The thing is, running doesn't SEEM longer when I run longer. An 800m race, 1 mile, 5k, 10k, half marathon, 20 miles...7 hours...they all seem the same length, or maybe the length just doesn't matter. Its the effort that goes into it. And if I am running my hardest in a race, its my best effort regardless, and that is what I notice more. The 7 hours doesn't really matter. Plus, the hardest thing to explain, is its not about me, well a little bit, but not entirely. Really, its about the soul of the place I am running in. This quote from a book I forgot the author and title of explains its pretty well:
""I didn't look back as the hill faded into the distance behind me. I wanted to remember the vision from the top, not the bottom. Instead I looked ahead, to the next mountain I would climb or ocean I would cross. To the day when I would once again bear witness to the vastness and beauty of the world."
Well, it goes quite a bit deeper than that, but those last few words are right on. I love being out there in the mountains, or the hills, or the fields...the world without cement and asphalt covering it. So much so that when I was in the car driving to the trailhead the other day, I wasn't dreading the run or the distance or how hard it would be. All I could think is "whoooooooooo! We're going running in the mountains!" Yeah eventually it gets exhausting and your brain starts getting tired and negative thoughts appear. And then eventually they go away. A little bit of discomfort is by far worth it to be out there. That's what it comes down to. When people ask why I do it, I think usually its because they are focusing on how painful running like that must be and how tired it makes you. The reality is, the pain or exhaustion isn't the most important part. It takes a backseat to the sky and mountains and wind and trails that become your priority. All of a sudden, you kind of stop noticing how hard running is, and start really, really enjoying it.
Once you're done and going to work the next morning, its a different story entirely. Now it is exhausting, and work doesn't usually provide for that kind of lifestyle. Still, am I supposed to give up that feeling of running in the mountains to sit in an office? I just can't justify that, so I have to accept those consequences. I'd simply rather be out there than not. Of course there are a million other factors, but in the end I just love the places I run in and the act of running itself. Too bad that is so hard to explain to the people I work with, go to church with, even surf with. But hey, I get to go running in the mountains and along the coast and through hill after hill of cornfields and over the same roads I trained on for high school and college cross country...with my family and teammates and friends and boyfriend...sounds like a good deal to me!
4 comments:
You should come visit and we can do some "Mountain" Running :-D. It would be nice to have people to go running with.
This is the plan for tomorrow's adventure. http://www.mapmytri.com/route/us/ca/mountain%20view/250127482767983166
Hopefully only 2500 feet of elevation gain... Exciting for me!
Sooner or later we will make it up there. No Shadow of the Giants 50k? ;-)
Hm, I can certainly tell the difference between a 5K and a marathon, but maybe that's just me. :-P
Not that our training philosophies have a lot in common, but I've found it's easier not to even try to explain to people. If someone asks why I'm tired, it's a lot easier to say "I just finished running" than "I just did 3x2 mile tempo," and for the vast majority of people, it means pretty much the same thing. When they ask how far, my standard answer is "Quite a bit," unless it's one of my runner friends asking, in which case I can give them a real answer. Most of those people don't actually care or understand, and they're just making small talk. It might seem sad that most people will never grasp the beauty of what we do, but they have their own things that they get off on that might mean just as much to them, that for whatever reason, we may never see the beauty in, and that doesn't make either of our pursuits any less noble. Even within the running world it's different. I want a time, you want whatever it is that you want, and in the end, hopefully we'll both get the experience of a lifetime. And as long as we have something beautiful that we can find meaning in, that's all that matters.
I agree with Becki. Great commentary!
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