It’s inevitable.
We all train hard. We all are so consumed by our shortcomings, our own doubts, that we compensate by putting extra effort each and every day into our training.
I’m no different.
The past 30 days, my primary focus, my only focus, has been training. I’ve missed a lot of chances for fun the past month; whether it were going out for a late night on the town with old friends to reminisce about times of yore, or play soccer with my old teammates, spend time with family, you name it. There were times where I wanted to do something besides run, stretch, rest or go aqua jogging.
Yet, for the past 30 days, nothing else mattered. All that mattered was getting from Hopkinton, Mass. to Boston on April 16 in fewer than 140 minutes.
At the end of those 30 days, I hit a wall.
That constant pushing and pushing left me deflated. Physically, I was doing fine. The problem?
I hit a mental wall.
For some runners, especially those who endeavor into their venerable run streaks, running 36 consecutive days probably doesn’t sound like much. That was my longest streak. In addition to those 36 days was a constant 24-hour mental devotion to running. It was exhausting.
It was too much.
I could easily drive myself insane, burn out and just ruin any chance I have of reaching my goal if I continue to be too tense. Running is the toughest sport there is; at its most simplest form, it’s something everyone has the capability of doing, and is the foundation of almost every sport, but by itself it’s perhaps the most mentally draining, physically taxing thing human beings experience. I’m not smart enough to know why that is the case, but I am cognizant of the fact that it is the case.
Because running is so solitary, so difficult and just do damn hard, it has to be fun. You have to enjoy it. You have to relax once in a while and just take thrill in the journey from the first step on. Hopefully, that free mind that will no longer stress when a 12-mile easy run is 6:31 pace and not 6:29 pace (gasp!) and keep me more refreshed.
If I don’t, this mental wall can grow to be tougher than any wall I have ever hit in between miles 21 and 26.2.
Another note:
Tomorrow is January 13. For those that know me incredibly well, they realize that tomorrow is my birthday. I say this not because I want birthday wishes, but because I turn 22 years old. In order to celebrate, I’m running 22 miles for each year of my life. What better way to reflect on your life to date, on your running career to date, than a stress less 2+ hours out on the roads? Tomorrow will be the most fun I’ve ever had running 22 miles.
Weather suggests I may have to alter plans as there is impending, dangerous snow and ice coming today and tomorrow. Somehow, some way, I’ll get those 22 miles in.
And if it does snow, rain and ice to create some deplorable running conditions, well, it does. It isn’t a problem at all. I’ll just skid by that mental wall.
One of the few things streak running can help you achieve is, well, a long running streak. I found out the hard way that sooner or later it would eventually burn you out - if a long streak isn't your ultimate goal.
ReplyDeleteI am not speaking against streak running in any way. I've seen guys with 30+ years of running streak - and I am utterly impressed by those numbers. But I think it's important to evaluate your long term goals and come up with the best way to approach them. To me, for my goals at least, streak running seems like a recipe for disaster - it's just not worth it.
Hope you feel better about this whole thing and continue to move forward soon, Luke.
Kevin,
DeleteRunning streaks are admirable in every way, mostly because I have trouble with them. Thank you so much, as always, for your kind words and support.
Happy birthday, Luke!
ReplyDeleteHaving just graduated college, make sure you don't miss any of those moments because you won't get them back. Take every opportunity to make memories with your friends now while you have the chance. You will always have another chance to run Boston but you won't ever get your last semester of college back. Enjoy every last minute. I'm jealous!
-Courtney Davis
Thank you, Courtney!
DeleteI understand the sage advice of a recent college graduate. Being that I still have a semester left, maybe I am a little naive about that, but I view this as my last chance to train as much as is needed to achieve my goal. Therefore, I'm treating the first three months of the semester to get ready for Boston, and then the last month of truly enjoying the end of an era for me. I'm sure after 8 months of being out of school, I may think otherwise and hindsight will come back to bite me.
You've definitely been hammering your body and mind recently... you've had some awesome and intense training. I think streak running is greatly beneficial BUT you really have to redefine your idea of rest, in my opinion. Your body still NEEDS rest, you just go at it in a different way. For me rest is usually 3-4 miles at an easy pace. Since I don't follow a training plan it's easy for me to listen to my body and go light when I need to. That said, running every day has definitely helped me improve, because it's what works for me.
ReplyDeleteJordan,
DeleteRest, I believe, is quite relative. For some people, like you, a rest day is an easy 3-6 miles. For some people, it's a day off completely. You're one of the lucky ones in that you can run every day for a wildly long time. It's important to understand, for ourselves, what rest is for us and what rest we best respond to. I can go a month or so without a day off and having easy days, but after a while, there's nothing I'd rather have than a day to just lay in bed.
Realizing what has helped you improve is important. I've seen it in your training and can't wait to see what you do this year!