I’m tired. And
stuff hurts. But I’m not stopping. Nope, that’s not whining. Maybe it’s more of
a mantra.
And I have run
about 1,260 miles so far this calendar year. At this point, I could carp about
my throbbing Achilles tendon and belly-ache about blisters on my toes and
broken toenails. I could moan about muscle cramps and snivel about a strained
ankle. And I could yammer about a nagging migraine headache.
But I won’t. (OK,
maybe I just did, for a moment.)
It’s time to move on.
Yesterday, my
marathon training calendar called for a 16-mile run. Ever the overachiever
(often only to regret it afterwards), I logged 16.6 (not counting hand-jogging a
bit with my horse and then with my dogs later in the day).
Only I have to confess: I didn’t run every
step of the journey.
I actually walked
the last couple of miles on the uphill homeward leg of the thing. In all
honesty, I mostly hobbled. But the miles still count. And I’m still going to
toe the line in Chicago this fall.
Can I really run a marathon? (That’s the audio
loop running in my brain these days.)
I’ll do it. But I
might walk some of the distance.
 |
Long runs: Sometimes ya just gotta walk a bit.
|
Like many, I used to think it was a matter of shame to walk during a marathon. I believed a runner should be able to run the entire distance without breaking pace.
Not so.
Asking around
(and observing countless races), I was surprised to find that tons of runners
take walking breaks during longer races (even the big-name races). In fact,
lots of running experts advise athletes to walk through the water stops (mostly
as a matter of safety, avoiding tripping over spilled beverages and tossed
cups).
Innumerable
runners slow their paces to chug up the most challenging hills in races. Others
simply vary their paces throughout courses. An athlete might run for 10 minutes
and then walk for two for an entire race, for example.
Walking during a
run is perfectly acceptable, as long as one is able to finish the race during
the allotted time. Sure, the elite runners don’t walk. The Olympic athletes
stick to their spiffy swift steps. And the top amateurs don’t break pace.
But the rest of
us? There’s a whole lot of walking going on, at least in short stretches.
Enter the Chicago Marathon.
Gasp. I already
did. I’m committed to doing it this fall. The race rules say I have to finish
the thing within six-and-a-half hours. That means maintaining a 14:45-15:00 average mile
pace. Sounds doable, right?
But a full
marathon is a completely different animal from the 5Ks, 10Ks, and half
marathons I have done. The pace has to be
different.
In my longer
training runs, I am struggling to identify a new and more sustainable
pace-per-mile. Here’s a well-known secret: It’s not in the 9’s or 10’s or maybe
even the 11’s. Don't get me started about negative splits.
Yes, sometimes I have to walk a bit.
And I use those
portions of each run to stretch, sip, and sometimes snack. Because when it
comes to running a marathon (especially my first actual marathon), I’m in it
for the long haul, not the quick finish.
No matter how long
it takes me, it’s gonna be a personal record (as long as they don’t pull me off
the course and put me in the truck).
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