It's August 31st and as of this morning (after a very dark 7 miler), my running log says 100.1 for the month. This is a first for me. And the weird thing is I wasn't even trying to reach this goal until about a week ago when i realized how close I actually was. Even in all my marathon training, in months that included 18 and 20 miles runs, I never got over 90 miles in a month. And even more of a shocker, it occured on the hottest month of the year and during one of my craziest months with school starting and all. How did I accumulate so many?? Last August I ran less than 50 miles.
My recently attained goal that wasn't a goal has got me thinking about goals. The marathon was a big goal, the ultimate goal. What was left?(besides an ultra which is crazy and qualifying for Boston which is like impossible until after I'm 40) Just when I thought there was not much left to go after, a whole new realm has opened up. Now I'm already thinking to myself: 'I wonder if I could run 200 miles in a month or over 1000 in a year??' 'Can I run 50 in a week??' This should be a fun venture.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
But before that happens...
The CC team got their t-shirts today. In an earlier post I talked about the Prefontaine quote they chose to go on the back. ('the only good race pace is a suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die") The following is the team's motivational reading for tomorrow's meet, which was inspired by both the quote and my love for A&P.
“Today looks like a good day to die”
But before that happens…
The human body has an amazing ability to cope with an obscene amount of physical stress. Runners understand this better than most because they willingly put their bodies under the most intense of stressors. So even though it feels like a “suicide pace” and that you’re going to “die” just know that the body will do all kinds of things to cope before that happens. How close you’ve come to your own “suicide pace” is indicated by how many of the following experiences you’ve actually had:
__ I went so hard, I vomited. (the body can only divert oxygen-rich blood to so many areas at once; if your muscles are hogging all the blood because you just keep pushing them and pushing them, then the digestive system gets none. And if food is not being digested, it comes back up)
__I ran so hard/long, I passed out. (similar to vomiting, if all the blood is being hogged by muscles because they need all the oxygen, then not enough oxygen gets to the brain. The brain shuts down temporarily and you black out. This actually protects you, keeps you alive, if you’ve passed out, you’ve stopped running and the blood in your muscles can return to the brain where it is needed more)
__After a workout, I collapsed. I’d try to stand but my muscles wouldn’t stay contracted even though I was telling them too. (the muscle tissue has a limit, and even though it takes its signals from the brain, there is a point where it can’t contract anymore regardless of those signals. The tissue has either run out of energy or been damaged. However, it can heal the damage (it actually heals it back to be stronger) and the energy will return when you eat again)
__I have hyperventilated. (Though uncomfortable and kind of scary, this isn’t a bad thing. You are low on oxygen because your muscle cells are demanding so much and your respiratory system goes into overdrive to compensate. But the higher rate of breathing will make up the difference and eventually your muscles will get the oxygen they demand)
__I have felt excruciating pain and then suddenly… no pain. (the infamous endorphin kick. Your brain can make a chemical that’s exactly like opium (what morphine and heroin come from) and when the pain becomes too much, it will release this wonderful chemical for you. It takes the pain away so you can keep going and even makes you high so you’re okay with(even happy about) going a little further and a little harder. High levels can even make you hallucinate)
__A run made me laugh/cry. (Physiologically, laughing and crying are the same thing so whichever one happened, it was the same reaction. When physical stimuli reach every neuron that handles those particular physical signals and there are still physical signals being sent because you are doing so much, the brain diverts them to other neurons, neurons that control emotions. And so a physical occurrence has no choice but to manifest in an emotional way.)
Whether you understand the science or not, this is what it means: Unless you are throwing up, passing out, collapsing, hyperventilating, getting high, and/or laughing or crying hysterically, you aren’t running your suicide pace. You can go faster…you can go harder… you can take more pain… override your brain and make it happen. And don’t worry: most of the time your body will override you if you actually get close to death.
