For Andrea and the Curreys!

Last Friday's run was mentally and physically a big one.

I've been struggling with my program due to the end of the school year, the trip back home, lowered motivation and fatigue.

The run before this didn't end well, but I was determined to make up for it. I had my eyes set on a 20-24 miler, the last really long run before the marathon. I had done an 18 and a 20 in Delhi, and my training program called for another 20 miler before the end. The problem though, was that it was scheduled for the weekend that we were traveling from India back home. I wanted to do it earlier in the week, but I just never got to it. I wanted to up it to 22, so I could have a new longest run and get a bit closer to the magic 26.2 mile mark.

As you can tell by the name of the run, I didn't get there. What happened?

1. Physical exertion set in.
2. Mental blocks took over.

Before I left for the run, it was already in my head. I was dreading the distance and whining about having to go. I appealed to my friends for a motivational donation. Andrea stepped up. It helped and I set out to run the Mesabi Trail near my house. The Mesabi Trail is a great bike trail that will eventually be a 132 mile paved bike trail running through most of northern Minnesota. My idea was to run the 11 mile stretch from Eveleth, through Gilbert, to Virginia and back. (By the way, this seems inconceivable after running in Delhi. A run that would take me through 3 towns? Crazy.)

The trail is great. It's extremely well-maintained and beautiful. For the first four miles, I didn't even see another soul. I ran through the mixed forest, admiring the trees, listening to the birds and meditating on the sounds of the hidden streams that outed their existence with their gurgles that proved they were there.

CC: By- Ken Ratcliff

At mile four, I entered the town of Gilbert. Gilbert will always live in my memory as the "Place Where I Bought my Record Player." Our record player is a big feature of Life at the Lake, so whenever I pass through Gilbert, I smile at the memory of bargaining the woman down to $20, then proceeding to spend more on a record cleaning kit and a needle.

From Gilbert, the trail turns west and passes through more forest. This is mining country and the deep lakes along the way are old open pit mines that have been filled with water. The route also passes through a rock cut from 1893, the original path being a rail line. It's very picturesque.

At this point, I was feeling good. My legs were heavy, but it wasn't unbearable and I didn't feel terrible.

Around mile 8, the route turns north and enters the city of Virginia. The City of the Virginia is the "Queen City" of  the Iron Range. It was once a bustling headquarters of iron ore mining operations. Mining by nature is boom and bust, so Virginia has had its ups and downs. The portion of the Mesabi Trail that goes through Virginia is great, with lots to see along the way. It was here that I started to feel a little worn out. There are real live actual hills on the trail, which is something that I'm not used to dealing with and they took a toll. The hills combined with sleep deprivation, poor hydration and a baditude, to be fair.

As soon as Ms. MapMyRun announced 11 miles, I turned around and headed back. I'm not a big fan of out-and-backs, so this may have been one of the fatal flaws of this run. Knowing that I had to turn around and backtrack really got in my head. At this point, I had been on the trail for over 1.5 hours. Knowing that I still had to do that much was tough on my already weak psyche.

My mind started wandering, making deals and building escape plans. It was tough. Approaching 13 miles, I knew that I could make it at least that far without stopping or resting. I've done three half marathons, so I made up my mind to go at least that far. From Mile 13 to mile 14 was an uphill gain of almost 200 feet. That's probably more than all of my Delhi gains put together. At mile 14 I took a walking break.

It was the beginning of the end.

Once the decision to quit has been made, it's very difficult to overcome.

The next four miles would see my average pace drop from 7:59 for the first five miles, to 8:41 for the next, 10:06 for miles 11-15 and finally 12:27 for the final 2.79 miles. My body and my mind had given up. As I quit, I looked at my phone and saw that the Curreys had donated too. Ugh.

I skipped the last four miles of the run, walked the rest of the way back to my car and headed home broken, nervous and weary of my decision I had undertaken to run a marathon. I felt like a let down to my donors and myself.

