Taking it on the chin..

One of the most heartbreaking lessons one learns as a runner is that aggravations and injuries are effectively inevitable. Countless prospective clients have engaged me with the idea that I will somehow help them run 'injury free' in perpetuity.

I have no choice but to be honest in telling these individuals that you can have the best biomechanics/form on the planet, the best shoes available, the best training on the planet, and still find yourself injured.

Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezghi, Kara Goucher, Paula Radcliffe, and countless other elite level runners have been felled on occasion and these are some of the best on the planet with the best possible coaches and resources at their disposal.

The knowledge that injuries can (and likely 'will') happen at some point does not provide much comfort or solace when it actually does occur. There's no way to mentally prepare for having something you love abruptly taken away from you. I suppose the closest thing one might compare it to is a breakup. It's simply heartbreaking.

While I always tell my injured runners to remain positive and proactive, I am well acquainted with the various fears, doubts, and disappointments that simmer in the background as one deals with injuries.

Will I be able to run again? When will I be able to run again? How much fitness will I lose? How long will it take to get back to the kind of shape I was in before? Is this even worth it?

I am well acquainted with all of this because I have dealt with all of it before. For better or worse, I have personal experience with just about every running related aggravation and injury out there.

I find myself confronted with all of this yet again as I stare down a stress reaction/fracture I incurred just two weeks from entering taper for a marathon that likely would have been my fastest ever. Heartbreaking is pretty much the only adjective that accurately describes this setback.

Truly, the emotional anguish of this injury transcends any other given how close I was to achieving a goal that has been in my mind for nearly 5 years.

If I were advising myself, I would likely provide the same direction I'd provide any other runner. Focus on the positive. Do whatever you can to maintain your fitness. Be proactive and aggressive in facilitating your recovery. All of this is sound advice.

But, I'd be lying to you if I said I am in a space where I am solely focusing on the positive. I'd be misleading you if I said I'm feeling enthusiastic about 'maintaining' my fitness on a stationary bike or in a swimming pool. I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm distraught.

That doesn't mean I am wallowing in the aforementioned, but just like any other trauma in life, it's important to acknowledge all of your emotions...not just the fuzzy, happy ones that people want to hear about. To bottle it up and pretend like it isn't there isn't healthy and it's just not me.

So, the next time you find yourself sidelined (and it almost inevitably will happen), try to stay positive, try to maintain your fitness through alternative activities, and try to be as proactive as you can in facilitating your recovery.

But, don't ignore the shitty feelings. Acknowledge them. Talk about them. Get them out of your system as much as you can in whatever way you can. Seek out others who know what you're going through just as you would seek out close friends when you go through a breakup or any other trauma in life. Shed a few tears if you need to.

While aggravations and injuries are inevitable, so is healing. Look forward to the day when you will be back. It's likely you will be smarter and stronger. Don't forget that everyone loves a comeback. Start planning yours.

Saturday (6/26) Course Description

On Saturday, you will be logging between 3-7 miles depending upon your training level. The link below should give you a relatively clear sense of where we're going. I've also included a verbal description beneath it:

SATURDAY'S RUN COURSE!


A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SATURDAY'S RUN-

We will head north along the Marina to the intersection of Mason/Halleck. This is right next to Crissy Field Center and is 1 mile into our run.

Everyone will follow the pedestrian crosswalk and turn LEFT onto Halleck. You will be running uphill for about a block until you reach a controlled intersection with a stop sign. This is the intersection of Halleck/Lincoln.

Take a quick LEFT across the pedestrian crosswalk and then an IMMEDIATE RIGHT across the pedestrian crosswalk onto FUNSTON AVENUE

Continue running up Funston. You should see the Presidio YMCA on your left as you head up Funston. Continue up Funston for a few more blocks until you reach the intersection of Funston/Moraga.

Take a right on Moraga and take another RIGHT on Mesa Street. Follow Mesa back towards Halleck. (Mesa Street runs PARALLEL to Funston Ave.). You will follow Mesa until it runs into Lincoln. Head back down Halleck.

BEGINNERS will turn RIGHT once they get back to Mason and head back to the monkey bars for 3 MILES!