“Today looks like a good day to die”
But before that happens…
The human body has an amazing ability to cope with an obscene amount of physical stress. Runners understand this better than most because they willingly put their bodies under the most intense of stressors. So even though it feels like a “suicide pace” and that you’re going to “die” just know that the body will do all kinds of things to cope before that happens. How close you’ve come to your own “suicide pace” is indicated by how many of the following experiences you’ve actually had:
__ I went so hard, I vomited. (the body can only divert oxygen-rich blood to so many areas at once; if your muscles are hogging all the blood because you just keep pushing them and pushing them, then the digestive system gets none. And if food is not being digested, it comes back up)
__I ran so hard/long, I passed out. (similar to vomiting, if all the blood is being hogged by muscles because they need all the oxygen, then not enough oxygen gets to the brain. The brain shuts down temporarily and you black out. This actually protects you, keeps you alive, if you’ve passed out, you’ve stopped running and the blood in your muscles can return to the brain where it is needed more)
__After a workout, I collapsed. I’d try to stand but my muscles wouldn’t stay contracted even though I was telling them too. (the muscle tissue has a limit, and even though it takes its signals from the brain, there is a point where it can’t contract anymore regardless of those signals. The tissue has either run out of energy or been damaged. However, it can heal the damage (it actually heals it back to be stronger) and the energy will return when you eat again)
__I have hyperventilated. (Though uncomfortable and kind of scary, this isn’t a bad thing. You are low on oxygen because your muscle cells are demanding so much and your respiratory system goes into overdrive to compensate. But the higher rate of breathing will make up the difference and eventually your muscles will get the oxygen they demand)
__I have felt excruciating pain and then suddenly… no pain. (the infamous endorphin kick. Your brain can make a chemical that’s exactly like opium (what morphine and heroin come from) and when the pain becomes too much, it will release this wonderful chemical for you. It takes the pain away so you can keep going and even makes you high so you’re okay with(even happy about) going a little further and a little harder. High levels can even make you hallucinate)
__A run made me laugh/cry. (Physiologically, laughing and crying are the same thing so whichever one happened, it was the same reaction. When physical stimuli reach every neuron that handles those particular physical signals and there are still physical signals being sent because you are doing so much, the brain diverts them to other neurons, neurons that control emotions. And so a physical occurrence has no choice but to manifest in an emotional way.)
Whether you understand the science or not, this is what it means: Unless you are throwing up, passing out, collapsing, hyperventilating, getting high, and/or laughing or crying hysterically, you aren’t running your suicide pace. You can go faster…you can go harder… you can take more pain… override your brain and make it happen. And don’t worry: most of the time your body will override you if you actually get close to death.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Do you Fartlek?
Today is the first fartlek workout of the season. Of all the cool little “insider information” things that runners share, this is one of my favorites. I’ve gotten to experience this scenario several times today:
Newbie/freshman: “what are we doing today?”
Veteran runner/me: “fartleks”
Newbie/freshman: “huh”
Veteran runner/me: “fartleks”
Newbie/freshman: “say that again” giving confused look mixed with laughter
Veteran runner/me: “fart-leks”
Newbie/freshman: gives priceless look indicating that he is thinking of something either gastrointestinal, oral, or both.
Veteran runner/me: lots of laughter
Newbie/freshman: walks away slightly scared
After today the newbies will get to be part of that select group that understands the fartlek. Should be a fun day:)
Newbie/freshman: “what are we doing today?”
Veteran runner/me: “fartleks”
Newbie/freshman: “huh”
Veteran runner/me: “fartleks”
Newbie/freshman: “say that again” giving confused look mixed with laughter
Veteran runner/me: “fart-leks”
Newbie/freshman: gives priceless look indicating that he is thinking of something either gastrointestinal, oral, or both.
