marathon
Silencing the Voices
Some of us hear voices. No, not the kinds of voices that make for scary movies, but the voices that come from within, the limiting, fearful and accusative. We often attribute them to others, coaches, parents, teachers or anyone who at some point told us we were not good enough, smart enough, thin enough or just enough…
To read the rest please check out: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/silencing-the-voices/
Running with a Baby Part 2
Bell Scout Stroller
My first running stroller was a Bell Scout, which was a very simple trike-style unit, with 16” pneumatic tires, and sling-style seat. It had virtually no rolling resistance, and I managed to put over 1000k on it. On the first run, there were a few things that caught my attention. It rattled, was noisy and didn’t track straight unless I painstakingly angled the wheel in the front drop-out. Regardless, we loved that unit. I even felt choked-up when I sold it last week.
I loved the hand brake, but constantly found myself wishing it had a footbrake. The canopy fell off in the first week, but I re-secured it with new hardware.
I bought a very thin Bedouin headscarf which I clipped to the sides to create a type of sunscreen. It worked and it was cheap.
Coolness:
- Light
- Simple
- Rigid front wheel
Lameness:
- Noisy
- Tracking adjustment
- Lack of footbrake
- No support in seat – non-reclining
Behold the Mountain Buggy Terrain
If the Bell Scout was the Toyota Tercel – simple and effective, the Mountain Buggy is the Range Rover; go-anywhere and look cool doing it.
The swivel wheel up front was the grand compromise with my wife. She wasn’t crazy navigating through crowds, unto the bus etc. with a long rigid stroller. Otherwise, I was really in the Market for the Bob Ironman.
Coolness:
- Adjustable handle (short and tall people can be happy)
- Shock absorbers
- Quiet running
- Huge canopy with sun protection
- Water bottle holders
- Lots of places to put gear
- Footbrake
- Padded, supported, reclining seat
- Easily adjustable wheel position.
Lameness:
- Heavy
- Doesn’t fold small
- Doesn’t run with the front-wheel locked in the forward position
- Despite being a “feature” I do not love the 5 degrees of play of the front wheel when in the locked position.
Conclusion:
After putting about 150 km of serious running on the Mountain Buggy Terrain over the past couple of months, I can safely say it’s an awesome stroller, fast, effective with tons of useful features.
My only real complaint is weight and the wheel position.
I hope to run a full marathon with the Budgie at the end of February and that will put the stroller through the paces, but I’m confident it can handle anything that comes its way.
What feels possible and what is possible
Sorry I’ve been rather silent, school has me slammed these days, and if I have the choice to write about running or actually going for a run, the later wins out.
I’ve been thinking a lot about limitations and goals and the base motivations of long-distance running. My dream to run the length of the country is truly born out of a sincere fascination: with the land, with the psychology and physiology of running . In no way do I see it as a self-punishment or something to be endured, but rather something to be enjoyed, conquered and experienced with a wide-open heart and mind.
Part of this fascination is geographical. Every time I run through a new section of the country I discover something I cannot experience from the car. You cannot learn or feel a place at 100k an hour with the air-conditioning cranked.
Places evolve and change every few ks especially in this condensed and complicated Land. One minute you are running through a succulent orchard, the next you find yourself on the edge of the desert. One moment you are confronted with the curiosity that is urban sprawl and the ubiquitous technology park, the next you pass a 1500 year old building, surrounding by sheep and Bedouin. Every few ks there emerges a unique geography, new smells; this country is so diverse and multi-layered and with each new layer I unveil I discover something wondrous and beautiful.
Though 3 marathons in 12 months is hardly a great accomplishment, I keep discovering that my physical capabilities are more significant than I ever imagined. What was completely unattainable six months ago is old news now.
The idea of running a number of extreme distances back-to-back is about wanting to test the limits and hopefully succeed accomplishing something which previously would have been impossible. I’m looking forward to drawing attention to a cause, though which one is unclear.
I’m still months away from knocking back 50k runs back to back, but I’ll be that guy soon enough. If I achieve this goal it won’t be because I’m particularly gifted, though that’d be nice, but because I’m obsessive and somewhat disciplined and will have learned how to endure.
I want to take my body to the edge of its ultimate potential and take my mind even further. I am limited only by the arbitrary fences I build around ideas and my willingness to dare to shatter those faux boundaries. This was driven home this week by a fascinating article I read in the Walrus. Alex Hutchinson was exploring new research regarding the brain’s role in governing our body’s performance and I’d highly recommend giving it a read. The bottom-line I took away as a runner was, the edge is a relative term, and what feels possible and what is possible are two different things, and it’s all in your head, literally.
Since my non-cool blood meltdown and flu, I’ve found my groove again and I’ve been racking up about 40-50k a week now, though the long-runs as they creep into the 30k zone are really hard in the heat. I’m playing with hydration solutions and hope to acclimatize yet.
In the meantime, I’m eagerly looking forward to the 10k in Kiryat Gat next Thursday and I’ve convinced my wife to let me sign-up for the Sovev Emeq Ultra Marathon in October, I’ve pitched it as my birthday present. I’m hoping to tackle the 60k leg.