How to fix this? Luckily, I come from a school where the growth mindset is highly valued. I'm going to learn from this and make it better. I'm going to refuse to let it hinder me and I'm going to run that marathon. And it's going to be great. I'm going to meet my life goal of running a marathon. I can do this.

This run belongs to Andrea and the Curreys.

I'm dedicating runs to raise money for a campship in memory of our friend Ty Taylor at YMCA Camp Miller. Click here or here to donate. Please make sure you choose the Ty Taylor Campship option. And please let me know if you've made a donation so I can thank you!

RUN STATS:

Distance - 17.97 miles

Time - 2:49:21

Soundtrack - Phish, Plastilina Mosh, Primus, Public Enemy (I was in the P's of my music library)

13.1 Running Metaphors

Today's run is for the Steadman family. Thanks for your donation. As a professional photographer, I know that Tim can relate to the importance of family photos and the difference they make for the lives of those who benefit from NILMDTS. Take a moment to check out Tim's website if you haven't already used his services. We have and we love his work!

The run for today is the longest run of my training program thus far this year, 13.1 miles. This is the dry run, the practice for the big dance. This year I've been pretty slack with my training so I was a little worried about this run. I've been behind on all of my times and my motivation is low. It helps knowing that people are donating and benefiting a great organization, so I'm keeping that in mind.

13.1 miles is a long way to run, it creates a lot of time for thinking. Last year, when I ran for ACS, I often thought of the comparisons between fighting cancer and running. There are a lot. In fact, I've had a blog entry composed in my head for the last year about those similarities. So today, in honor of the 13.1 mile run, I offer 13.1 Running Metaphors for Life.

1. Sometimes the most difficult part is the first step. Finding the motivation to get up and do it can be tough. But, once you're moving, you're glad you did.
2. You never know what's around the next corner. Sometimes it's giant hill, but sometimes it's a cool breeze. You have to turn to the corner to find out.
3. When you're on the top of a hill, sometimes you can see for miles. Other times, the view of what's to come is obscured. In both cases, you have to keep running to see what's next.
4. Every run has a "finish point." This isn't a finish line, this is the point when you say to yourself, "I've got this. I'm going to finish this run."
5. Just keep running. No matter what, keep running. The only way to finish is to keep moving forward.
6. But sometimes, finishing isn't always the goal. Sometimes You Have to Go Back and take a closer look.
7. It's easier and more enjoyable with friends. Having someone alongside you makes each step a little easier.
8. Slowing down gives you time to soak it all in and see what's to be seen.
9. Running Into the Unknown can be scary, but it can be exciting too. You'll occasionally get lost, but if you keep pushing on and ask for help, you'll be back on track in no time.
10. Running with a purpose is better than running without one. Having a strong motivation to run helps.
11. Setting goals for yourself and trying to improve on your best is important. You don't have to compare yourself with others, but you can always keep working your hardest.
12. You'll be surprised to see what you can do with training and conviction. You are capable of more than you think.
13. It's important to finish strong. When the end is in sight, dig deep and see what you can do. You might surprise yourself with a last minute push that brings you in on a high note.

13.1 - Finding a passion and developing it can be exhilarating. Discovering new routes, going a bit further each time, breaking a personal record-these are the things that make running/life great!

Thanks again for taking the time to read my blog, leave comments and donate to a good cause! 10 days until the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon!

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

RUN STATS:

Distance - 13.1 miles

Time - 1:54:48 (way off of my best for the route or the distance)

Soundtrack - Lots of Modest Mouse on Shuffle

Minnesota Nice

I'm trying my hardest.

To keep up with my running. To keep up with my blogging. To wave to everyone I see and say "Oh for cute," when something is cute. You know, Minnesota Nice.

The latter is working much better than the former. I've been home for a week and I've only run twice. Today's run is probably dedicated to someone, but to be honest I'm not sure who has donated lately.

SO... why not go to my fundraising site and donate now? I'm almost caught up on my entries, so you'll get a good dedicated run that's bound to be interesting and helpful.

