philly-movie pun) and just kept going on to the other sites.

If you’re at all nostalgic or sentimental for the movie, don’t pass up the opportunity if you get it.

That’s one historical (albeit fictional) run down. Wonder when I’ll get a chance for another.

I’d love to post something more athletic and/or competitive. But, this video reflects my current reality.

Normally I don’t write about specific runs here on the blog. I’ll generally add notes to each run as recorded on Runner+ and I reserve this space for more general topics. But I couldn’t help but share my sense of accomplishment regarding the mini-milestone I achieved this evening.

Tonight I ran my first 10k.

Wow. That was fun. I used a 3min/1min run/walk mix to run my first 10k workout. Other than making the mistake of not warming up, it went great. I started jogging right out the front door thinking that I was running so far I should just blend the warm-up into the distance. Bad idea. My shins started throbbing 10 minutes in and it took another 15 minutes to run it out. But after that I just got stronger and stronger as the run went on and generally had negative splits the rest of the distance.

I think I can call myself a runner now. Not because of a distance milestone, and certainly not because of any speed accomplishments, but simply because I’m actually crazy enough to enjoy this. I’ve learned that I really love to run.

Runner Plus has been an integral part of the support I’ve received during my fledgling running endeavor. The tools they supply to analyze Nike+ data are much better than Nike’s own site, and the community of fellow runners are warm, inviting, and very encouraging.

One fellow runner I met there recently blogged about his run up Currahee Mountain. Currahee is the mountain close to Army Camp Toccoa, where the first paratroopers trained for World War II. If you’re familiar with the book or miniseries Band of Brothers, you’re also familiar with the phrase “Three miles up, three miles down!” In the story (and in real-life) part of the basic training was for men to run the three miles up the mountain and the three miles back in less than 50 minutes wearing full combat gear.

Rahn wrote about his experience running the same trail as the troops in training and what it meant to him personally. What a great opportunity! I enjoy running in my neighborhood, but I’ve wondered what other famous trails would be rewarding to run.

The “Rocky Steps” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art - Ok, so Rocky isn’t historical. But wouldn’t it be a rush to run through the streets of Philly in a wet snow wearing torn-up sweats, then run up the Rocky Steps and turn around to strike the Balboa victory pose? “Yo, Adrian!”

The “original” marathon route - The very first marathon is likely also fiction. Regardless, I think it would be inspiring to run Pheidippides supposed route across the Marathon plains in Greece.

How about you? What famous (real or ficitonal) routes would you like to run?

I tell runners to divide a race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart. - Mike Fanelli

My original motivation for running was fitness. I’m much heavier than I should be and was discouraged about getting winded more quickly than my kids. I wanted to loose weight and get fit. I’ve lost over 20 pounds since Christmas 2007, and I can probably run father now than I ever have before (sad state, but true). But, I’ve seen other benefits that I wasn’t anticipating.

Since my college days, it’s been very hard for me to wake up before the sunrise. Come to think of it, its often hard to get out of bed after sun-up as well. I’ve always been most mentally and physically active at night. I’ve wanted to become a morning person, but it hasn’t ever come naturally for me.

The 3-times weekly goal of keeping my running schedule is now motivating me to get up early (anywhere from 5:30am to 6am, depending on family schedule for the day), get out of bed, get my shoes on, and go. As soon as I am actually up out of bed, the rest comes relatively easily. Only once in over 100 workouts have I retreated back into bed after leaving the house before finishing my morning time or distance goal.

Being up that early, running through my neighborhood before the sun comes up has been a refreshing way to start the day. It’s rewarding to see the duck pond in the stillness of the dawn and to hear the roosters crowing from the little farm a few streets away. The mood and sense of the streets around my home are calm and comforting as they transition from darkness to the warm shades of the early morning. This morning I could hear the local high school drumline warm up with rudiments and paradiddles. It wasn’t just another welcome sign that football season is here. It was nostalgic to think back to when I was practicing beside my friends before school.

All of these external events have been in the neighborhood since well before we moved in. But I wasn’t able to experience any of it from the comfort of my own bed. Because I am out in the neighborhood instead of curled up under the covers I’m able to see, hear, smell, and touch all these things. Besides the larger goals of fitness or accomplishment of completing each small step on the way to a marathon, I’m able to enjoy more fully the area where I live.

If I keep this up, I might even turn into a real morning person.

How about you? What pleasure or benefits have you found while running that you weren’t expecting to find?