Against the odds

 Here we go again...Against the Odds

I like to start a post before the thing happens and come back and finish it.  Always good to see the before and after process.

This coming Sunday, I'm attempting the Marine Corps Marathon.  This training cycle has been quite a different experience than my last.  I decided to make a slightly shorter marathon training plan than I had last year since I felt I "over tapered" - basically I got bored taking it slowly down for 3 weeks so I just cut out some time on the front end and decided I would try a shorter taper.  Unfortunately, that wasn't the only new thing I tried and to make a very long story short - adding a new pair of shoes incorrectly (didn't really know that was a thing but apparently it is) ended up with my shin getting injured and having to stop my training - completely - for over a month.  While all my fellow runners were basking in the weekend long run glory - I was cross training like mad hoping not to lose too much time.  When I was finally given the go ahead to train again, there simply wasn't enough time to really build up.  I started with a hopeful - lets see how this goes - and within two weeks got COVID.  Of all great luck and timing, this was not the finest moment.  Either way, I was pretty sick for a solid four days and on day 5 I woke up feeling somewhat better, got out there and managed a 10 mile run.  It gave me some hope that I was getting back on my feet - but I only had a total of about 14 days til the marathon.  I've slowly regained my energy and I'm gonna make an honest try of it.  We will see how many miles I can get through.  But I have definitely learned from this process, lessons I least expected.  Also, some of my friends have said the wisest things on runs and I will share them here.

"Less is more.  Follow instructions" - some people have an easy time with this.  If you don't naturally enjoy movement or the after feeling, it might be hard to relate to the pushers.  But sometimes doing less or just following instructions makes more sense than just pushing yourself more and more. 

"Never make a decision on a hill" - my friend Kenny told me this early on in this training cycle.  The worst time to bail is when something is seriously challenging.  You have to wait, get through the moment, and then make a rational decision.  This advice has served me many times, not only throughout training and all of these ups and downs, but in my life as well.  Breath, get through, then decide what needs to happen next.

"Toss the preconceived notions" - nothing epic here, just something I had to constantly remind myself.  When I started my cross training because I couldn't run, I kept thinking "I'm a runner, why am I not running." Only once I realized that I'm a mover and shaker, not just a runner, did I open up and embrace the other forms of movement and found a lot of joy in the process.  Instead of thinking I was replacing my running, I thought about augmenting my running and how I want to make time for all of these things once I could run again.

"Attitude is the only thing I can control" - realized on a long run which was actually painful (followed some super bad advice and ran too soon) that the only thing I could truly control was my approach to things.  Clearly, we can't always decide our circumstances but we can choose how to navigate them.

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when you have no control over the outcome” - Brene Brown. In her book, Daring Greatly, she does a deep dive into how to be vulnerable and why it’s so good for us. Being honest about not knowing if I can do something but still giving it my best try and not being embarrassed to fail is something I’m trying hard to embrace.

"You cannot Amazon your way to good health" - my friend Adrienne said this on a run the other day and it struck me as so wise.  In today's day and age, we think if we just buy another gadget or piece of equipment, we will exercise or get into better health habits.  The truth is, you have to consistently get out there and do something if you want to live a healthy life.  It doesn't have to be running, frankly, it should be more than one thing (something I definitely learned from this process of cross training) but you need to do it consistantly.

"Surround yourself with great friends" - throughout my running I have been blessed with so many great friends to run with.  Its been one of the biggest blessings of my last few years and I truly cherish these friendships.  What was amazing for me to see was how they rallied around me during this injury.  One friend took me road biking and opened up new ideas for what I was capable of.  Another took me aquajogging to teach me how to stay in the game while I couldn't be off my feet.  More than one met me for walks.  It was an amazing feeling to be so cared for.

"Throw away the playbook - AKA Just do it" - this is something I have had to embrace as the plan and circumstances changes over and over.  You can plan all you want but I tend to think G-d has some humor and replans and diverts over and over.  Sometimes, just follow no script and run free.

Post race recap:

This was an amazing day- I won’t lie and say there weren’t a few moments of panic where I had no clue what I thought I was doing by attempting something this huge without real training.  I breathed, reminded myself I didn’t have to do anything and I should just enjoy. I met some amazing people - one woman was a brain tumor survivor - that felt like divine providence. Another was an awesome Dad of 4 who got me thru the halfway point. And at the end, me and Locksley, an elderly gentleman, helped each other with the final push. I beyond grateful for this accomplishment and super proud and appreciate this opportunity and experience.

The Phantom Tollbooth, a terrific kids classic, has a quote I've thought of often during this process.  Milo, the main character, sets out on a journey which is rife with difficulties. Once he finally completes the journey, the King, Azaz, (who sent him on this quest) tells him:

"That's why," said Azaz, "there was one very important thing about your quest that we couldn't discuss until you returned.
"I remember," said Milo eagerly. "Tell me now."
"It was impossible," said the king, looking at the Mathemagician.
"Completely impossible," said the Mathemagician, looking at the king.
"Do you mean----" said the bug, who suddenly felt a bit faint.

"Yes, indeed," they repeated together; "but if we'd told you then, you might not have gone---and, as you've discovered, so many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible."