No Candy for You

Halloween, never one of my favorite holidays, and long since given up. This year, though, I dressed up as a person trying to run fast, and then I tried to run fast. I think perhaps that I did a decent impression of it, but not quite convincing enough. The New York Marathon is this weekend, and I just can't stop thinking about the pace needed to compete at the front of a race like that. Imagining stringing together that many < 5:00 miles (faster than that, really, but I'm being conservative) is nuts, and quickly dissolves any illusions I've got that whatever I'm doing is "fast". Sevens! I'm flying guys!

Of course, you can only get the most out of what you've got, and my last name isn't Mutai or Kiprotich. But, there is a Mutai and a Kiprotich racing this Sunday, at the NYC Marathon, and I'm stoked. The race is going to be broadcast on ESPN2, live, and the field is mind-blowing. Every major marathon is, these days, but still. The bullshit meme about "anonymous" East Africans is only true if you let it be, so, here's a men's preview by Let's Run, and here is the women's race breakdown. Now you know.

Stacked field. A real course with turns and hills and no fucking pacemakers. And live TV, showing the whole thing. Stoked.

Music for the day, because, obviously. Yes, I prefer the AFI cover to the Misfits original. Yes, I know what that says about me. But this whole EP is great, really. While we're on the subject, I still listen to Black Sails at least once a week too, so, there. There it is. Judge away.

Bernd

Season 3 of Salomon's trail running tv has begun. Episode 1 features Bernd Heinrich - the former American record holder at 100 miles, up until a month or so ago. His running credentials are stacked, beyond that, which they don't really allude to much. Neither does Heinrich. Instead, he climbs a tree, and is moved to tears by the simple - and yet, of course, terribly profound - idea of people pursuing their dreams, using running as a vehicle for self-exploration and actualization. If the rest of season 3 is similarly highlights awesome old guys, still being awesome, then I'm stoked.

Racing the Crowds

There are three 50-mile races this weekend, each within 50 miles of Lawrence. If one were so inclined, since two of the races are on Saturday, and one on Sunday, it would be possible to do two of them. No one is doing that, however, for the not inconsequential reason that it would be insane, even by the lofty standards of utlra-folks. Heartland, of course, was two weeks ago. A week before that was Kansas' largest 50K. One week after Heartland was another nearby trail 50K, which took place the same day as the Kansas City Marathon.

So there rises to meet this increased demand for long races an increased number of long races. So maneuvers the supposed invisible hand. Adam Smith's child, all grown up, working hard.

But while we have an increased number of racers and races, I'm worried, somewhat, that we'll have a decrease in actual racing. That is, with more races to do, fields will be diluted, and the area's better runners will see less and less of one another.

Of course, this is only a concern if you view races as competitive endeavors in a sense that is perhaps becoming anachronistic, that is, as an arena where people try to best one another. What we're growing towards is an emphasis on competing exclusively with one's self, as a means to... some end that I've not yet found, but nonetheless continue to pursue.

These notions are not inherently contradictory, of course. No native of Eastern Kansas was going to compete with the visiting Kenyans to win the Kansas City Marathon; they were, rather, attempting to run faster than they ever had. Heartland, for me, was about bending the trajectory that began there three years ago in a positive direction. Everyone has their goals, and they are all valid. The person racing against the cutoffs is racing every bit as much as those at the front. Really.

However.

As both a "fan" and member of the local running community, I'd like to see certain people race; and yes, these people are typically running at the front (or off of it). I'd like to be included in those races, frankly, and see if I could hang. I'd rather that, and get my ass handed to me, than win races and wonder how so-and-so might have done, if they weren't running such-and-such instead. (Of course, if losing badly is the goal, I've got a 10K and half marathon coming up in the next month, both of which routinely attract some very fast people. I'll get my wish.)

Anyway, we'll see. The area's most competitive ultra is a 50K in February - not a busy time for other races. It tends to attract a strong local field, as well as some fast folks from Colorado, Nebraska, and Iowa. I'll probably get my ass kicked there as well, which wouldn't be the worst thing. But that's a ways off. Something to worry about another time, or more likely, something not worth worrying about at all. It's just running, guys. And that's what I'm going to go do now. Peace.

