Cranky Runner, Dreaming of Boston and a Bit of History

This morning's run wasn't great. I woke still a bit cranky from a minor disagreement (all sorted now!), headachey, anxious about one or two tasks that had to be faced and generally ... cranky! Sorry folks, perhaps too much information, but it happens to me too and, in the past, I have allowed such humours to affect my whole day!  Happily, this morning I was on my own, able to growl away to myself.  I had my breakfast, did a few quick tasks, headed out for my run, although I found myself walking from time to time, in need of a little inner 'giving out' session.  To add to my crankiness, I was using the local Slí na Sláinte which, for some irrational reason, I have come to detest! That said, between the sun on my back and the gentler pace of the walk, I soon felt better. I did it twice today to make up the 5 miles or 8kms.  My watch told me that I did it in 50 minutes which I find hard to believe, given I walked from time to time. Maybe there was more steam coming out my ears and more pace in my step than I realised.  Perhaps, I should look for scorch marks on the pavement!!! By the time I returned, I had mellowed, climbed down, and found a more rational and 'boundaried' articulation of my grievance. All is well. 

I have been distracted by two marathons this past weekend - the London marathon on Sunday last and the Boston marathon as mentioned by Etty. I so wanted to sit and watch the whole of the races, but I have not had a chance to do that. I would love to do the Boston marathon and, secretly, thought I might until I started training for this. The Boston marathon has an elite status among runners simply because you have to have a qualifying time. The last time I checked (see, my interest), I would need to run a 3hour 40minute marathon. I'll be lucky to do the Cork marathon in 4 - 4.5hours.  I'm not sure now, if I would be able or willing. Correction, I would be willing or would I? I would need to be more dedicated than I am.

That's the thing. I know I have been good to go out and run every day, but in many ways I am quite sloppy about it all. There's my diet. I should be at least a half stone lighter to be really efficient. My runs have really been decided on 'how I feel', not on whether I should be doing 'tempo' or 'race speed' or 'slow'. Rhetorician, you are better at making that effort.  I should have worked up a better base before starting my programme, although I want to qualify that by saying my years of hill-walking are definitely standing to me.  On a Saturday morning, I find it is the same 'feeling' or 'approach' that I used to have on days we were facing 5 or 6 hour hikes through the Reeks. There are other things I need to do, such as study my heart rate patterns more. There would be so much more to consider, more time required to study and plan better! I have stumbled on one or two blogs, one in particular of a guy who has just completed the Vienna marathon in a sub-3hour for the first time in his life. You think my dedication is something, you should read this guy's account and he has 4 children. I have also just finished Benjamin Cheevers book Strides who offers a journalistic (if somewhat egotistical) historical and sociological overview of running. The book is a bit of a mess, to be honest, but enjoyable for all that. It's like a long chat about running and which of us runners doesn't enjoy running talk? In this book, as in the websites, blogs, and so on, the dedication and constancy of the committed runner strikes me again and again. Most admit that there is a touch of the compulsive in them. Hmmm .... I wonder does that shoe fit?

By the way, Cheevers speaks about the Boston marathon which was originally in and around 24 miles. It wasn't  the same distance as the Athens marathon. (I don't have the book to hand) The original marathon distance was based on the run of the soldier Pheidippides from the town of Marathon to Athens in 490 B.C. (24.85 miles). It was revived as part of the modern Olympic Games in 1896 and set at that distance, but it was not universally fixed. The 26.2mile distance was established at the London Olympics in 1908, and eventually became standardised in the 1924 Olympics. There are many technical reasons why the race was fixed at precisely 26miles 385 yards, including suitability of the terrain of the final miles with tram lines to consider. The angle by which the final stage could be viewed from the Royal Box dictated the 385 yards rather than the full circumference of the stadium.  Most stories involve the Royals, but I like the version (not true, I think) which recounts the race must begin at the nursery window of one of the young princesses in Windsor Castle and finish in front of the royal box in the London Stadium.  As I run that last mile and a half on June 6th, I will be thinking of that Princess!