Fortyness...The Long Run at 9000 Feet

I am a runner.

I run several times a week. And although I am not a marathon runner (I have run 1/2 marathons) the distance I can run is respectable. I am not the fastest, but again, my endurance is nothing to laugh at.

I run in the Sonoran Desert. It is sometimes extremely hot. Predawn runs can be as hot as 90 degrees at the onset. It can also get pretty cold. Early morning runs can be in the 20's in the winter time. But, regardless of the weather outside, I am very consistent in my dedication to pounding the pavement. Understanding my conditioning and the conditions that I run in most of the year, it always astonishes me how a change in scenery can change the effort needed to complete my runs.

In the summer time, I head northwest of my desert home and spend some time on the western coast of our great country. My stay there includes a beautiful and relaxing trip the Sierra Nevada Mountains for a week of family and fun...and of course some running. Some hard running. Some very hard running. It's not that I am changing my mileage. In fact I run fewer. It is not that the weather is any different - it is really much more pleasant.

It's the air. The oxygen more specifically.

My desert home is at about 1000 ft elevation. My mountain runs are at 9000 ft. The air is pretty thin. I have to put out twice the effort for the same benefits. I have to adjust my pace, adjust my breathing, adjust my steps. If I don't, I'll probably end up flat faced on the side of the road feeling like my lungs have collapsed. The trick to finishing my runs is knowing what I have to accomplish but adjusting my stride, strategy and energy outlay, and adjusting the expectations that I can have the performance at 9000 ft that I do at 1000 ft.

Fortyness is a time of changing elevations. We run along fine at an elevation one moment, and in the blink of an eye, life has tossed us into another. You probably know these moments..... finances are moving along nicely and then a huge bill for a repair or a loss of a job happens..... you are feeling really good about how you have parented your kids then a kid "crisis" happens...... your relationships have seemed content and comfortable then are suddenly in upheaval. All of these things are like being dropped at a high altitude at a full run.

Adjustments in strategy and energy outlay become a normal part of life as we seem to have half the gain at twice the cost. To make it through, we must adjust our stride, making some steps smaller and some larger. We may need to reassess the rout or make a detour on the course, understanding that our performance may not be as stellar in these times. We need to be aware that the amount of oxygen dwindles in some moments of fortyness, and do what we need to do to keep our lungs full so we can continue on. Most importantly, we must keep our eyes on our end goals. The route is rarely easy. but if we stay dedicated to the journey, we can successfully finish these long runs at 9000 ft.

When Do You Call a Spade a Spade?

Of course you call a spade a spade when it is a spade.

Why is it then, that I just gave myself permission to officially call myself a runner? Is it because I have three timed races under my belt? Is it because I have reached a certain distance or a certain time in my runs?

Before the half-marathon that I ran earlier this month, Mr. Mom of Many Hats and I attended an expo put on by the sponsors of the race. While we were there, we picked up our race packets with our bibs, chips, hydration tips, rout maps - all the race "stuff" we would need for the race the following day. We also had the chance to peruse vendors of sports gear, health and nutrition supplies, sunglasses, filtered water, watches - you name it, if it was health or fitness related, it was there. (Not sure where the beer vendors fit it, but to each his own.)

As we were leaving the event, I turned to Mr. Mom of Many Hats and said "I guess after tomorrow, I can officially call myself a runner!"

He looked at me with a bit of puzzlement.

You see, for the last 18 months, we have spent most Saturday mornings running the same trails. For many of those months, he far outran me in distance and speed. But, while training for this event, we have run the trails and the miles together, side by side.

But still, I didn't FEEL like a runner. I didn't believe I was fast enough, elite enough, or conditioned enough to give myself that status. I didn't measure up. How could I claim that title?

He, on the other hand, has considered me a runner from the day I ran my first 30 minute session on the treadmill. He has seen me work, train, ache, blister, wear out shoes and fight the elements just like other "runners" do. He saw in me the qualities and characteristics of a runner, even though I didn't recognize them.

I learned a valuable lesson from him. Although I shouldn't rely on others to tell me who I am, it is important for me to try and look at myself through other's eyes. I can gain perspective, focus, and an appreciation for who I am and what I have accomplished.

I now know that you call a runner a runner when she is a runner!

Put One Foot In Front Of the Other

As I have mentioned before in previous posts, I am a runner. In fact, next week I am running a 1/2 marathon with my husband on our 17th anniversary.

I am not a fast runner nor the most graceful runner. I don't live to run. I don't get that runner's "high" that people talk about. I don't read books about running. I don't do the special runner's diets before running events. I simply run to be healthy and to spend time with my husband.

This morning my husband and I did our last long run before the 1/2 marathon. We got up before dawn, charged up our i-pods, dressed in our warm running gear, laced our shoes, filled our water bottles, and were out the door while a gorgeous full moon still hung in the sky. We were off to spend some time in a mutual quest for the victorious completion of the race next week.

Sounds kind of romantic, doesn't it?

We ran 9 miles. We ran 9 long, hard, cold, painful miles. (Did I mention I don't get the runner's "high?)

Now if you ask my husband, I'm sure he would used different adjectives to describe the 9 miles. He would probably use words like easy, exhilarating, refreshing - nice words. To him running is easy. He has been pretty much a lifetime runner. He can run, and run, and run, and run- stamina never gives out. He can run until his body gives up. For him, running is all of those words that he would use to describe it. He does get that runner's "high". Whether it is cold or hot, terrain hilly or flat, he is hitting the pavement and loving every minute of it.

I, on the other hand, am relatively new to running. Besides getting to spend time with my husband, the part I love about running is being finished. To me, every step is work. This morning every step was work AND uncomfortable. My body ached, my hands were cold, the glare of the sun hurt my eyes. I felt like I trudged my way through the entire run.

But, as the old saying goes, no pain, no gain. I know that it takes hard work to get results. I know that if I follow through, I will not only feel great in body, but also in mind and spirit. Knowing the reward that awaits gives me the will to keep going. It gives me the will to just put one foot in front of the other until I have finished the race.

The Long, Long, Long Run

This is how Saturday mornings begin for my husband and me....

5am: Alarm rings playing some of my favorite music
5:02am: Alarm still playing some of my favorite music
5:07am: Alarm still playing some of my favorite music, however a different song than was originally playing
5:10am: I stumble out of bed, throw my hair in a pony tail, put on my running clothes and shoes, just in time to turn of my husband's 5:15 alarm.
5:25am: We both end up in the kitchen, miraculously avoiding stumbling down the 17 stairs that separate our room from the first floor.
5:40am: We fill our water bottles, grab our hats, sunglasses, and i-pods, and then make our way to the car to drive to our favorite running spot along the canal.
6am: We arrive at the canal after a 20 minute ride in sleep deprived induced silence, fire up the i-pods, check the shoes, and hit the dirt for the long, long, long run.

My husband and I run a 9 mile trail along the canal every Saturday morning.

You may be wondering why we do this, especially on a morning that we could be sleeping in. We do it because we are training to run a half-marathon on our 17th anniversary in January.

Now I don't run with nearly the efficiency, speed, or ease as my husband does. In order for him to run with me, he has to make adjustments. Because his stride is longer than mine, he has to adjust his steps so he is not running ahead of me. I don't have the same speed that he does, so he has to slow down his pace for me. When I am feeling like I have hit the "wall", he not only has to keep himself going, but also take on the role of being my cheerleader and encouraging me to continue. Conversely, I have to make adjustments for him too. My pace increases when we run together as I work to keep up with him. My steps become longer, more efficient and more fluid as subconsciously my body mimics his body movement. I become more self assured and confident in my ability to press on as he reminds me that I do have it in me to keep going.

I have to admit that it isn't always easy running together. There are times when I feel badly because I am holding him back and slowing his pace. I am worried that he may grow frustrated with me for being a burden- that he may not want to finish the race by my side. Sometimes, I feel that I am at my limit, and that gentle nudge of encouragement feels like it will push me over the edge.

But then, inevitably, he senses my feelings and frustrations. With just the right words - those he has learned through navigating 17 years of marriage to me, he helps me push just a little further towards my maximum potential. He assures me that he is in it for the long haul, every step of the way. He is there by my side, to cross the finish line with me at the end of the race.

In many ways, training for this race is a lot like our marriage. We each have different abilities, personalities, likes and dislikes. We have some viewpoints that are in line with each other and others that are in conflict. Through compromise and understanding, we travel the path of our marriage much in the way that we are training to run the half-marathon. We compliment each other in a way that allows us both to be the best we can be as individuals, as well as the best that we can be as one body in marriage.

We are as different as individuals as we are in our running abilities. But in the end, we have common goals and principles. Staying focused on our common goals keeps us strong on our journey, this long, long, long, run.