Oh, I recently bought a book off of Fishpond 50 Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days by Dean Karnazes, I’m hoping it will provide inspiration and tips to aid me in my quest. Fishpond seems like a cool option for me, as their books are a bit more pricey than Amazon, but shipping is free, so no hidden gouging. I’ll let you know when it arrives how the overall process went, and maybe we’ll even host a giveaway in the near future…
Peace to you on the Long Run.
Can you take me where i need to go, as fast as I want to arrive?
Image Posted on Updated on
Been thinking while crammed in the bus… Either we got it or we don’t. Either way we’re about to find out.
Which is harder: School or a Marathon? or Going further than I ever imagined.
This was the litmus test of whether or not I could hack it at BGU, and to my endless wonder, I’m starting to think I can.
The worst of my exams behind me now (I hope), I anticipate being able to move into break, finish “the book” and catch just a little breath before next semester starts. I am under no illusions about how quickly time will pass, but even a couple of days without an exam or paper bearing down on me will be a sweet relief.
My wife laughed the other day, “This is just like running a marathon isn’t it?” I thought about it, and in fact, for me, studying in a second language is even more challenging than my recent marathon adventures, but the similarities are striking:
- Both are extremely rewarding and exhilarating when successfully executed.
- Both cause great physical and mental discomfort. Ironically, studying causes me more physical pain than running, with migraines, stress pains in my neck and chest and a sore rear-end, from all the sitting.
- You are competing primarily against yourself; against your own psyche.
- You can’t expect results from half-hearted effort. To rip off the nice people from Adidas, “running is all in”.
- You have to give up something to gain something. Typically, this is time, but sometimes it’s things like being able to take on other sports or not eating as freely as you could want. As a wise uncle once told me, “In life you will be able to do one or two things well. Find out what they are, and focus on those.” I chose to run, I chose to be a scholar.
- The words, “I can’t…” are never to be uttered.
- You can never do it alone. I wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance of succeeding in running or in academics if it weren’t for my patient wife and enthusiastic boys. Even the thought of their faces at the finish line helps me push past the exhaustion and pain, and knowing that I need to model discipline and curiosity, keeps me in the books, keeps me on the road; I can’t expect to lead where I will not go myself.
- So, on both accounts, you can go further than you ever imagined!
We are always that kid
Been hunting for the longest time for a running partner. This is trickier than you might think and I more or less gave up.
However, the other day, my buddy from the hiking store called me and said, “Hey there are two crazy Ironman types who come in all the time and they are looking for someone to run with, and I thought of you…”
So I made the connection and after some misadventure went running with one of them this morning. This was super cool, as it was a good workout language-wise and it was a different dynamic, no music, no audio prompts, just conversation and shared passion for the long-road. I’m in my taper for marathon, and he was in his taper for an Ironman, so it worked well, and we had an easy 16.6 km at a 4:50 pace.
When I arrived back on the train-station parking lot I noted two of Israel’s older, but more accomplished runners just about to head out. It’s funny, my son and I have recognized these two at all the races I’ve gone to, and given that he is usually waiting at the finish-line, he informs me as to where they place. As if to say, the old guys are faster than you… Thanks bud.
Anyway, as I got closer, these two gleefully asked in unison as I approached, “You joining us?”
Remember when you were a little kid, alone on the playground, knowing that you were killer good at ball-hockey (or insert sport here) but just wishing the grade 5s would invite you to play, but knowing they wouldn’t because you were too little…
Well, that’s how I felt this morning, except the cool kids just asked if I could play!
About 7 months ago, I had attempted to hunt down the one fellow, a ridiculously fast Ethiopian runner, but in the end, I could never get his actual number. So, today, we traded numbers and soon, I might get to hang with the cool kids, that is, if I can keep up.
Why do you run? Goals and motivation
People are motivated to run for fistfuls of reasons: weight loss, blood pressure or overall health and fitness. Some are lured in by another running enthusiast, or by the sheer challenge of setting goals and fighting to achieve them, be it a first 5km, 10km or a Marathon, or losing 5, 15 or 30 kgs.
Weight and health concerns helped me get in, and now that my health is awesome and my weight is great, I’ve learned to tweak my motivations.
While I am driven by a variety of things, the core of my running persona is laid bare when I am most discouraged in my running; when I have no concrete goal. The whole experience improves and my perspective brightens just by setting a goal (usually by signing up and paying for the next race) and then I begin working on the particulars of preparation: speed, endurance etc.
Even distant goals can be helpful, like the ultra-marathon distances I keep dreaming about or doing three marathons in 2012.
Right now, I’m working towards the extreme distances on one hand, wanting to achieve a sub 3:15 marathon, and straining to get my 10km times below 40 minutes on the other. Nike is putting on a Night Run in Tel Aviv November 1, and I am eagerly anticipating the fun atmosphere and the challenge of setting a new personal record.
I don’t find having goals restricting, but rather liberating and I still feel the freedom to hit the road and run for the sheer joy of running, regardless of what my training program says.
Because in the end, if I am running, it could only be good for me.
Run Negev 