I have been toying with this idea as to part of the reason why I run. I run for a variety of reasons, but part of it -in the part that makes me want to compete and push is failure. In a way, I don't fear failure ... I embrace it. It shows me my limits, it reveals my choices that I made up to race day, it puts that edge of my humanity right into the bulls eye of my focus to where I can't ignore it. And then it asks me ... "can you do better?" Until you fail, you don't know if you can be better.
On the way down on Sunday I crashed into a guy just below the 2 to go sign. Slippery trail with snow and ice, tighter than normal conditions because of the same, a tricky footing spot on the trail anyway, me bombing down and being a klutz. I helped him up, and apologized. He seemed okay and said thank you but I could not figure out by the look in his eyes if he was saying thanks for helping him up or if he was saying it in a pissed off fashion. It was an accident. I am sorry it happened and I am sorry if it ruined this guys race.
I don't know what I want to do next but these ideas keep bubbling up ... a 50 miler, a fast 10k, PPM next year. The burro race might need to wait.
I am going to donate blood next week. First time for that in a long time.
Not running right now and not worried about running. Just chillax'n for a bit ...
Running on the Incline might become legal!
30 minutes weights, 30 minutes treadmill in the PM (jogging, first mile at 15%, next 2 flat). Handful of minutes jump roping. I feel good.
I like your bit about failure. We're so much more human (realized) when we put ourselves in those kinds of "crisis." Keep musing.
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity, how much hiking was done on either day? For you. Does MC of DM have to resort to that at all, or is that the key, never having to walk!
I did 12.5 today w/3000+ up and it beat the crap out of me. I had to hike miles 8-9 which were quite steep and I was quite winded AND it was between 80-90 degrees. All I'm saying is I'm weak. I need more mountains. . .
Ascent day I did very little hiking actually - probably the least I have ever done on the trail. Most of my hiking was then done in the last mile, which is a.) ridiculous, b.) high and was c.) having some weather. I am convinced that I can hike even less.
ReplyDeleteMC does none as far as I know. He might take a step up for one or two of the big rocks but I think he has the course so dialed in he even knows where to place feet to run those.
Marathon day ... well, that was a different story. I was worked.
All that said, I beleive if I can combine endurance work with speed work with mountain work ... I can nail that bugger for me and run low 2:30s on the Ascent. I have not done that ... but that is that embracing of failure thing.
... and it is exactly what you were doing working that 12.5 w/3K elevation. Pain is weakness leaving the body.
By the way ... video of some of those guys at: http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2008%20PPA/2008%20PPM/
ReplyDeleteI saw those. Awesome. I liked JV's encouraging words to Mackey: "7:45, but don't worry - you'll catch him on the descent." Or something like that.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff.