385 yards?

385 Yards

I love winter, I really do.  I think that the changing of the seasons is one of the reasons we love living in Vermont.  We have world class autumn foliage which gives way to a winter season that is just long and hard enough to substantiate incredible bragging rights to anyone other than penguins or polar bears.  With that said, last Monday I snapped.  I'd had enough of the endless need to bundle up in eight layers just to walk to the mailbox.  So, I threw caution to the wind and went out for a run in shorts and a tee shirt.  In my mind, I was imagining 75° temperatures and flat terrain.  Oh wait, it wasn't my imagination; I was in Florida last week.  And given the -20° weather I had left behind, and the -20° that I'd surely be returning to, I wanted to squeeze every last drop out of my ability to run in the warmer weather.  Unfortunately, my travel plans did not allow for my usual long-run on Sunday.  To my amazement, and perhaps with some disappointment, I was forced off of my sacred training schedule.  After all, I did the mathematical computations, and taking into account that a Boeing 737 aircraft is 129.5 feet long, it would have taken 489.26 laps to accomplish my scheduled 12 mile Sunday run while on my flight.  Surely the flight marshal would have tackled me if I had tried to run 489 laps up and down the airplane aisle (including swimming type flip-turns in the cockpit).  

A 12 mile run?  Wow, that's really something, especially when I consider the fact that just three years ago a three-mile run seemed like a long distance accomplishment.  When I ran my first four miles, I posted the accomplishment on Facebook.  I was proud of the accomplishment and was probably looking for accolades from my friends.  I mean, hey, this was something... I had run four miles! I recall doing the same for my first five-mile run, and then again at six miles.  At some point, I began to acknowledge to myself that I was indeed becoming a long distance runner and that I should probably stop posting these accomplishments online.  My distances just kept getting longer and longer.  Although, as I sit down to write this blog, I look back on my Facebook comments and now realize that I never really did lay off of running related posts. I seem to have found one for my first ten-mile route, my first race ever (the GMAA Labor Day 15k), and my first 1/2 marathon (the GMAA Green Mountain 1/2).  I look forward to the day that I'll be able to post about running 26.2 miles - that's how long a marathon is, which, if you're reading this post you already know.  However, I'd like to focus for a moment on the small little decimal 0.2 miles on the end of the number.  I recently read an article that referred to a marathon being 26 miles and 385 yards long.  As I sat on my flight to Florida, I thought about this 385 yard reference. One might think that it's some sort of cruel joke to run 26 miles and then need to do an extra couple hundred yards on top of that, but I'm thinking the opposite. If I can manage to successfully run the first 26 miles, I plan to thoroughly enjoy those last 385 yards. I hope that with each footfall, I can revel in the thought that I've completed my first marathon. At least that's my current plan, assuming that I can actually complete the first 26 miles.  And then, after reminding myself that 385 yards is just the equivalent of 8.92 Boeing 737's, I'll probably post the accomplishment on Facebook!

Fondly,

Greg

Medical tent?

Well, I lied.  I said that I’m a VCM rookie, but I’m not… I’ve actually been in the marathon for several years, just not as a runner.  For many years, I worked as an EMT in the finish line medical tent.  While there, I dealt with ailments ranging from cramped muscles and dehydration to all out heat stroke.  One year, I started more IV’s over my five hours in the tent than I had in a full year of working on the ambulance (well, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration)! So, believe me when I tell you that, although the medical care is top-notch, I don’t want to end up in the medical tent!  Besides, there’s nothing worse than needing medical attention (read large-bore IV’s) from your friends!  So, as I mentioned in my previous blog post, in hopes of avoiding the tent, I’m sticking like glue to my training program.  I have a copy sitting on the kitchen counter, another in my briefcase, and yet another on my desk at work.  Last Sunday, according to my schedule, I needed to run an 11 mile long-run.  You may recall that the temperature on Sunday was ridiculous.  I live in Underhill, at the base of Mt. Mansfield.  

