Running

[CassandraW]

. And yeah, my 20k training runs were a breeze, but at 22k I hit a wall. It was the most bizarre feeling.

The wall is real, and damn hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it! I've run through it more than once, but damn, it's difficult. Like running through peanut butter -- your brain and lungs as well as your feet.

My first marathon, I considered stopping a few hundred meters from the end. I could SEE the damn finish line. It was insane. But I genuinely was considering stopping because I felt that shitty.

My training carried me through -- that and spotting a couple of good friends on the side (that really does give you a boost). I was shocked later, when I checked my splits, to discover that my splits all the way through the race were pretty damn even. I'd thought I ran the last few miles so much slower, but I didn't. Again, my training told. Occasionally, when I'm doing something really grueling physically or mentally and don't think I can get through, I remind myself of that feeling -- and that I did in fact power through it. It's very empowering.

 

[shortstorymachinist]

Given your training, it should not feel merely comfortable those first few miles -- it should feel almost painfully slow for you. I'm not kidding.

For two reasons -- one, you are in totally unknown territory for how your body is going to respond to those last 20K. Better to reserve as much as you can. If somehow you feel awesome after 30 or 40K, maaaayybe speed it up (but only a notch).

Two, there is a natural adrenaline that tends to hit on race day that will make those first few miles feel sooooo easy. A friend of mine (an excellent runner) joked that she ran a 5K PR in the first 5K of her first marathon. She ran out with the female elites and was thrilled to keep up with them. Until she couldn't. She tanked halfway through. She said she really didn't even stop to think about how unrealistic it was she could keep up that pace because damn, it felt so EASY those first few miles!

In a long race, your body will make you pay -- and pay mightily -- for every second you increase your pace above where you should be.

That feeling of unknown territory is both exciting and worrying. It's cool to think I'm exploring something I've never experienced before. I'll definitely go slow, I'm running with my wife and she's much more practical about keeping a good pace.

Go even slower than that. My farthest run before my marathon (42.4K) was 32K, and 30K's were pretty easy for me. I still fell apart. And 50K is almost 8K further than a marathon.

Please be careful. It's easy to get injured when you push yourself that much.

Walk all you need. Even elites walk some during ultras.

I alternated between walking and running during the last third of my longer training runs, and I imagine it will be the same on race day. Oddly it's the downhills that kill me, which I never thought would be the case when I started preparing for this. They're so much more jarring.

The wall is real, and damn hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it! I've run through it more than once, but damn, it's difficult. Like running through peanut butter -- your brain and lungs as well as your feet.

My first marathon, I considered stopping a few hundred meters from the end. I could SEE the damn finish line. It was insane. But I genuinely was considering stopping because I felt that shitty.

My training carried me through -- that and spotting a couple of good friends on the side (that really does give you a boost). I was shocked later, when I checked my splits, to discover that my splits all the way through the race were pretty damn even. I'd thought I ran the last few miles so much slower, but I didn't. Again, my training told. Occasionally, when I'm doing something really grueling physically or mentally and don't think I can get through, I remind myself of that feeling -- and that I did in fact power through it. It's very empowering.

I can totally believe wanting to stop that close to the finish. I watched this same race last year, and some people just broke down crying on the final hill. It was rough. There will be a lot of people I know cheering from the sidelines, so I'm hoping that adrenaline will help carry me through the peanut butter wall.

 

[CassandraW]

the jarring on your bones and joints is another good reason to go easy and walk a lot. Besides aerobic capacity and endurance, long runs build the capacity of your bones and joints to take the pounding. This is why biking and swimming, while awesome for your endurance, are not enough to train for a marathon. Lance Armstrong got stress fractures in his marathon. Obviously he was in great shape, but all that biking did not prepare his shins for the pavement pounding of a marathon. (I recall reading that he didn't run more than 16 miles in training.)

So -- this is you, too! Take those walk breaks and aim to finish, not be a superstar. You'll be beat up at the end no matter what, but likely feel much better in the days following (and be much more likely to finish the course) if you are kind to yourself during the race.

 

[shortstorymachinist]

Hey Kuwi and Cassandra, thanks for the advice! Race is in two and a half hours, I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[CassandraW]

good luck! we'll look forward to hearing your race report!

