In the world of fitness, encompassing running, swimming, biking, working out at the gym or just a regular home workout, there are numerous "rules." These are not to put us into some sort of rigid lock-step, but are mostly there to guide us to success. Look back at the past year or so of this blog, and you will find numerous guidelines, or rules, mostly aimed at runners. I've learned these from skilled athletes who have given freely of their knowledge. I enjoy sharing them with you. For example: hydration - for Heaven's sake, drink enough water when you exercise. Work to a goal - this I hear from every successful runner and I preach it loudly from my own soap box. Run regularly - it takes time and planning to become a distance runner, or a triathlete, or just to become fit and stay fit.
As you become more invested in a fitness routine, other rules emerge. A couple of them have been on my mind of late as I skirt around the rule which says we should take off 3 or 4 weeks from serious running after we run a marathon. I've always taken that rule with a grain of salt. All of you who are runners know that runners must run. It's who we are and there's not much chance anyone's going to stay away from their favorite running route for weeks, or even a month! However, the extended intent of the post-marathon rule is more easily observed. This rule tells us to not run a second marathon until 60 days have passed. Generally, I have found this easy to obey. Once I ran a half-marathon just 2 weeks after a full marathon. It was a challenge, but didn't break me. However, this year I am about to run two marathons, separated by only 5 weeks. I've talked to a few veteran runners and no one has told me not to do it. Only time and experience will tell me I'm a fool, or not, for trying it.
A second rule which I try to observe is the negative split rule. This tells runners to gauge their pace such that the second half of a race, or a workout, is no slower than the first half. It's a great rule, keeping us from going out too fast and then running out of gas at 18 or 20 miles of a marathon. And it's a rule that also must be observed in workouts because it has to be practiced and perfected in advance of race day.
That's why I was so surprised a few days ago when I went out for an 18 miler. Something got into my legs at about 6 miles and I began pushing the pace. It felt great! The day was made for running - it was cooling down, the humidity was low. I decided to just go with it. The endorphins were spinning out of control as I began to visualize myself as a "real" runner. "Gosh," I thought. "If I could hold this pace for 26.2 miles, I could qualify for Boston." Yeah. Sure. I knew the air would eventually come out of my sails, that I would pay a price over the last 5 or 6 miles of this runaway workout. But it felt so good for those "fast" 40 minutes, or so, that I just took it in stride and enjoyed the ride. And, yes, I did pay a price late into the run. Finally, as you would expect, this 18 miler was not a triumph of the negative split.
I will "ride the reins" come race day, do my darnedest to achieve a negative split. Undeniably, I am breaking the 60 day rule by running the second marathon only 5 weeks after Chicago, but hopefully that's the only rule I will break. I'm counting on the others - good hydration, good race planning and good nutrition to allow me a safe and successful Rock'n'Roll San Antonio Marathon.
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