At one point on Sunday morning, a polar bear knocked on the door asking to come in and sit by the fire. We chatted for a moment, and then I needed to excuse myself to drive to the gym for a run on the indoor track. I’ll admit that I was a bit worried that my lap counter would heat up and burst into flames before I could click off 88 laps!  So, despite enjoying my normal long-runs, I was dreading the monotony of a long, indoor run.  Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong about what to expect on a cold and windy Sunday morning.  I thought that the track would be empty at 7:30 AM, but I ran into more marathon runners than I could believe.  Many of them, when they found out that I was training for my first marathon, were all too happy to impart words of wisdom. The list of “do this” and “don’t do thats” grew and grew as the laps clicked by.  As I ran, I found myself low on energy at about the nine-mile mark.  I briefly left the train of runners and headed to lobby to grab a snack.  I knew I was slightly hypoglycemic when I stood in front of the vending machines for about five minutes unable to decide on which energy bar to purchase. And now, I reveal my first of three main worries about the marathon… How am I going to deal with my nutritional needs along the course?  I think (maybe hope is a better word) that by the time the PUBVCM weekend comes, that my legs, heart, and lungs will be able to handle the mileage, as long as I can figure out how to stay energized along the course (You’ll need to read the following weeks to hear my other two fears!). 

  There is a real camaraderie among EMS workers, and I’ve come to realize that this same type of camaraderie exists in the running community as well.  Perhaps the camaraderie among runners isn’t as intense because it’s lacking the life and death aspect, but then again, the marathon medical tent can get pretty crowded around the four-hour mark.  Have I mentioned that I’m hoping for a four-hour finish???  Before becoming an EMT, I used to put EMT’s on a pedestal.  I remember having the thought, “Wow, that’s a really respectable thing that these people are doing”.  As I worked in the medical tent, I had the same exact thought about marathon runners.  I have great respect for anyone with the ability to run 26.2 miles.  Well, I’ve stuck with EMS for 20+ years; maybe I’ll stick with running just as long.  Though, perhaps, I should just focus on this one marathon first.  Till next week…

Fondly,

Greg

26.2: Miles, or Degrees Below Zero

26.2: Miles, or Degrees Below Zero

It’s 8° outside, and I’m heading out for my long run. My wife thinks I’m crazy. My daughter thinks I’m crazy. Heck, I’m questioning my sanity too. But what choice do I have? My training plan says that I need to run nine miles today, so I need to do just that. As a first-time marathon runner, glue would be jealous of how I stick to my schedule. I could take to the treadmill, or the indoor track, but the thought of running this week’s long-run on the treadmill- well, I can’t bear the thought… I dress up in several layers, then change several of them in favor of heavier layers, and head out the door. No, actually, not yet… first I need to undress once again, like a kid getting into and out of their snowsuit, to take care of nature’s call. The first step out the door takes my breath away, but I’m ready. I start out slowly. Maybe I do this because that’s what all the running literature says to do, and maybe it’s because my first mile is entirely uphill… you can be the judge. It’s hard to suck air through my balaclava, but I’m happy for the warmth it provides. It’s so cold outside that my hand warmers are shivering and asking to go backinside the house. The only exposed skin I have is around my eyes, and by the time I’ve gone ¾ mile, my eyelids have icicles on them. Not just normal icicles, but ones that would make Yukon Cornelius proud. Come to think of it, as long as I’m on a Rudolf theme, perhaps I should mention that my nose is now probably redder than his ever was. All of this may sound ridiculous, but the more ridiculous part is that I do this for fun, and actually enjoy doing it. I started running just two years ago. I honestly don’t recall why. If I had to guess, it would be to lose weight. Yes, I lost some weight, but while losing weight, I found that I lost something even better- When I run, I lose myself. The sound of my breathing and my feet hitting the ground mesmerize me and the miles just fly by. Well, usually they do… but when it’s 8° outside, the only thing flying by is my desire for more tissues. I haven’t begun to work on the “snot rocket” technique that most runners utilize. Perhaps I’ll try this technique when spring comes and I can finally pry the frozen balaclava off of my face. In the meantime, my training schedule waits patiently to be picked up again tomorrow…