On I went, out of the wood, passing the man leading without knowing I was going to do so. Flip-flap, flip-flap, jog-trot, jog-trot, curnchslap-crunchslap, across the middle of a broad field again, rhythmically running in my greyhound effortless fashion, knowing I had won the race though it wasn't half over, won it if I wanted it, could go on for ten or fifteen or twenty miles if I had to and drop dead at the finish of it, which would be the same, in the end, as living an honest life like the governor wanted me to. -Alan Sillitoe, "Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner"

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Battle of Brooklyn 10m Race Report

You're invited! But I have no beer.
Yeah, I kind of bluffed yesterday when I said I was taking my doctor's advice about not running seriously. But I will start taking it seriously.  I'll start... today.

So I kind of did run Sunday morning's Battle of Brooklyn 10m race.  I felt like my entire marathon effort would collapse if I didn't get some sort of double-digit mileage in before taking a break.  I was registered, I had the t-shirt already, and when my friend Kate called Saturday night saying she wanted to do the race, I had company for the 75 minute subway trek to Brooklyn.  How could I resist?

It wasn't my best race.  In fact, it was ten whole minutes slower - one minute per mile - than I ran the same course back in February (in better conditions, admittedly, but not that much better).  In other words, it was demoralizing.

That's been an ongoing theme of mine lately, though, hasn't it?  I came into training feeling strong, and now I feel broken.  (Cue sad, pathetic music.)  But no more.  This is where I turn it up and come back stronger than ever.

JUST LIKE ROCKY BEAT IVAN DRAGO, I WILL BEAT THE NYCM.  Anyone want me to pull them around Central Park in a sled?  Next snowstorm, man, harness me up.  (I would like to find a gym with one of those climbing machine things, though. And if I end up looking like Dolph Lundgren at the end, that's cool.  Well, like the girl version of him.)

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4 comments:

  1. RunToTheFinishTue Aug 24, 05:02:00 PM EDT

    sorry about the current injury!! you are right insanity is a poor choice during marathon training, but I think probably a great winter training program for a lot of us

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  2. MichaelTue Aug 24, 05:25:00 PM EDT

    Well if it was snowing as we prepare for NYCM marathon I would do the sled thing but since it's still warm, you're out of luck (whew, glad I got out of that one).

    Seriously though, rest can make you stronger (and frustrated, I do get it!).

    But you can practice your boxing moves as you go about your day and look fierce too.

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  3. UnknownTue Aug 24, 06:34:00 PM EDT

    I think the girl version of Dolph Lundgren would be scary. Not in a good way.

    That said, don't let the race result demoralize you! Think of how beast* your new muscles are going to be when they're all rested up and worked out and ready to beat NYCM!

    * told to me by my PT when I had runners knee a few months ago... I liked it in a girl-Dolph-Lundgren kind of way

    ReplyDelete
  4. Silly Girl RunningWed Aug 25, 05:31:00 AM EDT

    That NYCM is going down! Good to hear that you're spirit's up again! :)

    ReplyDelete

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