EVERYONE ELSE WILL TURN LEFT UPON REACHING MASON! Continue running on the paved path along Mason past SportsBasement. Shortly after we pass SportsBasement, there is a lengthy straight stretch and a funny looking metal power box (or weather measuring device as Micah calls it) on your RIGHT. There will be an 'FF4' in chalk on the ground at this point. INTERMEDIATE RUNNERS TURN AROUND HERE. Head back to the monkey bars for 4 MILES.

Everyone else will continue past the 'FF4' along the paved path. Eventually the path curves over to the right and merges with a dirt/fire road that heads towards the Warming Hut (for the uninitiated, the Warming Hut is A BIG WHITE BUILDING WITH TABLES AND BENCHES IN FRONT OF IT. Hopefully, it will be hard to miss). ADVANCED RUNNERS TURN AROUND HERE. Head back to the monkey bars for 5 MILES!

Race level runners will continue past the Warming Hut onto a paved road that goes past a series of buildings (including some restrooms). You will pass these buildings and continue running along this path next to the water towards the base of the bridge. The path curves around and dead ends at 'Hoppers Hands'. Turn around here and head back to the monkey bars.

Race level runners will continue running SOUTH along the paved path past the Marina Safeway and UP the hill en route to Aquatic Park. Crest this hill and go a bit further. You will turn around right at the point at which the hill starts to head DOWN into Aquatic Park. Return to the monkey bars for 7 MILES!

Uncharted Territory

I recently finished an entertaining read entitled The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon.

In short, the book examines a 1925 expedition into the depths of the Amazon jungle led by Percy Fawcett. Specifically, Fawcett was looking for El Dorado (or 'The City of Z' as he called it.

Ultimately, Fawcett and his team would disappear never to be heard from again. But, Fawcett inspired countless people to search for El Dorado.

Undoubtedly, The exploits of Fawcett acted as a catalyst for countless others to head off on quests and expeditions...some of which likely were ill fated.

I've always been intrigued by people like Fawcett (and Ernest Shackleton) who largely eschew convention and boldly (or foolishly) venture into the great unknown hoping to uncover something that no one has ever seen before.

Honestly, can anyone really say they don't at least like the idea of discovering something novel or extraordinary?

The glorious age of exploration that Fawcett was a part of has long since come and gone as virtually every corner of the earth has been discovered and explored (or will be soon).

What's left for the mere mortal to explore? Outer space is a frontier that the majority of us will never have an opportunity to explore in any substantive way.

But, arguably, as runners we're all explorers and the territory we explore is perhaps more mysterious and enigmatic than any corner of the Amazon jungle.

I've been exploring since I was 15 years old and each expedition I've undertaken whether success or failure was the result almost inevitably served as a catalyst to explore even more.

When I first started running, simply running 3 miles was an expedition fraught with all kinds of pain, peril, and the unknown. Once I 'discovered' my body was up to this task, I explored running farther eventually going as far as 10 miles which seemed a staggering distance and TRULY an 'expedition' in every sense of the word.

Conquering 10 miles led to an expedition that was more about 'speed' as distance seemed to be something my body could handle, I wondered how 'fast' my body could travel. Countless miles and track workouts later, I still don't really know the answer to this question, so I continue exploring.

Multiple marathons and PR's later, I am still searching for the outer limits of what my body can support when I am out on the road, still exploring the uncharted. While I have a 'vague' sense of what I can do, the reality is that I don't really know....and nobody does and that never fails to excite me to embark on yet another expedition.

There are trails I've never run. There are events I've never completed. There are places my running shoes have never touched.

But, independent of the externally visible and tangible, there is the intangible and the unquantifiable.

There is a race inside of me that lies in wait for the right training, the right conditions, and the alignment of the stars. My genetic limits are ultimately unknown to me. Just as I imagine your true limits are unknown to you.

Many thought Fawcett was crazy, but years later it would prove to be true that indeed complex civilizations existed in the Amazon jungle. A city of gold perhaps not, but his instincts were right and ultimately one could argue his expedition was not in vain.

