Ruminating on running

Staff column by Stephanie Maxwell

Ruminating on running
Ruminating on running

138.24. That’s how many miles I’ve run since the beginning of October. That seems like a lot, doesn’t it? Especially considering the total I’d run in the two and a half years prior was something close to 4.

This goes for any sort of training: When you’re out of the habit, it can be really difficult to get into a routine again. Not even the most stalwart of New Year’s resolutions can keep you committed to a workout schedule. Sometimes you need a goal to work toward, like a race.

Twice now I’ve come out of a months-long (OK, maybe years-long) bout of the couch potato to train for a half marathon. After the last one, at some point in early 2011, I took my time recovering from the race — which is to say I didn’t run with any consistency for the next three years. But some friends started bugging me to sign up for another half last fall, and I decided maybe it was time to give the race another go. I’d done it once; surely I could do it again, right?

Back to that 138.24. If you really look at the training schedules, that number isn’t actually very high. At all. There are lots of runners clocking 25 miles a week in preparation for a half marathon, but I’ve just done my best to work up to higher mileage at a steady pace. Yeah, I survived my first half in 2011, but I figured if I’m going to subject myself to this again, I might try to actually enjoy race day instead of merely getting through it. And with that mindset, my training has been infinitely more manageable.

Also helpful: I found a running buddy who has held me accountable for our running dates and mileage goals. We shared the anxiety of looking at that training schedule along with the amazement at the invisible transformation that training brought to our bodies. How is it that just four short months ago, our legs and lungs could carry us no more than a mile or two before we became winded and needed to stop, and now we can go double, triple, quadruple that distance?

It’s also been just plain fun to have someone to talk to while running. At the beginning of our training, when we were only running a couple of miles together, we had 20 or so minutes to chat. But as we slowly built up to higher and higher mileage, running for more than an hour and a half, we kept talking the entire time. And there’s only so long you can talk about your day at work and the weather. Soon, we were hearing about each other’s families and childhood friends, swapping stories from college and high school, and learning each other’s histories. Some runners swear by their headphones, but I’ve gotten used to having that person next to me to keep me going.

The only drawback has been that it’s so much harder to run alone now. I used to think that running was a great way to spend alone time. I could really clear my mind and think without any outside distractions other than the sound of my own feet on the pavement. Now, it’s downright boring. Let’s get real: I don’t have that much thinking to do.

After a certain amount of mileage, it’s not your legs that ache so much as your mind that grows weary. So having someone working toward the same goal seems to be what’s kept me way more committed to training for this half marathon than I was for the last one, when I was armed solely with my Nikes and a training schedule.

For my first half marathon, I knew I could finish. I hoped I could finish. But this time, I’m actually excited about the event. The race day atmosphere and camaraderie, the spectators with posters and bells, especially the free beer and food that follows the race. I think these are all reasons that people can’t just cross that one race off their bucket list. It’s hard not to want to experience all of that again.

Sure, some people at the race will be running for their personal bests or to qualify for a bigger race. But the great majority of runners will just be there to have a good time and celebrate what their bodies can do. And that’s where I’ll be Saturday.

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