The Messy 3 M's

 

"Training to run a 100 miles is like training to get hit by a truck." Luis Escobar

I had this little feeling I messed up. Saturday night I handed Andy my training plan that I follow from Hal Koerner and asked him to give it a look. 

Andy begins counting the weeks backwards and I loosely follow as we came to the same conclusion, I MESSED UP! 

Saturday was supposed to be my 35 miler and Sunday was a 20 miler with me being off Monday. 

"If it's too good to be true it is probably TOO good to be true!" 

I had this feeling I had miscalculated my long run, now I was trying to math and design another plan. 

Triple PLAY!! SATURDAY

I would run more miles but over the course of 3 days EACH with a different design, I decided AFTER i realized I had undershot my long run Saturday. 

SATURDAY'S goal was already planned and achieved. 

• 20 miles with at least 50% in Zone 2,
• Maintain a pace between 9:45-10:00
• Run on Empty

This run I got up early and just started running, I found myself all the way in Fenton! I felt good physically, but I ran out of water. I ran without breakfast or eating. I do this to mimic running on low, I bring fuel if I get myself in a pinch, but I try to run depleted to teach myself to dig deeper mentally. 

Andy still had to RESCUE me! I ran out of water at 15 miles, and I was in full sun. Andy found me on Milford Road and brought me both water and pickles. I took the pickles because I was sweating so bad, they were delicious! 

I nailed this run! 

SUNDAY: MIDDAY Roasting

MY Plan: 

• 20 miles in full SUN
• Maintain a pace between 9:45-10:15
• Majority of run in ZONE 2

I started this run after church, it was already 84 degrees. I headed down N.Holly Rd in the blazing sun. My legs felt great, and I found myself having to add more walk breaks to keep my pace down. 

But mile 5, the sun was beating relentlessly. Andy had already warned me he would NOT be able to save me. I brought plenty of food, water and even a handheld with energy fuel. By mile 9, I was recalculating my life choices under an oak tree. 

I was sweating like a stuck pig, I had only peed once and it wasn't pretty. I knew I was getting dehydrated. 

My stomach was turning, and my heart had its own pulse. I decided to add extra walk breaks in there and slow my goal. 

By mile 15, I was almost out of water, my skin was on fire, my belly was nauseas, and I hated this thing called RUNNING. I hated the sun. I hated my choices, my goals, I couldn't even stand MYSELF!

"Just do it ugly" I told myself as my heart felt like it was going to explode as I was WALKING!  

"TIME ON FEET" and "GIVE YOURSELF GRACE" I was trying to come up with all the mantra and prayers to stay in the game. 

At mile 18, I was OUT of water and walking the backroads home when I saw that precious angel. She was watering her flowers when I asked if she would water ME! 

She was so sweet as she tilted the hose towards my bottle. It was like water from Iceland. 

I didn't make my pace goal and the honest truth is I had to stop a half a dozen times for a couple minutes at a time to cool down, settle down and relax. 

When I finished this run, it was 87 degrees. 

MONDAY: 3rd 20miler back-to-back-to-back

My Plan:

• hills repeats
• Don't PAUSE the watch
• Don't look at your pace, run by feel
• Keep heartrate mostly in ZONE 2 

Lacey called the night before and asked if I wanted company, I was so giddy for someone to be with me. She would join me the last 5 miles home. 

I started before 7, and I could already feel it steamy out. My shoulders got burnt on Saturday and they were stinging the first couple miles. 

I headed to a local subdivision that has "HILLS" in its name. I would do 10 miles of hills out there practicing not only the inclines but also the declines. Kettle Moraine has 8,800 feet of elevation and I have heard the downhills are a killer. 

I found a picnic table at the top of the hill and took off my hydration vest making a little station there. I felt SOO free and weightless without my vest. 

Each of my runs I gave myself more grace knowing it was accumulative. At mile 14, I was heading out to meet Lacey when I felt both the heat and the fatigue. 

By the time, I reached Lacey I was adding more walk breaks in gutting it out. 

I knew that even though I had MESSED up my long run, the last 3 runs were good training. 

RUNDOWN:

MESSED UP: A MESS UP: MESSY

I knew that I could recover from my mess up, I just knew it was going to be painful. 

"SUFFERING is EXCELLENCE" I told my friend NOBLE when he saw me running in the blazing sun Sunday. Preparing to suffer is what I am ultimately doing for my 100 miler in June. 

Yes, I am scared. 100 miles is a LONG way, with opportunities everywhere for failure. 

Each of these 3 training runs all had a PURPOSE to help me be more successful in 3 weeks. 

1. Heat training
2. Time on feet without recovery
3. Hill training
4. Solo running...you better be able to run with only your voice
5.  Running sick
6. Running fatigued
7. Monitoring heart rate
8. Running disciplined
9. Running discouraged and NOT giving up

YES, I MESSED UP, but I flipped the script and turned it into a challenge. We all mess up, most of the time we let it own us. But when we change the direction of our thinking there are usually many options. 

