Montana

Sometimes, when training for a marathon, we get so focused, we lose a little perspective on real life.  That's why the picture here is not of me running, but dressed for a different sport.  I'm part way down a nice ski run at Big Sky, Montana.  The world looks different when you're taking in the natural beauty from the top of a mountain.

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I were cruising along on a mid-week 12 mile run through the Morton Arboretum.  It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed the run and the easy conversation.  And we marvelled at how, at this point in our marathon training, a 12 miler seemed like a relatively easy run.  Most other times it would be a run that would be take a big effort, and would probably the peak run for the week.  In this case, I had a 20 miler a few days later. 

That's what marathon training is all about.  And expanding your ability to run long is not only one of the benefits, but it's obviously the objective.  If you plan to race 26 miles, clearly you need feel comfortable running for a long time.  And I was feeling pretty good about that.

But life has a funny way of interfering with the best laid marathon training programs.   I can't recall the last time I trained for a marathon without some interruption in the middle of the program.  Last fall it was the family vacation to Florida a month or so out.  I remember clearly the fall several years ago when my wedding and honeymoon posed an obstacle.  That was of little concern to my wife, but she tolerated my shortened runs on our week in Hawaii.

I've always believed that running is fun, but it also requires sacrifice.  Runners all tend to sacrifice sleep, food, and convenience as well as tolerating the aches and pains that accompany our sport.  And that's not to mention the sacrifices we force on our families.  It's a huge ordeal whenever my wife wants to plan something on a Saturday morning which is generally my 'untouchable' time reserved for long runs with my friends.

But we also can take our focus on training too far, and risk missing out on a lot.  So with that in mind, I didn't really give it a second thought when my friend Rick (pictured with me at the top of the mountain) invited me on a five day ski trip to Montana's Big Sky resort last week.  I knew running would be a challenge there, but I also knew it was a great trip, and I would figure out the running part later.

The trip is an annual event for about 40 people, mostly guys, involved with Rick's commercial real estate firm, Hamilton Partners.  It is a time for good food, wine, skiing and conversation.  It's beautiful country, a little more than an hour away from Yellowstone National Park.  It was an incredibly generous invitation, and the sacrifice to my training program was well worth it. 

As it turned out, however, the others on the trip include a number of really good former collegiate, and even Olympic athletes, who are now successful business people.  Rick is one of my regular weekend running partners and former coach.  He and the others fully supported my need to get some running in during the trip.

So I did manage to combine some running with skiing.  By 'some' I mean a few three milers, and a couple 6 milers.  It was nowhere near the mileage I would have done at home, but I believe it was enough to sustain my fitness.  And it was at an altitude of about 6000 feet, on pretty steep hills, which should provide a different kind of benefit. 

It was as much a mental break as a physical one.  I really didn't think about training, or worry about my mileage.  I was more concerned with getting down the mountain in one piece on skis, and polishing up my pool game in the evenings for our nightly matches.

It remains to be seen what effect the week will ultimately have on my training, and on my marathon in six weeks.  I have have the feeling it will be fine.  But the reality is that I don't expect to compete for a top prize in the race.  And I do expect to finish it one way or the other.  So, to pass on an experience like that ski trip would have been foolish. 

And besides,  I have another built-in training challenge coming up anyway.  My wife is due with our fourth child about three weeks before the race.  Life goes on.

Comments

[Christine Lock Garcia]

nice blog- it was a six day trip..six days five nights to be exact..ha.