Veteran runner/me: lots of laughter
Newbie/freshman: walks away slightly scared
After today the newbies will get to be part of that select group that understands the fartlek. Should be a fun day:)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
A Great Start to the 2011 Season
A team win, 7 individual medals, the anchor award: Its going to be an epic season!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Requirement
Today is our first Cross Country meet of the season. When we travel to meets, I often write something or find something for the kids to read as motivation. Today I wrote about a quote from my Track days; this post is an extention of what the kids are getting:
When I was running Track in high school, I had a very large, very intimidating coach, Coach Willis. One of his favorite quotes to yell at me was this: "To whom much is given, much is expected, Fisher!" It still rings in my ears, I can hear his exact tone and inflection. Every time I complained about having to do more events than the others or having to run the hardest leg of a relay, this was his short, hard response. And it ended up being one of the most encouraging phrases of my highschool running career. I didn't mind the extra effort when I knew he saw so much in me.
Back in high school, I didn't know that phrase was actually from the Bible. And according to my Biblical languages scholar husband, a closer translation says: "to whom much is given, much is required." (Luke 12:48) It's quite sobering isn't it? I have been blessed with many gifts, and it is not just expected of me, but required of me to use them for the Kingdom.
Today my team is required to bring home a 1st place team trophy, at least 5 individual medals, and at least 6 times under 20 minutes. It is my requirement of them. And it is not unattainable. I know how fast they are, how strong they are, how much pain they can endure... I know what they are capable of more than they do themselves. I expect it's the same with God. What does he see in me, that he put in me, that he is requiring I use for His glory?
When I was running Track in high school, I had a very large, very intimidating coach, Coach Willis. One of his favorite quotes to yell at me was this: "To whom much is given, much is expected, Fisher!" It still rings in my ears, I can hear his exact tone and inflection. Every time I complained about having to do more events than the others or having to run the hardest leg of a relay, this was his short, hard response. And it ended up being one of the most encouraging phrases of my highschool running career. I didn't mind the extra effort when I knew he saw so much in me.
Back in high school, I didn't know that phrase was actually from the Bible. And according to my Biblical languages scholar husband, a closer translation says: "to whom much is given, much is required." (Luke 12:48) It's quite sobering isn't it? I have been blessed with many gifts, and it is not just expected of me, but required of me to use them for the Kingdom.
Today my team is required to bring home a 1st place team trophy, at least 5 individual medals, and at least 6 times under 20 minutes. It is my requirement of them. And it is not unattainable. I know how fast they are, how strong they are, how much pain they can endure... I know what they are capable of more than they do themselves. I expect it's the same with God. What does he see in me, that he put in me, that he is requiring I use for His glory?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Suicidal or Something Else?
Cross Country Season: My favorite time of year. Yesterday I ordered our team t-shirts for this year. I asked the kids to pick their favorite running quote to go on the back. It was not a hard decision, they all immediately agreed that it should be the following Steve Prefontaine quote:
“The only good race pace is a suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die.”
Its one of my favorite quotes too. Obviously it’s meant to be hyperbole and runners aren’t really suicidal, but it represents one of the aspects of running that draws people like me to the sport. It’s that mental component that is always either your biggest asset or your worst enemy. Can you keep pushing even when it feels like death? Can you overcome the discomfort and pain to go faster and faster? When everything in your body is screaming at you to slow down or stop, can you override those biological signals? Because they’re not wrong, pain receptors warn the brain of injury, they protect us, keep us alive. How else would you know to stop doing something that was harming your precious cells? Yet the runner trains to ignore such signals (and they often pay for it for days after a race or hard practice).
So can a person run themselves to death? Every year people attempt marathons and die, yes, people drop dead at the finish line(or before). What breed of people are we that we begin a race with the thought: “today I can die, and I’m going to run anyway.” It’s the same breed of people that call themselves Christ followers: willing to die. “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Runners are willing to tear their own tissues in training (that’s what soreness is) knowing that even though some pain will follow, the muscles will build back stronger. Christians are willing to “gouge out their own eye” to keep from sinning, knowing it is more beneficial to live as Christlike as possible (Mathew 5:29).
Suicidal? No. Crazy? Maybe. But our wisdom is foolishness to the world. Only those with miles to run understand us. Only those with ears to hear and eyes to see understand us.