IT was NOT A MESS UP, and NEITHER am I. Initially I was mad at myself for such an airhead move. 

I have literally been called someone's mistake; those words stung.  Mistakes happen, but we ARE not one. 

SOMETIMES recovery is MESSY. But the victory lies in overcoming the MESSY. 

My finishing line is NOT a guarantee, I have to EARN it, and overcoming my MESS UP'S, the Messes and the Messy only brings me that much closer to succeeding!

May 13-19  Distance: 84.4 miles

Monthly miles: 243

Yearly Miles: 1,220

"With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

In Peace, Not Pieces, 

Anita

Significant, Living with Heart.

 

"If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small." Proverbs 24:10

Saturday morning my head was saturated with thoughts of significance but significantly misunderstand by self. 
I believe this is called anxiety. 
Life on life's terms has weighed in heavier recently, abruptly but not surprisingly. 

The last couple weeks of training for Kettle Moraine has been my "peak weeks' with a running load of 70-80 miles. I always dread these weeks because it is so difficult with a busy life schedule then the added events catapulted me into a emotional hotwire.
Saturday as I headed down the backroads, I swallowed back the sour taste that was coming up from nerves. 

I wanted to sleep in.

I wanted it to not be raining. 

I wanted to go to the hospital (someone I love dearly is there) 

I wanted to get spring flowers. 

I wanted to mop my floors. 

I wanted to do a lot and nothing at all. 

What I didn't want to do was run and yet that everything I wanted to do. 

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, swallowed the bile back down and headed out for 30 miles without a plan, only a PRAYER. 

I failed miserably at planning my long run. I didn't have a route designed, I didn't have proper nutrition,I scrambled to find friends to run with me at the last minute, and my head space was not in a place of positivity. 

My legs were tired, I felt beat up, unmotivated and weak. 

Reaching mile one, looked ugly and the thought of getting to 30 miles was ominous. 

"Like so many women, sometimes my needs and interests are so congruous, and sometimes they compete with each other for my time, energy and focus." Joan Benoit Samuelson

I knew I had to focus on the task at hand. I had to dial my focus at the now and let the rest go for the next few hours. The more I let myself get distracted the more I felt my energy fading. 

I had a couple friends that were going to meet me for a few miles, and I shuffled forward to receive their good energy. 

"Years ago, women sat in kitchens drinking coffee and discussing life. Today, they cover the same topics while they run." Joan Benoit Samuelson

I felt that little pep in my step when I arrived at my friend's house. We were joined a couple miles later with another friend. We only ran a few miles together; it went by fast as we were all fighting for air laughing and solving all of life's problems.  

"My basic philosophy can be summed up by an expression we use in Norwegian: Hurry Slowly. Get there but be patient." Grete Waitz

I was over 10 miles, 1/3 done. I was smiling. I was dialed in, hopeful not in a hurry. I was running along Dixie Hwy, as the cars sped passed me, I felt so insignificant in my pace in comparison to the vehicles. I found this deep swelling of emotions surface. I was SIGNIFIGANT. Even though the cars didn't see me, or I was running alone, I was doing something hard. This run was hard in so many ways. Andy sent me a text, he said he was PROUD of me for maintaining my training in the midst of all we are going through. 

The tears flowed in that perfect timing. The Lord was with me, I was NOT alone. 

"Do the work. Do the analysis. But feel your race. Feel the joy that is running." Kara Goucher

My splits were steady before I headed into a nursery that I planned on my run! I NEVER stopped my watch as I picked out my flowers, paid for them and begged my son to drive up and get my goodies! 

I lost an hour. 

But I had a second wind, laughing; knowing I would get my long run in and my flowers all at the same time. 

Also knowing I only had 10 miles to go. I did some calculating, tried to pick up my pace a little bit to get warm. The temps dropped, it was spitting rain and I was chilled but, on my way to see another friend who would finish me in. 

"There are a lot of times it's just not fun. It's a lot of discomfort. There must be something I am searching for."  Scott Jurek

I found Sara coming down N Holly Rd. Everything hurt, and I felt like I was dying. But I shouted with pure JOY to see her. 

I can't say those miles were glorious but the company sure was! 

• I finished my 30 miles. 
• Sunday was another 10 miles. 
• Today another 21 miles. 

RUNDOWN: LIVING with HEART. 

My Training plan said SATURDAY 35miles, SUNDAY 20miles, OFF MONDAY

Mine was altered a bit but time on feet and total distance executed for 81 miles last week. 

I keep telling myself, DO it UGLY but don't quit. 

We all have stuff; we all have excuses to quit. Keep that passion and the joy of life burning. I remind myself of all the places the Lord has delivered me from but all the passion I had to have to execute HIS plan. 

If it was easy everyone would do it. Running is my own reward. It is a reminder of living with heart for me. My strength is HIS. It is not perfect, but it is hopeful, faithful and true. 

Mothers Day 

In Peace, not pieces, 

Anita