Respect for Running

I have been thinking all day today about a recent conversation in respect to ultra running and the Ironman.

It got me thinking about my first 50 miler that I am scheduled to run this May.

At first, I built myself a rather aggressive training schedule, including two back-to-back marathons within a 48 hour period which would both qualify me for marathon maniac status and make me feel exceedingly prepared for the 50 mile ultra.

I had lots of time to take a closer look at this training plan while taking this past week off because of pain in my shins and knees.

I began to realize there was a big discrepancy between where I am now and where I want to go in my training.

You see, I've been feeling really proud of myself over the past five months.

After nearly five years of calling myself a runner but feeling guilty for all the time I was not running, I have finally become a consistent runner. This is making a noticeable difference in my running and in how I look and feel.

While giving myself full credit for this accomplishment, it only makes me a beginner-intermediate runner at best.

I have not yet earned my place in the running hall of fame or anything like that. It hardly even gives me the base I need to start training to run an ultra four and a half months from now.

So I realized I have two options, other than quitting before I start.

I can train intensely for my first 50 miler and hope I don't hurt myself before I even get to the start. Or I can build my mileage moderately, have a good time and have a place to build from for my next ultra.

I call the second option training smart, and with a little patience and humility. I tried this yesterday.

Instead of running as fast as I could for as long as I could and then coming home beat and worried about getting injured, I made myself keep the pace between a 10-11 minute mile for one hour.

The great thing is, a year ago this would have been a fast pace for me. The fact that after five years of running, I am finally getting faster is a huge first step in the long road to becoming the runner I want to be.

It's days like this that I think of my friend Tara who earned her respect in the art of ultra running, completing her first sub-24-hour 100-mile ultra marathon this October. She also just became a marathon maniac this year, after years of having already earned the title in my mind.

In her race report, she noted that "Running takes patience."

Having witness her second attempt at completing the sub 24-hour 100 miler on a concrete course in Philly this hot July, I can attest to this.

Yes, ultra running takes patience, humility and respect for running. I have a feeling I will be learning a lot about these in the months to come.