Harder than Diamonds

What was once difficult is now easier.  A year ago I was watching a video called Spirit of the Marathon and became inspired to change my life.  What started off as walking with my daughters in tow, became walking with purpose, then running with a focus.  The focus being that I can compete in a 100 mile, 30 hour race and actually finish it.  I believe it more now than when I set a plan to achieve my goal while weighing in at over 350 pounds.  When asked why I want to run 100 miles, I usually just say for the belt buckle.  As a symbol of success, the finishers usually get a nicely crafted belt buckle, bragging rights and maybe a t-shirt or hat, but that's not really what the race is about for the practitioner.  100 mile races are about finishing what is started, self-discipline, guts and challenging what's deep inside.  Nothing challenges the mind, body and soul more than fatigue and pain.  Finishing a 100 mile race takes a 'never quit' attitude and a willingness to endure hardship regardless of its form.  It's for those reasons that I kept running, when recently challenged by black ice.

Last year, I wouldn't train outside without sunshine and warmth.  If you're a Oregonian, then you know how nut-so that sounds.  So, I spent a lot of time working out in a gym on an elliptical machine, only to be rudely awakened at race time to the fact that my training was inadequate.  Races don't take place in a gym, they are run on asphalt or trails, depending upon the type of race.  In my case, I only enter road races that are held on asphalt.  The road is unforgiving, and shows no mercy to one with weak bone density.  So, if I was serious about running, it would take a whole new gear in pit bull tenacity to get on the right path.  I would have to start running almost exclusively outside no matter the weather obstacle.  Chief among weather obstacles for me was rain.  The idea of consistent running in the rain, having water in my shoes and being soaking wet was a horribly oppressive idea.  In my blog Who Cares about the Rain... I explain my first running experience in the rain.  Now, I actually like running in the rain, and there is a new obstacle -- embracing winter training.

There are two cruel factors about winter that make it hard to train in the Portland area: cold and ice.  When coupled with rain, cold and ice can make a runner's life down right miserable.  I considered this long and hard last year.  I devoured everything that I could read about winter training during the spring and summer, and went to winter clothing clearance sales during the spring (50-75% off).  After being fully equipped, I was able to keep running while staying warm as winter set in.  Recently, the mornings in the Portland area have been near or below freezing.  Most of my running takes place in the very early A.M. hours.  It's during the A.M. when black ice is at its worst because the weather is coldest. 

The morning that I stepped onto the road with black ice, my footing felt a little unsteady, but nothing to really be concerned with.  However, about a mile or so into my run things weren't going well at all.  Every step felt as though I needed ice skates and not running shoes.  When the light from my headlamp bounced off the ice crystals embedded in the asphalt, they glittered like thousands of tiny diamonds.  The effort that it took to run was tremendous and I was quickly getting tired .  About 2 miles into a 7 mile run I came to a complete halt, and turned to walk back to my starting point, but I didn't move.  "If you stay on the path ahead of you and just keep going, no matter how hard it gets, you will succeed."  Those were the words of famous endurance runner Scott Jurek, and they were echoing in my head.  I then said to myself: ok, this is an obstacle. You never run from obstacles.  You only embrace and destroy them.  Take your time.  Shorten your stride.  Pump your arms.  Harden yourself against failure and that quitter's voice.  Become harder than these diamonds and crush them with each step.  Once again I turned, and very slowly with shorter but more frequent steps, I began to move toward mile number 3.  The farther I went the better the road conditions became.  Miles 4, 5 and 6 were smooth and uneventful.  I did it! I over came another obstacle and embraced winter training!  Then, I rounded a corner to the sight of more diamonds.  It was ok, because that day -- I was harder than diamonds.

Cheers and keep on running!