We are now inside of a month to go before the Chicago marathon, and most of us who are training for it are starting to feel like, physically, we are going be ready. We should be feeling pretty confident after all the miles recently. But there is another area of the run that deserves every bit as much focus as your legs and lungs. The area above the neck is key to running a good race.
I was thinking about this the other day, not in terms of setting my race strategy or time goals. This is more about 'frame of mind'. You hear the phrase 'run through a wall' in military terms sometimes. I've also heard it in football occasionally. But the idea also works in marathon running. I want to develop 'the eye of the tiger'. You may not hear much talk about that in some of the marathon training groups. Most of them are focused on getting you physically prepared, and providing the tips and advice to ensure you can finish the distance as comfortably as possible. Many of them have the warm and fuzzy inspirational fundraising goals as well. It so happens that I am running for charity this marathon as well, but what I'm about to write is my own philosophy dating back to collegiate track and cross country running.
I thought about this as I was out on a basically meaningless run the other day. An easy four miler just to keep my legs loose before the weekend long run. When I left the house it was overcast. A half mile into the run and it was a downpour. I don't mind running in that, but I knew it would likely mean bad news for my IPOD. It burned out (or got soaked) within another mile. I did discover a miracle cure for it I'll explain later, but the point is this. It was a meaningless run. I could have very easily turned around and gone back home to save my IPOD. But it never even occurred to me. I set my mind to doing an easy 4 miler that day, and I was going to do it come heck or heavy rain!
That's a minor example, but there are many other stories I've heard over the years. My college coaches used to talk aobut how you get your mindset to the point where nothing can get in your way. If some obstacle were to come out on the course during the race, you would be so focused that you would run right through it. That's the 'run through a wall' analogy.
My running partner and former high school coach, Rick, is fond of a story from back in his racing prime. He was on a fartlek run, with specific time goals. And in his prime, those goals were fast. In any case, he tripped over a bad spot on the trail and was about to go down hard. It was the kind of fall that might have caused an injury that could put you on the shelf for a few weeks. But as he was falling, rather than worry about bracing himself for a soft landing, he made sure to stop his watch! Don't want to interrupt your workout as you potentially break you ankle!
He was fortunate. Nothing was broken and he was able to continue the workout. But the story is instructive because it gives you a glimpse of the mindset he had during a training run. It was that mindset that helped him race at a highly competitive level on the local scene for many years.
I certainly wouldn't advise risking injury over a lack of common sense, but the way thinking can be helpful. Running a marathon is tough. There are going to be parts that are very difficult, and you really need to work your way through them. You may not have to run through a wall, but you will likely have to get through your own imaginary boundaries.
By the way, the miracle cure for the soaked IPOD? I read this in the Tribune the other day, and I was desparate enough to try it. I put th IPOD in a bag full of rice and sealed it. The theory is that the rice absorbs the water out of the tiny electrical parts. I left it in there for a couple days and just tried it, and it worked!
Also, just so you know I'm not completely psycho as a runner, I mentioned I am running for charity. I'm hoping to raise money for the Respiratory Heart Association of Metropolitan Chicago. If you would like to help, here's a link to my fundraising page: http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=226982&lis=1&kntae226982=98F051DC3012424697860B4B25F20264&supId=14678625
Thanks!
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