Embracing Pain

The only way to run faster in a race is to run faster in training.  Sounds simple enough.  The hard part is actually doing it.

Well, I'm sure as hell going to try.

One of the fastest marathon runners ever, Moses Mosop (who also happened to be running in his FIRST marathon), will join the field at the Chicago Marathon this October 9th.   He ran the Boston Marathon in 2:03:06 and LOST by four seconds.  That's an average pace of just under 4:42 per mile.  I can do that.  For a lap.  Now if I can just do it for 103 more laps, I can quit my day job. 

Yes, I know, I need to be realistic.  And I am.  I know I can do it for a lap and I have no delusions of running that fast beyond that distance.  But I do have delusions of running faster than the 3:18:26 (don't believe the results page which says I ran a 3:17:49.  It credited me with time because it assumed I got held up by the train that accidentally crossed soon after the start.  I did not.) I ran at the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll marathon last year.  And like I said, the only way to get faster is to run faster. 

I'm in the third week of my marathon training and this is the first week that has a marathon pace run.  Six miles at my goal pace.  I'm actually getting a little nervous about it.  For one, am I picking too fast of a pace?  Can I gut it up if I start falling behind?  I can't imagine what Mosop or even Geoffrey Mutai, who beat him in Boston, were feeling in their chest as they continued along that superhuman pace like a well-built machine, mercilessly and tirelessly chewing up the pavement as every muscle was pushed to its brink.  Sometimes I think I know what that feels like.  But I really believe I have no idea and over the next few weeks I hope to find out.

Keep on runnin'