TheRunningRev.Com

Olympic Mararthoner's Bigger Goal

Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall has a bigger goal for his life than winning races!

Pressing On

So I said it was hot yesterday and it was, but today was worse. It was 93 degrees by the time I stepped outside for my eight miles. It was horribly hot!

When I started running no one ever promised me it would be easy, in fact every one I talked with said it would be challenging and would push me to my limits. I have found this to be true, particularly when I'm in a race or training in the heat like I was over the last couple of days.

I am a runner! I will endure, I will push on, the elements will not stand in my way, heat, cold, wind, rain or snow. Only the very worst of weather will force me indoors and onto the treadmill.

I only wish that the church would communicate truthfully the challenge of living for Christ. So often it feels like a bait and switch scheme... God has a great plan for you... BUT... the plan means dying to your self and living for Christ.

I am a Christ follower! I will push on, the world will not stand in my way, opposition, ridicule or misunderstanding. Only the very worst persecution will force me underground, but I will press on.

I don't like the heat!

It was a beautiful morning when I set out for my run. It wasn't a beautiful morning for running! The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky and the mercury was moving steadily upward, it was going to top 90. If I was a morning person I might have run at 7:00 am, but I'm not so it was closer to 9:30 by the time I headed out the door for my seventeen miles.

By the time I finished it was 86 degrees out and the dewpoint was 62. I ran really slowly, a 9:10 pace, which is actually OK since it is exactly 90 seconds off my marathon goal pace. Never was I more thankful for my support crew!

The crew (Jenny and the kids) showed up at mile 13 with ice water, ice and another powerade. I poured the water on my neck and wrists and put the ice under my hat. The powerade took my fluids to 60oz for the run. It was brutal!

When I arrived home I drank 16oz of milk taking my fluid intake to 76oz and then I stepped on the scales, I was still down 5lbs from when I started. The ice bath felt great!

Running Sights

A mom was helping her son get a scooter across the stream when it fell in and they had to step off the stepping stones and recover it from the water. Four men were fishing in the stream, one wore a white shirt, one blue and two were wearing red. A lady was walking two dogs. A young girl was riding her bike. An older man was riding his bike. A couple were running together, he wore no shirt (but should have). A deer was standing in the middle of path. A young man (not me) was running fast.

Just some of the sites I came across on my eight mile run along the Virginia Run and Cub Stream Valley paths. I love to run and live with my eyes wide open.

Physical and Spiritual Training

Last night was our track work out, its one of the highlights of my week. After the run I was thinking about how hard I'd pushed myself, at times I pushed myself close to the point of exhaustion, at times it was really difficult to keep one leg moving in front of another. Why do I do this and why do I think its fun?

I do it because I actually enjoy it, but I also do it because it's making me a stronger and faster runner. Yes, at almost 40 years of age I still have room for improvement.

There are days when I wonder about the time I spend running the streets, most weeks it amounts to four to four-and-a-half hours. But I do it for a purpose, I run so I can maintain my health, feel good about myself, and to "compete" in races of varying lengths.

Did you know that if you spent less than half the time I spend running reading the Bible each day you could read it cover to cover in a year! Imagine the difference in our relationship with God if we spent equal time in spiritual training as we do in physical training (assuming my readers of this train!). One type of training lasts a lifetime, the other eternity, which one is more important?

Pace run

What a great evening for a run! It was about 82 degrees with low humidity, not a normal evening for August in VA but I'll take it. It could have been a little cooler as I headed out on an eight mile tempo run but I decided to push the pace to as close to race pace for the marathon as I could muster.

I ran great for the first few miles and finished a little more slowly with an average of 7:43, only 4 seconds off goal pace. I was very happy with this workout. The miles are adding up as I'm now averaging about 45 a week in my quest for a BQ!

Night Run

I had a great run last night. I arrived home from my meeting a little after nine and by 9:30 I was out on the streets in the dark for a seven mile run. I loved it, you have to run with a level of awareness after dark that keeps all the senses alive and sharp.

I want to run Boston!

I've stepped up my training this week, hoping to run a Boston qualifying time within the next ten months. I've reconciled myself to the reality that it will take higher mileage weeks and longer tempo runs to to bring my marathon time down to the 3:20 that I need for Boston.

Can I do it? Yes, I believe I can, I'm going to work off a base of 40 miles a week building to about 55 at the peak. I'm following Hal Higdon's Advanced I plan and I believe that should give me the edge I need to drop my 3:35 time to a 3:20. It's not going to be easy but I plan to follow Hal's schedule for Marine Corps and try to run a sub 3:30 and then stick with it for a spring marathon, either the Shamrock Marathon or the National Marathon,  where I'll go after my BQ. If the conditions aren't favorable on race day I may go for Grandma's in June. Either way 2009 will be my BQ year (I hope)!

Just a thought

I came across this quote the other day and it makes a lot of sense...

Never make a decision when running uphill