 

[shortstorymachinist]

Well, that was weird. I finished almost a half an hour before the cut-off time, at 7 hours 32 minutes. I really didn't think I would. I hit the wall early, I had already started walking by 13k. Then 30k - 40k was breezy, and I knew I would make it, but those early sections were awful. I honestly thought I was going to quit a couple of times. The only reason I didn't was I didn't see my friend who was driving around to cheer us on. She had gone to the finish line to watch her boyfriend's finish because he smashed it with 5 hours 30 minutes.

Either way, I went slow, and I guess my training did see me through.

 

[CassandraW]

congrats on finishing! it takes some fortitude to be out there for 7+ hours.

I had the privilege of meeting the late, great many-time marathon winner Grete Waitz (who was a totally sweet and lovely person, by the way). She said the hardest one she ever ran was not any of the ones she won, but the much slower one she ran with her friend Fred Lebow, who was struggling with cancer.

Just being out there so long is grueling.

Anyway. Rest, don't run (for a good week after something like that) but do get in some walking -- it will help speed your recovery. Get extra sleep if you can, and lots of nourishment. Your body needs it. And when you start running again, go in slow even if you feel great. It generally takes the body a month or so to fully recover, even if you feel fine.

By the way, you will hate going down stairs for a couple of days. And yes, down is worse than up.

 

[Anonymouse]

OMG, shortstorymachinist, am I reading correctly that your first race was a 50k? That's badass. I aspire to your greatness (says the person who's currently trying to work her way back up to marathon distance. I want to eventually train for an ultra, if my body cooperates).

And I second this:

By the way, you will hate going down stairs for a couple of days. And yes, down is worse than up.

I've run my share of half marathons, and was pretty much okay by the end of week 2. The day after my marathon, I felt like someone took a baseball bat to my quads. We went out to brunch that Sunday, and the people we were with were laughing at my old-lady shuffle down the 3 stairs to the car. (If I'd been thinking clearly, backing down the stairs would've been less painful, but more ridiculous-looking).

 

[CassandraW]

OMG, shortstorymachinist, am I reading correctly that your first race was a 50k? That's badass. I aspire to your greatness (says the person who's currently trying to work her way back up to marathon distance. I want to eventually train for an ultra, if my body cooperates).

And I second this:



I've run my share of half marathons, and was pretty much okay by the end of week 2. The day after my marathon, I felt like someone took a baseball bat to my quads. We went out to brunch that Sunday, and the people we were with were laughing at my old-lady shuffle down the 3 stairs to the car. (If I'd been thinking clearly, backing down the stairs would've been less painful, but more ridiculous-looking).

A social acquaintance of mine tried to lie about him jumping randomly into a marathon with no training, and running it in 3 hours and 30 minutes (I believe he chose that rather astonishingly good first-marathon time simply in order to beat my first marathon time by what he laughably thought -- with zero knowledge whatsoever -- seemed like a reasonable margin).

Several things revealed to me he was lying his ass off. But the number one thing? He denied that he'd had any soreness afterward, or any issue going down stairs in the days thereafter.

Yeah, right. Even the pros experience this, and yes I know this for a fact from talking to pros. No matter what kind of kick-ass athlete you are, racing a marathon is going to give you some soreness afterward. How bad it is and how long it lasts will certainly depend on what kind of shape you were in, but you'll have it.

And for the love of pete, an untrained or insufficiently trained marathoner, even if he's a brilliant athlete in some other discipline, will surely suffer. (see e.g., Lance Armstrong and his stress fractures.)

 

[kuwisdelu]

Trans runner Amelia Gapin appears on the cover of next month's issue of Women's Running. I've been following her blog for a while now. She's the first trans woman to appear on the cover of a women's fitness magazine, ever, so this is pretty cool.

I totally need to pick up a copy now.

 

[shortstorymachinist]

congrats on finishing! it takes some fortitude to be out there for 7+ hours.

I had the privilege of meeting the late, great many-time marathon winner Grete Waitz (who was a totally sweet and lovely person, by the way). She said the hardest one she ever ran was not any of the ones she won, but the much slower one she ran with her friend Fred Lebow, who was struggling with cancer.

Just being out there so long is grueling.

Anyway. Rest, don't run (for a good week after something like that) but do get in some walking -- it will help speed your recovery. Get extra sleep if you can, and lots of nourishment. Your body needs it. And when you start running again, go in slow even if you feel great. It generally takes the body a month or so to fully recover, even if you feel fine.

By the way, you will hate going down stairs for a couple of days. And yes, down is worse than up.

