Friday, March 30, 2018

Storm Clouds Gathering...


Last week OnTheBusRunning had texted me yet another perfectly timed quote.  It seems that our minds start syncing as a shared race approaches, this time it is another marathon.  The last one we ran together was in October of 2016, this time it's Boston.

The quote started with "Fate whispers to the warrior; 'You cannot withstand the storm,'"

This training cycle, like all of them, has already had its share of ups and downs.  I had tweaked my back.  My job has gotten busier.  My kids are getting older, and with age, comes more time and energy from me.  With all that, my mileage has increased, too.  To put it bluntly, I am always exhausted.

It felt like my life was dropped into a storm.

Last nights workout was a 3x2 mile cut down.  I was tired as usual.  As I looked out the window I was hoping it would give me an idea of how to dress, all I saw was a horizontal snowfall.  Great.  For a moment I considered just taking the day off, but a text message popped up on my phone. 

"What time is this workout going down?"

It was onthebusrunning.  Now I knew there was no backing out as I replied "Getting ready to walk out the door".

As I pulled up to the track, I noticed the gates were closed and there were people setting up benches all around the field.  It would have required 8 laps for each set, but the tall buildings on three sides usually do a good job of blocking the wind.  I knew that was no longer an option.  I put my Jeep in reverse, and started heading towards another part of the trail that was mostly cement.  In my head, I was willing to take slippery asphalt over the muddy red clay and gravel. 

As I started my warm up, I felt the uncertainty start to bubble up.  The snow was really coming down, the wind was howling, plus I was under dressed.  I pushed on, just trying to loosen the legs.  Before I knew it, the 4 miles was done, and my hands, face and thighs were numb.  I did a few drills, followed by some light stretching, and then hit my watch, it was too cold to stall. 

Just like all my workouts, the first rep always feels off.  I have learned not to force it, just to try and find my rhythm and know things will start to click.  As my watch beeped I saw a 6:33 pace for that first mile.  I knew the 2 mile sets were supposed to go 6:28, 6:18, and 6:10 pace.  Experience told me to just keep going.  By the second mile I did in fact find my rhythm and it just started to flow.  Before I knew it, my watch beeped again, 6:22, exactly 6:28 pace.  As I started my 3 min jog, all I could do was smile knowing that second mile did in fact feel like marathon effort, even in a snow storm at 6200 ft. 

The second set was where my body started to warm up, as I was no longer feeling cold (or perhaps I had just finally gone numb?).  The first mile flew by as my watch caught me off guard as it beeped and flashed a 6:14 across the screen.  I knew an infamous hill, Lil Stinker, was coming up in the middle of the 2nd mile.  Part of me wanted to ease up bit to save something for the hill, but decided against it.  That hill was where my wheels came off for last Wednesdays workout, but I refused to flinch.  As I got to the foot of the hill, instead of easing over it, I attacked it despite having another half a mile to go once I reached the top.  I did pay the price as I was struggling to recover once I was up and over, but I pressed on until my watch mercifully beeped, 6:20.  Overall pace, 6:18. 

The 3 minutes seemed to fly by as I was trying to regain my composure for the last set.  I never fully recovered as my watch beeped for the last 2 miles.  The road I was on was a little icy, but I had the traction I needed.  I just stepped on the gas to get my pace to hover right above a 6 min mile.  As my watch beeped a 6:07, I was veering onto the crushed red gravel.  It was sloppy and wet, small puddles had formed in the dips, snow collecting on the rest.  I felt like I had to really increase the effort, but I was so close to the end I didn't care.  Instead of worrying about the pace I found an uncomfortable rhythm and held it until.....beep, 6:11, the math came quickly to me,12:18 overall for a 6:09 pace.  Nailed it.  I started my cool down, and despite the soaked socks, numb fingers, bright red thighs, and the rosy red cheeks, I mustered a smile. 

Not only did I actually get out and run in the storm, I nailed my splits. 

Then Brad's quote came back to me, and I realized how accurate it was.

"Fate whispers to the warrior; 'You cannot withstand the storm....

Then the warrior whispers back, I AM THE STORM."

This storm is picking up steam, and it is headed for Boston.