Partons en arrière
Translated from French to English, the title of this post is "Let's go back".
In order for you to understand where I am at today, you need to know where I came from and how I got here.
Six years ago I got hooked on cycling. Yes, I was an addict. I was riding every chance I had. I was participating in every race within a few hours driving distance from where I live. I was reading every training book, magazine, and website that I could find just so I could get a leg up on the competition. You see, I am a very competitive person by nature and when I commit to something I give it everything I've got. Not 110%, but 210%.
I don't remember the date, but I do remember being out on a training ride one day when I realized that cycling just wasn't fun anymore. But because I was addicted to cycling and to competing, I continued to ride. At that point, I had probably accomplished all that I was going to accomplish as an amateur cyclist. I had ridden many 100k races, several of which I won. I had ridden a 100 mile race. I had placed in the top 10 in enough races that I was able to "cat up" to the next level on my racing license. What more was there to do? The Tour de France? My chances of riding professionally were slimmer than my chances of winning the lottery. I knew that wasn't going to happen. So, I basically quit riding. Sure, there were times here and there where I would head out on a 15-mile leisure ride. But I wasn't competing anymore. I was simply trying to stay in some kind of shape.
As you can imagine, for those of you who are naturally competitive people, you start to miss the thrill of going up against others and pushing yourself beyond the threshold. It didn't seem to take too long before I needed my next fix. But this time, I thought that I would try something different - running a marathon.
A co-worker of mine had been running for several months in preparation for his first marathon. I couldn't believe the number of miles that he was putting into his training each week. At that time, it was hard for me to fathom running 5 or 10 miles, much less 26.2 miles (the distance of a full marathon). He had set a goal for himself and he wasn't going to stop until he achieved it.
After several months of training, his first marathon came and went - he had achieved his goal of running the daunting 26.2 miles. That's when I thought to myself, "I can do that". I approached my co-worked one day and told him that I wanted to run a marathon, but that I wasn't going to do it without him. Initially, he said that he had run a marathon and had no desire to run another one anytime soon. The next one was 4 months away, and to me that wasn't "anytime soon". After a little coaxing, he agreed to train with me and run in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.
Since it was my first marathon, I decided to follow Hal Higdon's Novice Program. For eighteen weeks, I remained dedicated and focused on the goal ahead. Then, the day finally came to see if all of the training would pay off. I had no expectations of time or pace, I just wanted to finish without having to walk any of it. For 22 miles I felt relatively strong and was on pace to finish in 3 hours and 30 minutes. Then, fatigue set in and I slowed to a near-walking jog. However, I trudged on and managed to finish in a respectable 3 hours and 45 minutes. I had reached my goal, and much like my co-worker, vowed to never do another one. Physically, it was the most demanding event I had ever put my body through. Mentally, it broke me down.
For the next four or five weeks I didn't run at all. My body was not ready to face the pounding of the pavement again. Around the sixth week post-marathon, I decided to start back with some light running but no serious tempo or miles. As the short runs turned into medium runs, that competitive monster that lives inside of me started to come alive again. I knew that it was time to start setting my sights on the next goal - another marathon.
This time I have chosen the White Rock Marathon. With more than three months to go before the marathon rolls around, I should have plenty of time to be even more prepared for this one. I still believe that I can run a 3:30 marathon, so that is the goal that I have set. We shall see. I'll keep you posted.
Now...you know where I came from, how I got here, and where I am headed.
In order for you to understand where I am at today, you need to know where I came from and how I got here.
Six years ago I got hooked on cycling. Yes, I was an addict. I was riding every chance I had. I was participating in every race within a few hours driving distance from where I live. I was reading every training book, magazine, and website that I could find just so I could get a leg up on the competition. You see, I am a very competitive person by nature and when I commit to something I give it everything I've got. Not 110%, but 210%.
I don't remember the date, but I do remember being out on a training ride one day when I realized that cycling just wasn't fun anymore. But because I was addicted to cycling and to competing, I continued to ride. At that point, I had probably accomplished all that I was going to accomplish as an amateur cyclist. I had ridden many 100k races, several of which I won. I had ridden a 100 mile race. I had placed in the top 10 in enough races that I was able to "cat up" to the next level on my racing license. What more was there to do? The Tour de France? My chances of riding professionally were slimmer than my chances of winning the lottery. I knew that wasn't going to happen. So, I basically quit riding. Sure, there were times here and there where I would head out on a 15-mile leisure ride. But I wasn't competing anymore. I was simply trying to stay in some kind of shape.
As you can imagine, for those of you who are naturally competitive people, you start to miss the thrill of going up against others and pushing yourself beyond the threshold. It didn't seem to take too long before I needed my next fix. But this time, I thought that I would try something different - running a marathon.
A co-worker of mine had been running for several months in preparation for his first marathon. I couldn't believe the number of miles that he was putting into his training each week. At that time, it was hard for me to fathom running 5 or 10 miles, much less 26.2 miles (the distance of a full marathon). He had set a goal for himself and he wasn't going to stop until he achieved it.
After several months of training, his first marathon came and went - he had achieved his goal of running the daunting 26.2 miles. That's when I thought to myself, "I can do that". I approached my co-worked one day and told him that I wanted to run a marathon, but that I wasn't going to do it without him. Initially, he said that he had run a marathon and had no desire to run another one anytime soon. The next one was 4 months away, and to me that wasn't "anytime soon". After a little coaxing, he agreed to train with me and run in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.
Since it was my first marathon, I decided to follow Hal Higdon's Novice Program. For eighteen weeks, I remained dedicated and focused on the goal ahead. Then, the day finally came to see if all of the training would pay off. I had no expectations of time or pace, I just wanted to finish without having to walk any of it. For 22 miles I felt relatively strong and was on pace to finish in 3 hours and 30 minutes. Then, fatigue set in and I slowed to a near-walking jog. However, I trudged on and managed to finish in a respectable 3 hours and 45 minutes. I had reached my goal, and much like my co-worker, vowed to never do another one. Physically, it was the most demanding event I had ever put my body through. Mentally, it broke me down.
For the next four or five weeks I didn't run at all. My body was not ready to face the pounding of the pavement again. Around the sixth week post-marathon, I decided to start back with some light running but no serious tempo or miles. As the short runs turned into medium runs, that competitive monster that lives inside of me started to come alive again. I knew that it was time to start setting my sights on the next goal - another marathon.
This time I have chosen the White Rock Marathon. With more than three months to go before the marathon rolls around, I should have plenty of time to be even more prepared for this one. I still believe that I can run a 3:30 marathon, so that is the goal that I have set. We shall see. I'll keep you posted.
Now...you know where I came from, how I got here, and where I am headed.
posted by Chris at 11:06 PM
1 Comments:
Very enlightening post...I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I know how competitive you are, and I know that you will push yourself to reach this next goal you have set for yourself. I proudly stand by your side as you reach each goal, cheering you on...
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