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I'm not in shape, but I'm running anyway (for the premium) (Read 1560 times)

duckman


The Irreverent Reverend

    Tomorrow I'm running the Baltimore 10 Miler, and I have no business running this race. After a good run at the National Marathon in March, I took it easy in April and took the month of May off. Entirely. I didn't run. At all.

     

    And when you're an overweight 36 year-old dad who has been running for only a year, taking a month off from running is a very. bad. move.

     

    Now, after gaining ten pounds since the marathon, and trying to get back some mileage over the past two weeks, I'm running tomorrow's 10 miler. Why? Well,

    1. I did pay, and I'd hate to "waste" that money; and 
    2. I want the premium (a Fila poly-fleece running vest). 

    So, I'm demoting myself from Wave 1 to Wave 2, and hope to simply run the entire course. Time goals, needless to say, are out the window, unless "finish before the sun sets" is considered a time goal.

     

    What about you? What races have you been ill-prepared for, but have run, for whatever reason? Has a premium ever inspired you to run longer than you ought to have run?

     

    Happy running, all!

    Husband. Father of three. Lutheran pastor. National Guardsman. Runner. Political junkie. Baseball fan.

    Trent


    Good Bad & The Monkey

      Tomorrow. Smile

       

      Grandma's marathon will have stunningly perfect conditions, but I am not in tip top shape.  But I will run anyway.  Cuz I am here, cuz I will have friends there and cuz I want to earn the beer at the end Big grin

        I'm doing a Warrior Dash on Sunday. I am not at all prepared. But I need to have that Viking helmet thing. Joking

          Just like any race, go out there and have fun.  Think of tomorrow's run as your long run for the week with no intentions of adding speed.

           

          Luckily for me, I've never went into a race not ready.  Sure, I've went into races not thinking I'm ready, but I've always got in the mileage I should have.

          Trent


          Good Bad & The Monkey

            Just like any race, go out there and have fun.

             

            ??

             

            Racing is not fun

              Many times!!  I even let my wife beat me twice!  Well, actually, I didn't quite "let her beat me"; she beat me--period!!  Why?  She dragged me into it and I couldn't say no.  I had fun nevertheless.  In fact, I even enjoy talking about those races because my wife liks it!!  So that would be the premium.

               

              One thing--a word of caution though; you say "because you paid for it and you don't want it to go waste."  Make sure you don't try to run above and beyond your current capability--in other words, don't let "vanity" and "pride" take control of your pacing.  Otherwise, you may end up paying more in a form of a medical bill.  Go and have fun; you don't need to PR every time you "race".  Back in 1973, Frank Shorter was coming to Japan every year to run Fukuoka Marathon and he won it every time.  Japanese made a big deal about him being unbeaten.  On his way from Fukuoka where he won it for the third straight time, he decided to stop in Honolulu and hop in the Honolulu marathon only a week after his 2:11 effort at Fukuoka.  He finished 4th.  His winning streak was cut! Japanese once again made a huge deal of it.  When asked why he did that, he simply replied; "My friends (Kenny Moore, Jeff Galloway) were running and I just wanted to run it with them..."

                ??

                 

                Racing is not fun

                 

                Sure it is...when it's over.  It may hurt like hell for awhile and I'm always thinking to myself, "why am I putting myself through this", but it always is fun two minutes or so after crossing that finish line when I'm drinking my chocolate milk and eating a pay day.

                  Cassidy was bent over at the waist, hands on knees, doing a little circle stagger that in other circumstances might have passed for amusing. The other runners were noisily starting to come in. Mizner stood with his arm around Cassidy's waist, providing balance. "Easy, easy," he said in quiet empathetic tones. Cassidy could not speak; his eyes bulged insanely, breaths came in greedy rasps and his face was a splotchy violet color. "Yack!" he said, trying to straighten up. It was too soon; back to the hands-on-knees death grip, fetal rest of the totally blown-out runner. The white haze had thickened into a heavy fog; he felt faint but knew his conditioning held all horrors at bay except in extreme heat. These were the worst few seconds and he understood better than anything else that like the tail fin, the Nehru jacket and the republic itself, they too would pass. The drained elation, special property and reward of those who have been to the edge and back, would come later. But for now he had a while longer to hurt.

                  Andrea, who had never seen such things, stood close by, almost afraid to touch him, hands fluttering around each other and over to his wet singlet. The rasping, dripping, violet-shaded runner studied intently the moist earth between his spiked toes and seemed unaware of her presence. Was he all right?

                  "Sure hell, he’s all right, " Mizner said, surprised by her question. He’s just run himself a race is all." Seeing that Cassidy had his own balance, Mizner went off gaily to check the team scores. Finally straightening up enough to stumble for a few steps, the runner looked at her and said again: "Yack," But this time there was something that could almost have passed for a smile on his hot face. To her he looked near death-not a mysterious wan passing, but a demise culminating in hot bouts of fever and hallucination fearful and soul-wrenching. The smile brought her considerable cheer. "Yack? " she smiled back.

                  "Gee, that was uncomfortable," he said seriously, as he began to make himself walk; he was unaccustomed to long spikes, one caught, he stumbled as he gripped her hand. What did you think?"

                  "I thought you were going to die there for a second. I was afraid."

                  "Well," he said jovially, "that's cross-country biz."

                  Denton stood 20 yards away, chatting with the coaches. But his eyes followed Quenton Cassidy very carefully.

                  Half an hour later the three of them trotted off laughing, on the eight mile course to get in some mileage for the day.

                  *                   *                        *

                  "Yep. Thought I'd come over and watch the fun."
                  "I hate racing in the morning like this," Cassidy offered.
                  "There's not a whole lot about this deal you do like, is there sport?" Denton smiled at him.
                  "Not much, I guess," Cassidy admitted gloomily. "My gut goes crazy…"

                  "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus


                  This is why I run

                    I ran the HAT Run 50k last year on a single 8 mile training run.  I signed up the fall before and didn't training much over winter and then even less in the spring.  It was a warm day for March in N.E. Maryland that day, but like others have said I signed up and didn't want to "waste my money".  I considered packing it in after the first lap but managed to finish.  My reward was a wonder ceramic stein with the race logo and a nice brooks hat.  The stein holds 2+ bottles for fine ale, it's by far my most treasured award for finishing a race.

                    Clydesdales shouldn't run in Five Fingers!
                    LedLincoln


                    not bad for mile 25

                      Hmmm.  I've never raced.  Maybe I want to keep it that way.

                        A few years ago I ran Boston on less than 50 miles of total training (since November) and a long run of 6.

                         

                        I paid dearly for this though. My shoulder got severely injured from hauling bags through airports. I had to go to the ER.

                         

                        Oh, the marathon? It went OK; a bit slow and unpleasant but not really that bad.

                        LedLincoln


                        not bad for mile 25

                          A few years ago I ran Boston on less than 50 miles of total training (since November) and a long run of 6.

                           

                          I paid dearly for this though. My shoulder got severely injured from hauling bags through airports. I had to go to the ER.

                           

                          Oh, the marathon? It went OK; a bit slow and unpleasant but not really that bad.

                           

                          BAA's qualifying requirements are supposed to keep out riffraff like you.

                            I signed up for the Wine Glass 1/2 marathon to butt kick my running plan, lose 10 lbs, to prove I can do it, and for the medal and shirt. I've got 3 months to get my long run up to 12 miles. I need all the advice and encouragement I can get. Determination I've got. Fear too.