Thanks! My knees are the worst, any lateral pressure feels like a nail being pounding into the side of my kneecap, and I was basically hauling myself up stairs by the handrails for the first two days. Things are better now, three days later, although I'm keeping what you said in mind about a month long-ish recovery.

OMG, shortstorymachinist, am I reading correctly that your first race was a 50k? That's badass. I aspire to your greatness (says the person who's currently trying to work her way back up to marathon distance. I want to eventually train for an ultra, if my body cooperates).

And I second this:



I've run my share of half marathons, and was pretty much okay by the end of week 2. The day after my marathon, I felt like someone took a baseball bat to my quads. We went out to brunch that Sunday, and the people we were with were laughing at my old-lady shuffle down the 3 stairs to the car. (If I'd been thinking clearly, backing down the stairs would've been less painful, but more ridiculous-looking).

Yep, I'm still rocking the old man shuffle. I walked to the store the day after the race and got a lot of amused looks. And ha! Aspire to my greatness, sure. As I told Cassandra, I'm 90% I would have given up if I had seen the opportunity.

A social acquaintance of mine tried to lie about him jumping randomly into a marathon with no training, and running it in 3 hours and 30 minutes (I believe he chose that rather astonishingly good first-marathon time simply in order to beat my first marathon time by what he laughably thought -- with zero knowledge whatsoever -- seemed like a reasonable margin).

Several things revealed to me he was lying his ass off. But the number one thing? He denied that he'd had any soreness afterward, or any issue going down stairs in the days thereafter.

Yeah, right. Even the pros experience this, and yes I know this for a fact from talking to pros. No matter what kind of kick-ass athlete you are, racing a marathon is going to give you some soreness afterward. How bad it is and how long it lasts will certainly depend on what kind of shape you were in, but you'll have it.

And for the love of pete, an untrained or insufficiently trained marathoner, even if he's a brilliant athlete in some other discipline, will surely suffer. (see e.g., Lance Armstrong and his stress fractures.)

That's frustrating, and stupid of him. Why did he want to show you up so badly?

Trans runner Amelia Gapin appears on the cover of next month's issue of Women's Running. I've been following her blog for a while now. She's the first trans woman to appear on the cover of a women's fitness magazine, ever, so this is pretty cool.

I totally need to pick up a copy now.

That's interesting, has she noticed any big differences with the transition?

 

[kuwisdelu]

That's interesting, has she noticed any big differences with the transition?

Oh, yes.

So have I.

Before transitioning, my best half marathon was 1:33:27.

After 3 months of hormone replacement therapy, I was happy to run 2:08:18.

I think, with a lot of work, I might be able to improve enough to beat my male PR times as a female, but that's only because they were all set within my first 9 months of running, so I still have a lot of room for improvement.

 

[CassandraW]

That's frustrating, and stupid of him. Why did he want to show you up so badly?

He's an extremely competitive guy. He excelled school and career-wise. But alas, he has to be best at everything.

We were out with former law school classmates who were all congratulating me on my marathon and asking about my training. He couldn't stand it. He had to top me, prove I really hadn't done anything special -- he's done better just on a whim.

Some people are just like that, sadly. I could have called him on it, told him in front of everyone he was a liar, and how I knew (it was several things that proved he's never run a marathon period, let alone in that time without training), but I didn't. Weirdly enough, I found it so pathetic I felt sorry for him.

Still, it is irritating. As you now know , those of us who complete races that call for so much training and fortitude are very proud of it, whatever our times, and it's annoying to have someone claim credit for it when they didn't do it.

 

[kuwisdelu]

As you now know , those of us who complete races that call for so much training and fortitude are very proud of it, whatever our times, and it's annoying to have someone claim credit for it when they didn't do it.

And another thing they won't understand until they do, is our proudest races aren't always our fastest or farthest ones.

 

[shortstorymachinist]

Oh, yes.

So have I.

Before transitioning, my best half marathon was 1:33:27.

After 3 months of hormone replacement therapy, I was happy to run 2:08:18.

I think, with a lot of work, I might be able to improve enough to beat my male PR times as a female, but that's only because they were all set within my first 9 months of running, so I still have a lot of room for improvement.

Wow. 2:08:18 still seems like you're tearing up the course to me. Good luck with the training!

He's an extremely competitive guy. He excelled school and career-wise. But alas, he has to be best at everything.

We were out with former law school classmates who were all congratulating me on my marathon and asking about my training. He couldn't stand it. He had to top me, prove I really hasn't done anything special -- he's done better just on a whim.