Good Volume

Nine toenails, 14 miles. (Broken up as 3, then 8 shared, 3 again, with some standing around and talking to folks in between. Always nice to share your lunacy with other, like-minded people.) I kept the whole thing just a little south of 8-minute pace, cruising. Legs weren't peachy at the start, still fatigued from too many squats, box jumps, deadlifts, etc., yesterday, post-run. But the soreness was the right kind, wholly felt deep in muscle tissue. In terms of cardio, though, strictly "aerobic", entirely conversational.

Feeling good feels good.

Scott Douglas, somewhere, I think, commented that, at a certain level of volume, running less would actually be more of a challenge. Everyone has a different sweet spot, of course. But once you find it? Man. It just happens. I remember reading that, a couple of years back, and thinking it was nuts. Totally. I could muster some decent days, but couldn't string them together. Until I could, by virtue, really, of just doing it. You do more until you can do more and then you do a little more than that.

Not that I pretend to be any kind of an expert. In the grand scheme (whatever the hell that is), I'm terribly inexperienced and really quite slow. Also, my form is kinda shitty and I run like a dork. Though that's not very specific, my guess is your mental image isn't far off.

But smarter and fitter people than I am or will ever be espouse something similar. They probably have a more aesthetically pleasing stride as well, if that's your thing.

But that's enough about that, even though I haven't said much about anything, really. Here's a cool old running video, focusing on some older Kiwis. A better use of your time, even if it is a bit after-school-special in its tenor.

Toenail Down

My toenails all survived Heartland. One did not survive my office chair today, however. Fuck.

Real Running, Fantasy Basketball

Enjoyed running slow today. Got passed by a few people, each of whom gave me a look. I cover basically the same route, every day - because I like routine, I guess - so I see most of these people somewhat often. Usually, they don't go flying by me. Today they did. All good, though.

Meandered for 6, did 20 reps of some big fucking hill (a very specific workout, this), hitting both the up and down pretty hard. Then, wandered around for 6 more.

Nothing complained, and my heart rate stayed as low as my effort level would indicate. Low, except for the hills, then low again, no more than a minute and a half later. Which is cool. I'll probably take tomorrow pretty easy, then see what a "tempo" effort gets me on Thursday.

I also had my fantasy basketball draft tonight, because I'm one of the five people around here who really likes NBA basketball. Kyrie Irving figures to be my highest scorer. Sadly, you don't get extra points for doing this to people, or I'd be even happier to have him.

April Showers

Race shopping. Realized, for the first time, that I'm now in the 25-29 age group.

It's been this way since May, of course, but small-ish trail races don't tend to divide things up by age group. You're either the winner, or not, and that's basically it. There's something fundamentally honest about that, but perhaps a little harsh, as well. Not that the two things need be separated, of course.

Anyway, road marathons do tend to separate things that way, and every other way. Top 3 overall? Sure. Top 3 in every age group on top of that? A lot of medals to go around. But it's all good. Things to shoot for.

And that's what I'm doing. I've signed up for the Eisenhower Marathon, in my childhood hometown of Abilene, KS, on April 12.

If you're thinking that that's a long way off, you're right. But I like long-term goals. The second I finished the Hawk Marathon last year, my goal was to win it this year. My Heartland win happened two years ago in my imagination, before it became real last week.

Life has its horizons, but they're not worth much if we don't envision things beyond them.

So, the rest of this fall will be relatively chill, in terms of distances raced. Nothing longer than a half. That's my self-imposed ban, anyway. I feel good, after Heartland. But feeling good is good. No reason to ruin it just to see if you can.

That's not to say that I'm getting lazy. The idea - instead of attempting to artificially extend my peak - is to use my post-Heartland fitness as a big foundation, so that, come February and March, my legs can handle some serious intensity.

We'll see.