“The only good race pace is a suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die.”
Its one of my favorite quotes too. Obviously it’s meant to be hyperbole and runners aren’t really suicidal, but it represents one of the aspects of running that draws people like me to the sport. It’s that mental component that is always either your biggest asset or your worst enemy. Can you keep pushing even when it feels like death? Can you overcome the discomfort and pain to go faster and faster? When everything in your body is screaming at you to slow down or stop, can you override those biological signals? Because they’re not wrong, pain receptors warn the brain of injury, they protect us, keep us alive. How else would you know to stop doing something that was harming your precious cells? Yet the runner trains to ignore such signals (and they often pay for it for days after a race or hard practice).
So can a person run themselves to death? Every year people attempt marathons and die, yes, people drop dead at the finish line(or before). What breed of people are we that we begin a race with the thought: “today I can die, and I’m going to run anyway.” It’s the same breed of people that call themselves Christ followers: willing to die. “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Runners are willing to tear their own tissues in training (that’s what soreness is) knowing that even though some pain will follow, the muscles will build back stronger. Christians are willing to “gouge out their own eye” to keep from sinning, knowing it is more beneficial to live as Christlike as possible (Mathew 5:29).
Suicidal? No. Crazy? Maybe. But our wisdom is foolishness to the world. Only those with miles to run understand us. Only those with ears to hear and eyes to see understand us.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
First Post: What's in a Title
So I think it’s customary for the first post of a blog to explain the title, right? Honestly I didn’t mull over my title at first. I knew I’d be mostly writing about Running and Biology and because I define my identity in Christ, God would inevitably come up. So “God runs DNA” popped in my head, and, wouldn’t you know it, that address wasn’t taken. But once it got published, I started thinking about what that phrase could mean. These are a couple of the thoughts I had:
Is God a runner? My guess is: YES. Running is movement, constant motion, if you stop, you are no longer running (its not like other sports: you can momentarily stop on the field or court and still be “playing” football or basketball) And if we define God as infinite and expansive, then He is in constant motion. He is, therefore, running. If you want more evidence, just consider how many times running is referenced in scripture. Or recall the story of the Prodigal Son. The Father runs to receive His son. He runs after me and you.
Does God control, (i.e. “run”) our DNA? I think YES. Your DNA makes you who you are and I believe God handpicked every little A, C, T, and G. He gave us the traits we needed to fulfill our purpose on the planet. Even the “bad” genes can be opportunities to grow and minister. I even believe (you can call me cooky if you want) that God changes our DNA structure when we come into relationship with him. The Bible says we believers are new creatures, a new species: well that means different genetics. Before, my body had to listen to my DNA: I was an animal, all instincts and reactions. Now my DNA has to listen to the Holy Spirit living in me: I am a “miniChrist,” co-creator, and heir. My DNA had to change from ruler to ruled. Yeah, I’m betting it’s different.
Is God a runner? My guess is: YES. Running is movement, constant motion, if you stop, you are no longer running (its not like other sports: you can momentarily stop on the field or court and still be “playing” football or basketball) And if we define God as infinite and expansive, then He is in constant motion. He is, therefore, running. If you want more evidence, just consider how many times running is referenced in scripture. Or recall the story of the Prodigal Son. The Father runs to receive His son. He runs after me and you.
Does God control, (i.e. “run”) our DNA? I think YES. Your DNA makes you who you are and I believe God handpicked every little A, C, T, and G. He gave us the traits we needed to fulfill our purpose on the planet. Even the “bad” genes can be opportunities to grow and minister. I even believe (you can call me cooky if you want) that God changes our DNA structure when we come into relationship with him. The Bible says we believers are new creatures, a new species: well that means different genetics. Before, my body had to listen to my DNA: I was an animal, all instincts and reactions. Now my DNA has to listen to the Holy Spirit living in me: I am a “miniChrist,” co-creator, and heir. My DNA had to change from ruler to ruled. Yeah, I’m betting it’s different.
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