I signed up to run a marathon in New Orleans. This is a sampling of my daily mental preparation.
“There’s no way I can run a marathon.”
“I can do it, I can run a marathon.”
“26.2 miles – you have to be joking.”
“I think I can do it.”
“It’s going to be hard and maybe scary.”
“I can do it.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Just a little further every run and I’ll have it.”
“No way.”
“Way.”
Some days it ends with “No way,” others, “Way.”
Argh.
Friends of this blog know that I committed to running a half marathon in honor of my 50th birthday. Although I originally planned to run the 1/2 in November 2011, I decided that was far too long to wait so I signed up for, and ran, the Zooma Women’s 1/2 Marathon in April – 4 days before my 50th birthday.
I haven’t blogged much since I started preparing for the race, due in part to the time it took to get ready. I’m always a little hesitant to use the word “race” because I’m a slow runner. So the mornings when I would normally blog or tweet, I was outside somewhere, running and walking and generally enjoying myself. I remember Roger Soler telling me that he doesn’t run marathons any more because of the time it takes to train. I understand what that means now. If you go out and run 8 miles, it takes the time to do the run, and then the rest of the day to lay around and be exhausted. Okay, probably not for Roger Soler, but that’s my general training plan.
This is me just before I ran 8 miles, with a little help from Kendall Jackson
I was afraid that this blog would turn into a blog about running and I didn’t really want that to be the focus. Now it’s June and I think skipping the “blogging about running” was a mistake. I learned so much from the training and running, lessons that can be applied to other aspects of life. I missed out by not sharing them. So here’s the plan: I’m going to blog about running, and hope you’ll come along for the ride. There will be regular “Garden Gate” type posts too, but writing about running will free up some of my brain space and besides, I think it’ll be fun.
The single biggest lesson I’ve learned (so far) is that I’m strong. I mean that in a physical sense. I can run 14 miles and not die. I can run when the weather is cold or hot or really windy – it might not be pleasant, but I’m strong enough to push through it and “get ‘er done.”
I’m also strong emotionally. I had knowledge of my emotional strength before taking on the 1/2 marathon, but I have a “don’t give up” spirit that I haven’t been tapping into enough. My training for the 1/2 marathon generally meant that I’d get dropped off miles from my house, and I’d have to get home. I could run, I could walk, I could crawl if necessary, but the only way home was “through.” I had to run through my fear of failure, through my aches (and internal whines about being much too old for this sort of thing), through legs feeling like lead, through disappointment that I wasn’t running an 8 minute mile (man I’d love to do that.)
Katy Perry’s Firework is on my running playlist and includes this lyric:
“It’s always been inside of you, now it’s time to let it through.”
That sums it up for me. We have inner strength that we don’t necessarily use and it’s time to let it out.
You gotta ignite the light and let it shine!
Baby, You’re a Firework!
Posted in Counseling, emotions, health, Life, running
Tagged Cynthia McKenna, fear, firework, katy perry, marathon, roger soler, running, strength, turning 50
The questions: Why do you run? Why do you run marathons?
Meet Pete Greaves, age 52, marathon runner
I ran my first marathon (Austin 1995) because I had always wanted to run just one. I typically spend January burning off the excesses of the holiday season and running had always been the best way to do that. So, in January of 1995 I started running 3-4 days per week and built up to 8-10 mile runs. I didn’t have any major aches and pains so I started to toy with the idea of running a marathon. I continued to run and decided to attempt the 1/2 marathon in February (I think) and see how it felt. I had a very good experience in the 1/2 and decided to take a shot at a full marathon. I had been told to take my time in the half and multiply it by two and add 10 minutes to get an estimate of what my time might be in a full marathon (I don’t recall my time in the 1/2).
By any expert’s standards I was very under-prepared or trained to run a full when the race day rolled around (3/5/1995). My longest training run had been 16 miles. I had planned a 20 but the weather turned cold and rainy that day and I cut it off at 16. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try. The race day conditions were clear but warm (a runner’s nightmare). I felt great through about the first 16 miles then started to hurt. At mile 18 I was in considerable pain and the temperatures had really gotten warm. By mile 20 I felt like my feet had been cut off and I was running on stumps. I plodded on for the final 6.2 miles doing a combination of running and walking. With 2 miles to go, If I could have averaged a 12 minute mile I would have broken 4 hours. But I didn’t. I crossed the finish line in 4 hours, 3 minutes and 40 seconds. It was a great feeling to cross the finish line but I was in major pain and told myself “I will never do this again as long as I live.”
Famous last words!
I ran six more beginning in 2002 and ending in 2006. I did NYC twice and Boston once.
This is the last installment from my marathoner friends. Special thanks to Pete, Hilary, Ray, and Roger for their generosity.
