Overdistance, Extrapolation

Run one: 8.6 miles. (8:38 in 1.1, then 44:35 for 6.4--6:57 pace with Greg, then 8:55 for 1.1) Run zwei: 6 miles, no watch, no GPS, no satellite-seeking icons, no HRM, no stupid graphs N' Powerpoint charts--in Cape Cod Gray--with pixelated X and Y axes pointing to the center of mass of useless math, no 2006 running man triangulating on 1980s bullshit technology for $200 ordered from eBay, no disgustingly sick and passe crybaby sob stories about missed alarm clocks and woe-is-me dead legs. No dependencies. No care about much other than running to build up miles and load the legs when times are hard. No schedule, no paid coaches, no peanut gallery of 'should haves', no bolstering up of the middle man's retirement funds and subsidsing his Ranger bass boat by paying a jacked-up seminar admission or 'dues' to fund a chain of skimmers down to the actual talking heads with their consortium of righteous panelists who are paid to extrapolate and wax all Boulder-chic on the timeless, uncrackable enigma of how to hitch up the ethereal mind with the ever-so-sober legs and lungs. No fancy (ahref) links to refer people to this money-grubbing business idea slash machine. Six (6, or five plus 1) simple, untimed, unplanned miles. Fourteen miles, one four or, rather, as Jurg and his naturalist Swiss eco-army would say, vierzehn Meilen, in doubles. Again, that is fourteen miles. 14. Fourteen. there is no phonetic way to speak this so I will say, "FOURTEEN MILES" in all caps as if I were speaking as clearly as possible into the handset of my PRC-77 radio (in the clear). I can show you how to mark 14 on an abacus; I can knot up a khipu for you using fancy, mixed alpaca/wool colors woven together by the indigenous peoples of an exploited Andean region where guinea pigs are few and far between. Or how about you come run them with me? No? Maybe I can videotape them for you, you know, to dispel any doubt and make it all legit. The camera would shake, and it would bore you more than reading this screed, but it would be good as gold! 14 miles. Oh wait...no, it's 14.6, but I am rounding down. ROUNDING DOWN, over. Roger, OUT. ---------------------------------------- Of all the speakers at the Vermont City Marathon Invited Athletes Symposium this year, the most dynamic was the eventual overall winner, Matt Pelletier. In answering questions posed to him, he would grab the microphone and give simple, articulate answers. He was passionate, sincere, and humble. He was much more enjoyable to listen to than the invited guest, Patti Dillon*. Besides this observation, the other thing that sticks in my head about Matt was his answer to this question: "What is the most important thing you did in training for a marathon?" As I best as I can recall it, he responded with the two elements he considered essential in his training: mile repeats and overdistance runs. He told us that he was doing up to 10-12 mile repeats at sub 5 pace and that he used to run overdistance up to 30 miles with a large hill at the end of the run. Those lessons really stuck with me. As such, I intend to continue to incorporate overdistance runs into my training. Optimally, these runs would take place every other week with my goal being 30 miles at 7:30 average pace. However, I won't stress on the pace as I think the workout objective of an overdistance run is to err on the side of traveling slowly thereby building muscular strength by being on your feet longer--both in distance and time--than your goal marathon. I will also carry water with me. I used to do these in Vermont (longest was 27 miles then), and recall sneaking behind houses to find their spigots. There are no such spigots on the sides of the hardscrabble homes that sit alongside the Perkiomen Trail. Planning water intake on these runs cannot be overemphasized. I was in bad shape yesterday and the whole run went from a sunny day at the beach admiring the birds to a dehyrdrated hell on earth deathmarch because of improper planning on my behalf. At about mile 25, I stumbled upon an Indian picnic in the middle of a raffle and must have appeared to them as Shiva incarnate with my salt-caked short shorts and $10 shades. I ran through their midst, appearing as if I was about to the destroy the world and so they better put down that fancy basket of candy, lickety-split. I tend to wing most of my life, but I can't wing an overdistance run. --------------------------------------- One other thing. At the end of 28 miles, yesterday I was scratching my head in admiration at how people, yes, Karno too, pull off 100 milers. I don't care who you are or what you think of ultras, to pull off a 100 miler even walking, gets my respect. Anything > 29 miles = death march to me at this stage in the game. --------------------------------------- One other thing, take two. I am being linked to today by this gentleman regarding a 33 mile double vis-a-vis craming mileage. What gives with the 33? I guess it comes down to 10.5 core reasons/notions/quotes etc.: 1. 33 was on my bottle of Rolling Rock and I take all orders from my beer. 2. I kind of like this bombastic, lookie-me thing. Since I read so much of it, and since I can't beat 'em, why not join 'em? 3. Read part 2 of today's post. 4. I like heading out on Gabe Jennings-esque things. I enjoy the thrill, on a quiet Sunday, of embarking on insanity and seeing if you can pull it off. I use Gabe Jennings as the example b/c he did a Karnevel thing cycling down to Brazil, but he wasn't out to save Baby Katalina or make a buck pimping his deeds, he was out to quietly find a capoeira mestre as well as himself out on that crazy ride. It's why the Kon Tiki and the Pacific are sounding good to me when I turn 40. 5. I was a single parent 6 days of a 7 day-week last week. If you aren't a single parent marathoner aiming to hit 100 miles by hook or by crook, then don't read this part because you have no fucking clue. You don't. ;-) OMG LOL! 6. I procrastinate with my taxes and since the only two certainties in life are death and taxes, why not procrastinate my mileage to make a day of death? It fits hand in glove--two turntables and a microphone. 7a. I like posting my weekly accomplishments to make some people think and comment only about how this relates to themselves. 7b. "There is never jealousy where there is not strong regard." ~Washington Irving. 8. "If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. The thing is to get the work done. " ~Dale Carnegie 9. Ultras are the dustbin of the wannabe marathoner. Why not put one foot into the can? 10. Fac Fortia et Patere. -------------------------------------------- Berry Sad, Berry, Berry Sad. One posting about the children's site M*lsberry.com on this site one year ago, and I get at least five hits a day from unsuspecting kids looking for a chip gra*ber machine. Leave me alone! There is no ch*p grabber machine on this site; there are no proper Cli*f Notez for C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters or Rupert Brooke's one-page poem. On the other pole of innocence, there are no catf*ghting ladies here; there are no naked pixs of pi*sing statues. There is nothing you want here! Begone! All of you!! -------------------------------------------- Fight Club. I just re-watched it for the millionth time tonight. Two comments: 1. I love Marla Singer, I love Marla Singer, I love Marla Singer. 2. I love the Pixies' song "Where Is My Mind?" I love how the world is blowing up to this song at the end of the movie. The Pixies kick ass. Fight Club kicks ass. Chuck Palahniuk's writing kicks ass. --------------------------------------------- *Don't expect a Bob Beamon-esque rant from me on Patti. She was very nice and quite a motivator down at the Y.A.M. Scram children's race. She earned her appearance fee, working very hard making herself ubiquitous the entire weekend. My only complaint is that the microphone at the symposium tended to gravitate too often to her and when she palmed it, it was for about ten minutes too long. The spotlight got very dim with her as does any light that shines since 197X. People wanted to hear more from Matt Pelletier, Mike Wardian, and Susan Loken--the current people in the spotlight--and less of, well, whatever was being rambled on about during those particularly painful moments. I can attest to this: I was there.