Some people are just like that, sadly. I could have called him on it, told him in front of everyone he was a liar, and how I knew (it was several things that proved he's never run a marathon period, let alone in that time without training), but I didn't. Weirdly enough, I found it so pathetic I felt sorry for him.

Still, it is irritating. As you now know , those of us who complete races that call for so much training and fortitude are very proud of it, whatever our times, and it's annoying to have someone claim credit for it when they didn't do it.

I feel like a lot of people can spot a one-upper, just from how they insert themselves into the flow of conversation. I studied abroad a few years ago with a guy like that. It was like clockwork, anytime someone told a story out came his own, similar but more over-the-top.

 

[CassandraW]

And another thing they won't understand until they do, is our proudest races aren't always our fastest or farthest ones.

This is totally true. I think the race I'm proudest of was the half where I felt desperately sick to my stomach for the last several miles, cramping horribly -- and threw up copiously at the end. (Races in high heat and humidity on the first day of my period = disaster for me). I was super-duper well-trained, and was hoping for a PR. Of course I didn't get one -- but I finished the damn thing. And all things considered, I didn't do half bad!

Heh. A friend who'd seen me at the ten mile mark said my face looked positively green and she was concerned I'd collapse by the end...

 

[Brad S]

Am I the only one who loves running but hates treadmills? lol!
If only the weather would cooperate every single time we wanted to go for a run, aye?

 

[kuwisdelu]

Am I the only one who loves running but hates treadmills? lol!
If only the weather would cooperate every single time we wanted to go for a run, aye?

I've never run on a treadmill and I have no plans to start. Outdoors or nothing for me.

 

[shortstorymachinist]

Am I the only one who loves running but hates treadmills? lol!
If only the weather would cooperate every single time we wanted to go for a run, aye?

I've never run on a treadmill and I have no plans to start. Outdoors or nothing for me.

I can count on one hand the number of times I've run on a treadmill during the last two years. Not my preferred method.

 

[CassandraW]

I also hate treadmills. I will only use them when conditions are potentially dangerous for running (not just unpleasant).

Rain, snow and cold won't stop me. Humid days in the mid-90s or above, I might take it inside. Violent lightning or hail storms. Downright hurricanes and blizzards. And days where all of the running surfaces are one big sheet of ice and to take a step is to fall on your ass.

 

[KTC]

I don't mind treadmills at all. I love running outdoors, but I've been doing a lot of treadmill running lately...as I like to do another 1/2 and hour or so on the other machines at the gym when I'm done running.

 

[Brad S]

I guess one thing to be said for treadmills is it's a lot easier to watch TV while you run, which I've found can dramatically increase the ability to run long distances....lol!

 

[KTC]

I rock the hell out with my Spotify music. Endless 80s punk and new wave get me through my hours and hours of running. I don't do TV.

 

[kuwisdelu]

Woohoo! I got into the B.A.A. half marathon. I was worried, because I overslept by a half hour, and the first-come, first-serve race entries had already sold out in the first few minutes, so I had to register for the lottery. Just got my confirmation email that I'm in.

This is my first race where I'm officially registered as female. I'll only be about 8 months on hormones, so I technically shouldn't be, but it's the B.A.A. half marathon. It's a fast race, and I won't be even remotely close to placing for any age group awards.

The cut-off time is 3 hours, and my T is a barely-there 16 ng/dL, so whatevs.

Guess I gotta start actually training for it now...

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

Am I the only one who loves running but hates treadmills? lol!

I've just got back into running in April or so and I've strictly done it on the treadmill (except for one experimental run outside).

I prefer the treadmill, at least until I lose enough weight where I'm comfortable on cement. I'm not sure my body can take the pounding and I'm leery of the redeveloping shin splints that I developed 25 years ago which forced me to quit.

Also, I've tried to get back into running over the years and found that I'd just run too fast outside and I'd be winded in no time, thus ruining the whole experience for me.

But on a treadmill, there isn't any pounding. I can set the speed so I run at a consistent pace that won't leave me gasping for air like a floundering fish. Not only can I adjust the speed, I can adjust the incline, alternating it so it simulates hills, which we don't have. Plus, I can run when it's 90 degrees out like it's been these past 2 weeks. I can run when it's winter out without having to dress in 40 pounds of clothes.

I'm slowly getting back into running shape and I never could have done it without a treadmill.