Marathon Completed: Mind and Body Suffer Together
We finished the SF Marathon yesterday with time to spare! I got a 3:41, and Mimi and Berta got 3:44. It was a nice race, cool, not too cold, a little rainy in spots, but in general a beautiful course that runs by along the waterfront and Marina, Presidio, through Golden Gate Park, along the Great Highway, across Haight Street and down to the SOMA area, up to Pac Bell Park and back to the Ferry building.
We (Mimi, Berta, myself) had told ourselves we'd stick to a 9:00 pace for the first 20 miles, to teach us the discipline and control needed to run negative splits, to run slower then gradually faster so you conserve your energy and don't lose it before you finish. So more or less we stuck to that, although at times we sped up to a 7:30 and sometimes 8:30's. At mile 20 I decided to bust a move, because at several other portions of the race I felt like moving faster but held back.
So at 20 I started jamming, but went a little too fast and had to pull back. The 6 miles after you've already done 20 is very long and painful. My legs felt stiff, unbendy, like cement, and I looked for the zone of mind where you don't think too much about where you are and what you are doing or how much farther you have to go: you just keep moving and understand that this is not forever, it will end. It really is a struggle of the mind against your body. Or, your body struggles against your mind. You can slice it up either way. Your body just wants to stop, and your mind steps in and keeps your body from stopping and relaxing. Or, your mind starts to get weak, you start to imagine it's OK to stop and walk, just to stop and give up, it's OK. When this happens your body kicks in and doesn't let your mind take over. You look for a rhythm, focus on form, relax your stride, take smaller steps (more efficient), loosen your arms, lift your chest, breath. Mimi tells me she looks at other people's shirts at the lettering and picks a word and spells it over and over, a little spelling meditation to take the mind elsewhere, off the present moment.
Right around mile 23 a young woman who I had seen the entire race and who looked strong caught up with me and I knew this was a race, a challenge. She had been in front of us the whole time and I told myself, I am going to catch her and finish in front of her. So here she was, at my side, a little awkward because I didn't know her. In a way, I like when someone challenges me, especially near the end of a race. I let her catch up and just as she started to pass me a little I sped up so we were side by side. I let her get a little bit a head and then I drafted her and lined up just to her side and imagined she was pulling me. I pushed close, then pulled back. We ran together without talking, passing people up, putting on the juice. Testing each other to see who has more energy at this point of the long race.
Right at 24 finally talk to her and say Hi and tell her I've seen her all race and wondered if she was going to beat me. She is nice and smiles and I tell her she's run a great pace all race. We don't talk much - conversation at this point is not very easy. At 25 we hit Pac Bell Park and start winding through little sidewalk passage ways then spill out onto Embarcadero. At this point I know it's less than a mile so I move fast and in front of her and don't look back and just push it. I beat her, but she came in not far behind me. We congratulated each other. It was nice. Mimi and Berta come in a few minutes later.
A great race! Now, it's on to the Seacliff Beach 50K in October. Should I?
We finished the SF Marathon yesterday with time to spare! I got a 3:41, and Mimi and Berta got 3:44. It was a nice race, cool, not too cold, a little rainy in spots, but in general a beautiful course that runs by along the waterfront and Marina, Presidio, through Golden Gate Park, along the Great Highway, across Haight Street and down to the SOMA area, up to Pac Bell Park and back to the Ferry building.
We (Mimi, Berta, myself) had told ourselves we'd stick to a 9:00 pace for the first 20 miles, to teach us the discipline and control needed to run negative splits, to run slower then gradually faster so you conserve your energy and don't lose it before you finish. So more or less we stuck to that, although at times we sped up to a 7:30 and sometimes 8:30's. At mile 20 I decided to bust a move, because at several other portions of the race I felt like moving faster but held back.
So at 20 I started jamming, but went a little too fast and had to pull back. The 6 miles after you've already done 20 is very long and painful. My legs felt stiff, unbendy, like cement, and I looked for the zone of mind where you don't think too much about where you are and what you are doing or how much farther you have to go: you just keep moving and understand that this is not forever, it will end. It really is a struggle of the mind against your body. Or, your body struggles against your mind. You can slice it up either way. Your body just wants to stop, and your mind steps in and keeps your body from stopping and relaxing. Or, your mind starts to get weak, you start to imagine it's OK to stop and walk, just to stop and give up, it's OK. When this happens your body kicks in and doesn't let your mind take over. You look for a rhythm, focus on form, relax your stride, take smaller steps (more efficient), loosen your arms, lift your chest, breath. Mimi tells me she looks at other people's shirts at the lettering and picks a word and spells it over and over, a little spelling meditation to take the mind elsewhere, off the present moment.
Right around mile 23 a young woman who I had seen the entire race and who looked strong caught up with me and I knew this was a race, a challenge. She had been in front of us the whole time and I told myself, I am going to catch her and finish in front of her. So here she was, at my side, a little awkward because I didn't know her. In a way, I like when someone challenges me, especially near the end of a race. I let her catch up and just as she started to pass me a little I sped up so we were side by side. I let her get a little bit a head and then I drafted her and lined up just to her side and imagined she was pulling me. I pushed close, then pulled back. We ran together without talking, passing people up, putting on the juice. Testing each other to see who has more energy at this point of the long race.
Right at 24 finally talk to her and say Hi and tell her I've seen her all race and wondered if she was going to beat me. She is nice and smiles and I tell her she's run a great pace all race. We don't talk much - conversation at this point is not very easy. At 25 we hit Pac Bell Park and start winding through little sidewalk passage ways then spill out onto Embarcadero. At this point I know it's less than a mile so I move fast and in front of her and don't look back and just push it. I beat her, but she came in not far behind me. We congratulated each other. It was nice. Mimi and Berta come in a few minutes later.
A great race! Now, it's on to the Seacliff Beach 50K in October. Should I?
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