Confessions of a Casual Ultrarunner
How can someone who runs 30+ miles at a time be a casual anything, you ask? Well, there is a little bit of context involved. My longest run EVER was 38 miles. Sounds awesome, right? Problem is, that 38 mile run was during a 50 mile race, so ultimately, it wasn't objectively successful. To add to that context, I live with a guy who is contemplating three 100 mile races this year. 38 miles is a pretty casual run for a guy like that. #context
But that's not all it is. It's attitude. To be honest, I'm a little lazy. Probably a lot lazy. Yes, I run really long distances once or twice a year and yes, I do a fair amount of running before those come up compared to non-runners. On the other hand, I'm always in a state of undertrained and I kind of suck at commitment, so if something better comes up, I probably won't run. (Something better is rarely that much better, but it's not running, so....). And when you suck at committing to planned runs, you get out of shape pretty regularly. And once you're out of shape, running REALLY sucks.
Take my ten mile run today, for instance... I haven't run ten miles put together since September. I was in such a solid place in my running then. I was running 20-30 miles a week. It was so great. Then I suffered a not serious, but initially-serious-seeming knee injury and I stopped. I just stopped. Not only is my running base gone, but I'd forgotten all of the things I know about me when I run.
For example, I hate the first 2-3 miles of literally every run I've ever run, save one. Imagine being a mile and a half into a 10 mile run and wanting to sit down and cry. That lasts for like a half hour! How about a mile and a half in on a 20-miler? WHY WOULD ANYONE KEEP DOING THIS?
I also never really run hard enough on my short runs (usually 5 miles) to feel tired or sore. (I'm a lazy runner. I already admitted this.). With that said, when it's your first 10-miler in six months, and you're really only running 1 or 2 times a week, by mile 7, your body is tired and sore, even if you're not trying. And I wasn't!
If you do the math, I spent the first 3 miles super miserable and the last 3 miles sorta miserable, so I enjoyed about 4 of 10 miles today. I mean, I'll take it. The sun was shining. The trails were empty. I didn't fall down! Those are the basics of a solid trail run, especially in the muddy Spring of Wisconsin. Even in her least attractive season, "The Thaw," Wisconsin offers some beauty. And despite my aching feet, my super muddy calves and my ravenous appetite now that I'm done, I'll probably undertake this nonsense again. Tomorrow.
But that's not all it is. It's attitude. To be honest, I'm a little lazy. Probably a lot lazy. Yes, I run really long distances once or twice a year and yes, I do a fair amount of running before those come up compared to non-runners. On the other hand, I'm always in a state of undertrained and I kind of suck at commitment, so if something better comes up, I probably won't run. (Something better is rarely that much better, but it's not running, so....). And when you suck at committing to planned runs, you get out of shape pretty regularly. And once you're out of shape, running REALLY sucks.
Take my ten mile run today, for instance... I haven't run ten miles put together since September. I was in such a solid place in my running then. I was running 20-30 miles a week. It was so great. Then I suffered a not serious, but initially-serious-seeming knee injury and I stopped. I just stopped. Not only is my running base gone, but I'd forgotten all of the things I know about me when I run.
For example, I hate the first 2-3 miles of literally every run I've ever run, save one. Imagine being a mile and a half into a 10 mile run and wanting to sit down and cry. That lasts for like a half hour! How about a mile and a half in on a 20-miler? WHY WOULD ANYONE KEEP DOING THIS?
I also never really run hard enough on my short runs (usually 5 miles) to feel tired or sore. (I'm a lazy runner. I already admitted this.). With that said, when it's your first 10-miler in six months, and you're really only running 1 or 2 times a week, by mile 7, your body is tired and sore, even if you're not trying. And I wasn't!
If you do the math, I spent the first 3 miles super miserable and the last 3 miles sorta miserable, so I enjoyed about 4 of 10 miles today. I mean, I'll take it. The sun was shining. The trails were empty. I didn't fall down! Those are the basics of a solid trail run, especially in the muddy Spring of Wisconsin. Even in her least attractive season, "The Thaw," Wisconsin offers some beauty. And despite my aching feet, my super muddy calves and my ravenous appetite now that I'm done, I'll probably undertake this nonsense again. Tomorrow.
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