Rambling on a Thursday

More general and poor writing here …
• I love that there is a rich history in running as a sport that we can relate to and learn from. I mean, we all look at that picture of Bannister breaking the tape for the first four minute mile, see his head rolling back - and while we may not be able to run a four minute mile, we can relate to that experience, that pain, that exhaustion, that doing something that we have never done before ...
• I love discovering this history.  One of my favorite books was Sandrock’s Running with the Legends because it chronicles so many runners.   I  You get to see the differences and the commonalities between them.  I worked with Rock for a while at the Daily Camera.  A couple of college kids started working one summer there – they had come out to Boulder for the summer to get running in.  They started asking us about this hill workout that Rock and I would do occasionally.  Rock had actually gotten that workout from DeCastella (“Deek”).  These guys had never heard of him – which is probably no big deal really … but I was a little miffed with their attitude that was like “whatever man, Decastella, whoever … I am the next so and so.”  My issue I realize …By the way, Rock is the guest speaker at the Pikes forum Friday night.
• I remember in the night before the 06 Ascent reading through America’s Ultimate Challenge, The Pikes Peak Marathon, and loving the stories of Strudwick, Wolford, Waquie, Gauchupin (to name only a few).  I love that history.  Discovering this history sort of reminds me of reading a good novel set like “Lord of the Rings.”  There is this incredible time and place that you are reading about and you are there for a moment … Carpenter made it to the top ahead of Mejia before briefly passing out.  Uhh, HOLY CRAP.
• I was reminded of this love when I  read DD’s post about Sierre Zinal and saw the picture of Jay Johnson from that race.  Jay is an owner of the Fleet Feet in Boulder.  He is quiet, soft spoken – often hard for me to hear when he speaks.  He does not speak to his incredible historical accomplishments as a mountain runner, including winning Worlds in ‘87.  I need to sit him down, buy him a beer and hear his stories more.  I have (unoriginally) wondered if we are a species that is apparently unique because of our love of the story.  Stories of others, stores that are true, stories that are not true, stories of the past, stories of what will occur in the future … of all types.
• Shifting gears a bit here … Generally as runners we are all alike – essentially dealing with the same basics of physiology of muscle and bone, oxygen and blood, and getting what we can out of those over some distance and time.  In many regards, those things are the same if we are elite or weekend warrior or in between.  Part of me likes to think that when I feel that ache in my legs, that pounding in my head, that iron taste in my mouth – that while it is slower than a Culpepper or a Carpenter, and faster than the 6 hour Ascender at Pikes – it is still the same feeling we all are feeling.  In that way we are similar. 
• But then I see stuff that makes it clear to me that some elites are different.  There are those amongst the elite a set that have a fire in them that I can only stare in awe and fear at.  In moments, I see in these people a desire, an inner fire, a burning to succeed that I have trouble relating to.  I have heard of one elite athlete having the ability to hold his breath to the point of passing out (if that is not the definition of a broken central governor, I am not sure what is). 
• Conversing with these folks can appear comical because the way they related to the goal and the way I do is like two folks speaking a different language.  For example, a couple of years ago, I decided to do a trail race down in Albuquerque NM.  I mentioned this plan to one of “these types.”  The conversation went like this … ME:  “Yeah, I am doing La Luz as a prep for Pikes.” HIM:  “Are you going to get on the course to prepare?”  ME”  “Pikes?  Yeah, a couple of times.”  HIM:  “No, La Luz.”  ME:  “Uh, no.  Its in Albeuquerque.”  HIM (looking confused):  “Well, if you are serious about doing well there, you will get down there and get familiar with the course.”  ME:  “Dude!  It is 500 miles away!”  HIM: (shrugging and looking slightly disgusted) “well, it is your choice.  But if you are serious, you will get down there.”
• On being “ready” …
• I have been asked a lot lately if I feel ready for this. In some regards I have never felt more ready. I have had a solid block of training. I know what to expect on the course. I know where I will be challenged mentally and know how I need to respond to that. I have done more long runs leading up this one than I have in the past.  I have spent time at altitude.  I have run at altitude.  I have a mustache. 
• … and of course, I also feel very “un-ready.” I have changed my training approach to long easy stuff with progression runs on the end.  I have not had the “sit quivering in the car for 30 minutes after doing Lindens” sort of workouts that I have done in the past.  Will that make a difference?  This taper has me a bit antsy (some might even say a bit cranky), as I am balancing the odd feelings between ready to rip a good one and freaking out as I have not run much in the last five days.  Weight has gone up a whole 2 pounds – maybe that is the mustache?!!
• And of course when you think about the magnitude of what you are about to undertake, it is pretty overwhelming. A marathon is a big problem to get through. A marathon on a 7800 mountain is a bigger problem. You realize that you are going to spend a good portion of your day choosing to create conditions in your body that most folks would not feel unless they were deeply ill or dying.  
• In a race like this – things will go wrong. It is not a question of if.  It is a question of when and what you do about them.  How will you respond?  Benji Durden was apparently the master of this sort of what will I do when happens visualization – mentally creating trees of everything that can go wrong and how he would respond.  You could fall.  You could get a rock in your shoe.  It could snow.  It could be hot.  You could crash into someone coming down.  You might need to go potty.  You might feel bad or just have a bad day.  You might get blocked on the trail by other runners.  You could go out too fast or too slow.  You might get a blister.  You might crack your toe on a rock on the way down.  You might get chaffed.  You might wish you just stayed in bed instead.  You might get dehydrated.  You might want your IPOD.   
• But, what do you do with big problems? You break them down into smaller problems. You don’t think about that you are about to climb for near three hours. You think about getting through the Ws correctly. Then to the Rock Arch. You get the idea. You also take these unready thoughts and feelings and put them away by embracing them and then killing them. Repeat.  You have prepared.  Nobody gives a crap about how you do when things are easy.  They want to know how you are going to make things easy and what you do when things are hard.
• So am I ready. Yes. But I am also very cognizant of the crap storm I am about to go through.  So I typically answer – it does not matter if I am ready.  I am here.  I am prepared. 
• I love this comment from Lucho’s blog
  

  Brett said...

  Reminds me of several things I have learned from this blog:
  1) Family comes first.
  2) Did you read #1? If not, please read again.
  3) A strong aerobic base is critical
  4) There is a man named Renato Canova.
  5) There is a band named Disturbed.
  6) Mustaches are cool.
  7) Dressing retro saves you minutes...cowboy hats are a bonus. (The #87 dude on the left just got 5th at the 50 mile trail national championships).
  8) I forgot what 8 is for
  9) Heart Rate is very important.
  10) Heart Rate is not very important.