No Run Is Worth an Ambulance Ride

Friday afternoon was a great beach day -- low 80s and sunny -- but not great running weather. I managed to squeeze in my tempo workout and hit my pace goal: Two miles at 6:34 pace sandwiched between a two-mile warmup and two-mile cooldown. 

My cooldown brought me along a local road without much shade. It brought me back a couple weeks to the Amica Iron Horse Half Marathon, which was run in similar weather, only at 8 a.m. and in early June, when no one had had a chance to acclimated to the heat. 

As noted in my race recap, I ran well and finished strong. I didn’t mention a couple encounters with another runner who ran well -- to a point. Running in the sun reminded me of this. 

At about the nine-mile mark, when the Iron Horse Half course progresses onto a quiet, shaded path, I came across another runner. I’m not usually one to start conversations during a race, but he appeared to be struggling, so I reassured him that, at his current pace, he’d finished the race in under 1:30. Hearing that, I figured, would push him along. 

It did. The he passed me. I found this odd. He was still breathing heavily and, as far as I could tell, I was still moving at a pretty decent clip. I passed him back a mile or so later, but eventually he got me back again. 

I started kicking myself. (Figuratively.) Why couldn't I stay with this guy? Clearly, it seemed, the heat wasn’t affecting him as much as it was getting to me. He was still wearing his shirt, while mine was little more than a disgusting, crumpled sweat rag dangling from my hand, and he wasn't taking in as much water as I was. Oh well, I thought. I’d already resigned myself to not running a PR, so my main goal at that point was coasting along, breaking 1:30 myself and getting an enormous iced coffee once I'd rehydrated after the race. 

As I turned the corner at the 12.5-mile mark, I saw him again. This time, he was on the side of the road, and three volunteers were holding him up. I don't know if he’d collapsed or merely teetered, but it was clear that he wasn’t finishing the race. 

I suddenly felt like an ass. Having noticed his labored breathing, should I have said something? Warned him not to push it? Acknowledged that, in such conditions, a race becomes a war of attrition, and your goals mean nothing? 

I didn't then, but I am now -- not just to him, but to everyone. No goal is worth collapsing in a heap and getting poked with an IV. No race medal, engraved glass or free bagel is worth a trip to the hospital. 

As hard as it is -- after all, runners are conditioned to push themselves beyond normal pain thresholds -- sometimes you just need to dial it back. I can’t tell you when, or how. Everyone is different. But as you hit the road, the treadmill or the trails on these hot, humid days, listen to your body. There's no shame in stopping to walk, get a drink or gather your senses. 

If nothing else, remember this: Persevere through the sun and haze, and the next workout will only be easier.

It's Not the End of the World As We Know It

Four miles into the Amica Iron Horse Half Marathon, I knew a PR was out of the question. My pace was only off by a few seconds -- I hit the four-mile mark in 26:12, compared to a goal of 26:00 -- but I knew it wasn't going to happen. 

And that's perfectly fine. 

Many of us set race goals with pure intentions but unrealistic expectations. It's not that the goal itself is unrealistic but, rather, that the circumstances necessary to achieve that goal may require proverbial planetary alignment -- zero missed workouts, a cooperative tummy, temperatures in the 60s, a bit of cloud cover, a watch that doesn’t malfunction, a forgiving course and cooperative calves, hamstrings, ankles, quadriceps, knees and hips. 

There's no shame in failing to achieve a goal if you know why you missed the mark. In the case of the Iron Horse Half, the answer's easy: It was hot. Sunday was cooler than the previous three days had been, but it sunny with temperatures in the 70s when the race started and the 80s when I finished. On my way to get post-race refreshments, another runner looked at me and said, "Go get some ice."

Admittedly, part of the reason I’m OK with missing the mark is because of where I finished -- 11th overall and 3rd in my age group with a time of 1:29:40. This was totally unexpected. All the fast people must’ve either stayed home or struggled with the heat even more than I did. (And you all know how much I hate the heat.) This was the swag I brought home:

So, getting back to my point: Missing a goal isn’t that bad, especially if it's an ambitious goal. Mine was. I intended to break a four-year-old PR by more than a minute, which meant maintaining a pace that I hadn’t even achieved during a 10K six weeks ago, and doing so in an unfamiliar race an hour and 45 minutes from home. (OK, maybe "insane" is more appropriate than "ambitious.") 

Goals aren’t for everyone, but I think they play a valuable role in making you a better runner. Goals are admittedly easier to set, and achieve, when you’re just starting out. In your first few events, a goal of "finish the damn race" is perfectly fine -- your have few expectations or preconceived notions about what you’re doing, after all, and unless you’re a prodigy you know better than to plan to come home with a big glass beer stein. 

As you continue to run, though, the race goals you set should become increasingly challenging. Simply finishing should not suffice, even at a new, longer distance. You should be pushing yourself to run strong, faster and better than before. You shouldn’t fear failure, either; all runners experience failure, and the way we respond to it and overcome it is a big part of what separates us from the general non-running population. 

That’s why the goal I set for the Smuttynose Rockfest Marathon will be an ambitious one. I haven't done it yet, and I probably won't announce it when I do, but it will likely be a lofty goal that I'll achieve only if the planets align.

And if I don't do it? I'll learn from my failures, as I have before. I'll stretch, drown my sorrows in a giant coffee, drive home, take a long shower, stretch, nap, stretch, eat everything in sight, hobble around for a couple days and set my sights on my next race. Missing a goal sucks, but it's not the end of the world as you know it.

I’m Going (Runner’s World Run) Streaking!!!

Monday marks the unofficial beginning of summer -- which, as I’ve noted, is not my favorite season. I spend many a day as close to a fan or air conditioner as possible, and the heat and humidity make me grumpy. (Cue comments from peanut gallery.) 

Monday also marks the beginning of the Runner’s World Summer Run Streak. The aim is to bridge the gap between spring and fall training programs at a time when it’s easy to fall off the wagon, have a few too many servings of potato salad and lose some of the strength and stamina you’ve worked hard to gain. 

I don’t have to worry about the potato salad -- I despise mayonnaise -- but, since the Winter Run Streak helped me get back on my game after my disastrous fall marathon, I figure I’ll give the Summer Run Streak a shot as I bridge the gap between my upcoming half (the Amica Iron Horse Half Marathon on June 2) and the beginning of training for my fall marathon (the Smuttynose Rockfest on Oct. 6). 

The concept of the streak, for the initiated, is to run at least one mile every day between Memorial Day and Independence Day (39 days in all). During the winter streak (Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day), I made it 12 days before stubborn toe pain sidelined me. Of the 12 days, I ran a short, 1.5-mile-route at least six times -- meaning, it’s actually not as hard as it sounds. There is not, as far as my virtual friends at Runner’s World attest, any actual streaking involved. 

In addition to the run streak -- which I’ll be participating in via the #RWRunStreak Twitter hashtag so as to not bore you with all the details here -- there is the prestigious Runner’s World Pun Streak (#RWPunStreak). Frankly, I take far more pride in this streak. Anyone can run 39 straight days, but coming up with running repartee for 39 straight days is not for the faint of heart.

Anyway, the Runner’s World Summer Run Streak is a great way to kick off your summer and prepare you for the grind that summer running can be. Give it some thought,and happy running!