Today's run was an attempt to get back on the running program and add some distance. I chose the Shiver Me Timbers 7 Miler. It's a run that I created last year for my medium distance training runs. Timbers is a bar just down the highway from the house that's across the street from a Park 'N Ride, so I can leave the car, loop a run and drive back home. In fact, I'm sitting in Timbers as I write this in an effort to catch up on my internet use.

The route is a simple "square" that starts at Timbers, runs along three quiet county highways with a final leg along a busy 4 lane highway. It's peaceful and flat. Along the route, I only came across four or five cars and they all pulled into the opposite lane to give me as wide a berth as possible. Quite a contrast from my Delhi runs where I've been hit by side mirrors, bicycles and pedestrians. Other contrasts include crossing rivers instead of the Ring Road, seeing a deer and wild turkeys instead of monkeys and peacocks and deep breathing clean, clear air!

It was a good run and it was nice to get some distance in the books. I'm still gunning for 1000 miles this year, so each run counts!

RUN STATS

Distance - 7 miles
Time - 54:07
Soundtrack - DJ Chris Read, The Diary

Hey It’s Good To Be Back Home Again

The Ridge run was my last Delhi run for the year. Wednesday and Thursday just weren’t happening. Friday and Saturday were travel days, and Sunday was a relaxing day back at the lake. Monday, though and it’s back to the grind or I’ll never be in shape. This run is for the generous gifts of Kate’s class, my retired (now!) principal Barb Sirotin, Sue & Buzz and an anonymous gift from a coffee date. Thank you all for your generosity. I’ve passed my original fundraising goal thanks to you all and now I’ve got my eyes set on even greater heights! Please donate if you can!

It’s summer once again, and that means it’s back to life at the lake. The thing about being at the lake, is that all routines are tossed out the window. It’s tough to wake up and go for a run first thing in the morning. First of all, it’s cold. I mean really cold. Almost half the temperature of New Delhi. Secondly, it’s easy to sleep in. Or wake up early and make some coffee. Then some relaxing with the family, then breakfast. After breakfast, it’s hard to run, so there’s more resting and before you know it, it’s time for lunch. This pattern repeats all day. The jet lag doesn’t help. Knowing my downfall was eminent, I managed to scrape myself off of the sofa and away from my first book of summer and dress for running. Waiting on the counter was a gift from last year’s fundraising recipient, the American Cancer Society. A new pair of running shorts and socks! Thanks ACS. Dressed in my new gear, I headed out the door and down the dirt road for a five mile out and back. I felt terrible, with lunch still in my belly. The first thing I noticed of course was the air. How crisp and cool it is here in Minnesota. It’s such a drastic difference from Delhi. Last year I came home and took something like 3 minutes off of my normal times. Would this happen again this year? As I was thinking about the difference in the air, I noticed it was full of the white fluff of dandelion seeds taking flight. Quite a difference from the asbestos fluff and carcinogenic fine particle PM2.5 in the air on the other side of the world. Although my head was happy, my lungs were not. They seemed to be working overtime to get rid of the mess from Delhi and replace it with the intoxicating Murphy Lake air. The run was hard and my lunch kept reminding me it was still there.
 Finally, a reprieve. About 2 miles in to my 5, the next-door neighbor pulled up alongside me to say hello. “Good to have you back,” he said. “Good to be back,” I replied. Then, it was condolences and eagerness to meet Arlo and suddenly, without warning, the feelings I talked about in the last post surfaced. It won’t be easy, but I’d rather have it not be easy and be home than be anywhere else in the world. Because the real thing about the lake, is that it’s home. It’s where my family and I are going to build our future. It’s where we come to recharge. If a run gets skipped, it’s okay. That’s life at the lake. 

Coincidentally, in my ear, the last album on my iPod. I never got around to changing out the John Denver tribute from my last run. The song? “Back Home Again” by Old Crow Medicine Show. Indeed.

RUN STATS
Distance - 5 Miles
Time - 42:24
Soundtrack - Various Artists, The Music is You: A Tribute to John Denver