In case you missed them, here are the links to the previous entries:
Posted in health, Life, marathon
Tagged austin, boston, hilary moffett, marathon, nyc, pete greaves, run marathon, run rock roll
In honor of turning 50 next year, I’ve decided to run a 1/2 marathon. You can read about that decision here. Now that’s decided, and I find myself thinking a lot about running, and wondering why other people run, and why run marathons.
So I decided to ask a few friends why they run and over the next few days, I’ll post their stories.
The questions: Why do you run? Why do you run marathons?
Today’s marathon man is Ray L. age 60:
I started running back in the mid 80′s, when I wasn’t a very active person and my marriage was starting to fall apart. It was a way to relieve some stress and to have some ” alone” time. My running consisted of running around the block a few times ! I gradually built up to my first 5k–the Jacksonville Beach Summer Run–Running on the beach became my favorite thing to do–the movement of your body and the ocean waves rolling onto the shore just seem to go together.
Over the years I gradually increased the distance; and in 1998 ran my first marathon–the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. Running thru our nation’s capital and crossing the finish line of that first marathon was an experience I will never forget–I was in such a “zone” that I didn’t even see my family standing @ the finish line with a HUGE sign saying “congratulations Dad !” I was surrounded by 1000′s of people yet I felt like I was the most important, and only person around ! I felt so proud of myself–something I didn’t always feel about myself! I think I slept with my finishers medal on that night ! It made my family proud of me also which just added to the euphoria I was experiencing.
Training for a marathon has taught me self discipline–if you’re going to succeed you know you have to get up in the morning and do your training runs–I learned how to plan and use my time.
Marathon running has boosted my self-confidence and self-esteem, has made me a stronger person both physically and mentally–It’s amazing what your body can do when you put your mind to it. You cross that finish line and think “WOW” I did it, I’m a WINNER-no matter how long it took! But watch out–it becomes addictive!
Ray has a great spirit and I appreciate his contribution to the Why do you run? series.
In case you missed the first installment, check out Soler’s Sports own Olympian, Roger Soler.
Posted in emotions, health, Life, marathon
Tagged jacksonville beach summer run, marathon, marine corps marathon, self-esteem, strong, why run a marathon
In honor of turning 50 next year, I’ve decided to run a 1/2 marathon. You can read about that decision here. Now that’s decided, and I find myself thinking a lot about running, and wondering why other people run, and why run marathons.
So I decided to ask a few friends why they run and over the next few days, I’ll post their stories.
The questions: Why do you run? Why do you run marathons?
First up is Roger Soler, age 50, marathon runner:
I started running because I liked the competition, and I found out I was good at it. The more I trained and run the better I felt.
Eventually, after 10 years of competitive running, I decided to do a marathon… For distance runners it is the “ultimate” goal. I have run over 30 marathons with a personal best of 2:17 at Boston in 1988.
Now, I only run for fitness, and marathons are not in my plans. But I run a Half marathon a couple of time a year. They do not take as much training. ~ Roger Soler
A note to readers, a marathon is 26 miles and some change. Roger’s fastest marathon was completed in 2:17 – 2 hours & 17 minutes. That means he ran about 13 miles an hour. Holy cow that’s fast.
Roger Soler ran for Peru in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. You can read more about him here. He has a deep connection to San Antonio and to the running community. I’m grateful to Roger Soler for sharing his story.
Am I running away from turning 50? Or, am I running toward 50 with my arms open wide? It’s a little to early to tell, but today, I registered for the San Antonio Rock ‘n Roll 1/2 Marathon . I only signed up for the 1/2 because I figure if I really like running ridiculously long distances, I can always switch to the full marathon, but I don’t have to commit to that just yet.
I’ll turn 50 on April 20th, 2011. I am not worried about turning 50, it actually feels kind of cool. I don’t want a big party, I might want a little dinner party, or maybe a trip out-of-town, but mostly, I want to be strong and healthy as I pass that milestone.
I have been mulling over the “marathon thing” for a while now. A few years back, a therapist friend of mine was training for a 1/2 marathon for her 50th birthday. Frankly, I thought she was nuts. However, today she seems like a sensible woman and I’ll take some inspiration from her accomplishments!
Did you know that when you register for a 1/2 marathon, they want to know exactly how long it will take you to run the course? That was incredibly funny to me. I don’t even know if I can finish, let alone know how long it will take.
I said, “I’ll finish in 3.00 hours” actually, that should say, I guessed “3.00 hours” I’ve only done 4 miles and that was exhausting and so far, a one-off event.
On what promises to be a chilly Sunday morning in November 2011, I’ll join 30,000 other maniacs in downtown San Antonio. I’ll keep you posted on the training, the psychological journey, and I’m sure a tiny bit of whining along the way.
For now, time for some Central Market Hatch Green Chile Chips. After all, it’s never too early to do some carb loading.
Cynthia
Posted in Counseling, health, Life, marathon
Tagged 1/2 marathon, carb loading, maniacs, marathon, Rock 'n roll, turning 50
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