I would not encourage anyone to run themselves into the ground (or the hospital), but I would encourage everyone to be an 'explorer'. Explore a distance just beyond your grasp. Explore a speed that is unfamiliar to you.

Explore the limits of what you can support and chances are this will give you the confidence to explore even more.

Saturday (2/28/15) Route Description

On Saturday, you will be logging between 5-8 miles depending upon your training level. The link below should give you a relatively clear sense of where we're going. I've also included a verbal description beneath it:

SATURDAY'S RUN COURSE!

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SATURDAY’S RUN-

We will head SOUTH along the Marina towards Fort Mason hill near the Marina Safeway. Crest this hill and head down into Aquatic Park. Run along the waterfront into Fisherman's Wharf. You will be on Jefferson.

Please keep a watchful eye for tourists, cyclists, and other traffic in Fisherman's Wharf. Continue running to the intersection of Jefferson/Powell. There is a large GAP store on the right.

Continue running along Jefferson which will eventually turn into the Embarcadero. At the intersection of Embarcadero & Bay there is a Hillstone restaurant on the right. This is 2 MILES. Keep running!

1/2 a mile later you will encounter the intersection of Embarcadero/Green. This is 2.5 MILES. Beginner level runners will turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 5 MILES.

Intermediate, Advanced and Race level runners will continue along the Embarcadero all the way to the MAIN entrance of the Ferry Building. This is 3 MILES. Intermediate level runners will turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 6 MILES!

Advanced and Race level runners will continue running along the Embarcadero. 1/2 a mile later you will arrive at the intersection of Embarcadero and Harrison. Advanced level runners will turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 7 MILES!

Race level runners will continue running along the Embarcadero for half a mile. Right around the time the Embarcadero is turning into ‘King Street’ you will come to the intersection of Embarcadero/Townsend. Look for Pier 38 on your left. This is 4 MILES! Turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 8 MILES!

Train Like The Pros..

When you think about what is required to be a good runner things like persistence, passion, the right genetics, and consistent, quality training come to mind. Undoubtedly all of these things are invaluable.

I work with a ton of PASSIONATE runners who live and breathe the act of running. Constantly in pursuit of the next goal, the next challenge, and the next personal best they sometimes push themselves to the brink and beyond.

While I preach the virtues of quality, consistent training over time as a way to maintain a high level of health and running performance, the reality is that you cannot train/race at a high level ALL THE TIME!

Simply look at the best runners on the planet. Does Kara Goucher run 10-12 races all out every year? Do Ryan Hall or Meb Keflezghi push themselves to the limit a dozen times/year? Unequivocally, the answer is NO.

What you see with Kara, Ryan, and Meb is a few peaks/valleys during a given year of training. They may target a handful of events per year. Meb won the New York Marathon last fall and didn't run another Marathon until Boston in April of this year.

This is not to say that Meb is sitting on the couch eating potato chips between races. Quite the contrary. But, Meb undoubtedly dialed things back a bit after winning the NY Marathon and then GRADUALLY ramped his training back up in preparation for Boston.

Meb trains year round and for many people this is absolutely a reality as well. But, training hard all the time and attempting personal bests at more than a handful of races per year is almost inevitably a recipe for burnout and injury.

This is not to say you shouldn't participate in 4 or more races per year, but if you are looking to have 'peak peformances' at '4' key races per year, every other race you run in should be treated a bit more casually. Pulling off a peak performance takes time, patience, and the proper alignment of the stars.

Most of us will never compete at the highest level, but there's a reason why the pro's are 'professionals'. One of the big reasons is they know how to train properly. They know how to train to keep themselves in optimal shape while steering clear of aggravations/injuries.

If your longterm goal is to become the best possible runner you can be, emulate the approach many of the professionals employ. You'll more than likely find yourself peaking for the events that are important to you, steering clear of significant aggravtions/injuries, and become a better runner in the long haul.

Saturday (04/23) Route Description

We have yet another change of scenery on Saturday with a visit to Lake Merced.

Saturday’s Lake Merced Run!

Once again, we are meeting on the NORTH SIDE of Lake Merced. Specifically, we are meeting at the HUGE parking lot on the NORTH SIDE of Lake Merced. Again, here's a map link that should help you get oriented- North Side of Lake Merced.

This run is pretty straightforward. EVERYONE will do a full loop around the circumference of Lake Merced in a clockwise direction. There is a path that runs all the way around Lake Merced, so this should be manageable for everybody.

Roughly halfway through the loop around Lake Merced (2-2.5 miles), there is a port-a-potty and a couple water fountains if you need to make a pit stop.

After 2-2.5 miles, there is a decent stretch where you will be running slightly uphill, so pace yourself accordingly.

After completing a full loop of Lake Merced, you will have logged 4.5 MILES. Once you've finished a full loop around Lake Merced, head NORTH on Sunset Boulevard There is a path that runs parallel to Sunset Boulevard on the LEFT. This is where you want to run.

Continue running along the paved path that runs parallel to Sunset Boulevard until you reach the intersection of Sunset/Ulloa. Make sure to watch the cross streets as you proceed up Sunset. They go in reverse alphabetical order....Wawona, Vincente, and then Ulloa. Turn around at Sunset/Ulloa and head back to Lake Merced for 6 MILES!

Third time is the charm?

For nearly five years I have sought a personal best for the marathon in the 2:30's (a 2:39:59 would work just fine). Some goals transcend the elusive and flirt with the impossible. Twice I have come close to achieving this goal and with the third opportunity barely a couple months away I am left wondering if in fact the third time will be the charm.

In 2005, I toed the line at Chicago with no real thought about what kind of time I would run, but I knew I was in the best shape of my life and anticipated obliterating my previous personal best.

I rolled through the first 13.1 miles in 1:20 and everything was clicking except for some GI issues. This insidious discomfort didn't derail me at first, but after gutting it out for over 10 miles, I was forced to take an abrupt pitstop.

While this was frustrating, I was going to post a huge personal best and surely I'd run a marathon in the 2:30's the next time around. I was more than happy with the 2:45 I ran that day. But, I knew a 2:39 would have been possible if not for the pitstop.

12 months later I was hobbled by plantar fasciitis and going under the knife for radio frequency debridement. Not only was I not running a marathon in the 2:30's, I was hardly running at all. My optimism was challenged, but I figured I'd be back on my feet running strong again in six months at the latest.

A year after surgery (2 years removed from my last marathon) I was a mere shadow of the runner I had been in 2005. Piecing together a few pain free miles sporadically was about the best I could do. The idea of running a marathon in the 2:30's seemed as distant as a long dead star.

But, If something isn't working you're left with no choice but to try something different. I rolled the dice and ditched my motion control shoes w/custom orthotics for what was effectively the polar opposite, a pair of Nike Frees.

Six months of solid running later, I found myself feeling something I hadn't felt in a long time, the confidence that I could run a marathon again at a high level. Once again, the idea of posting a time in the 2:30's crept into my head. I threw everything I had into my training with this goal in mind.

Unfortunately, it had been 3+ years since I had trained like this and I could tell in the latter stages of my training that something in the 2:30's wasn't going to happen in all likelihood. A 3 year absence from serious training could not be made up in 4-5 months.

I was confident I could run something at least as fast as what I had posted in 2005 and if the stars aligned, I could post yet another personal best. In what was perhaps the best executed race of my life, I ran to the brink and managed a 2:43. Close, but still a few minutes shy of the ultimate goal once again. Surely, 2009 would be my year and I'd knock this goal out once and for all.

Little did I know what would unfold in 2009. While I did manage to make it to the starting line again for a marathon in 2009, I was not at my best. Wracked by a myriad of frustrating circumstances and barely recovered from yet another bout of plantar fasciitis I once again knew something in the 2:30's was not possible. I was left to simply take pride in finishing the marathon.

The past couple months I have been running at a level that is reminiscent of what I was doing in 2005. I am also five pounds lighter than was in 2009. I was initially going to wait until December to take another crack at the 2:30's, but you've got to strike while the iron is hot.

The question remains....will the third time be the charm?