she's going the distance....

this month i am pretending that fall is not coming. it's not that i don't *love* fall, because i do (october is all-time favorite month of the year), it's just that i'm not ready for summer to be over.

to help in my pretending, i've dedicated this month to racing. no particular kind of racing, as long as it's outdoors and it's active. i've succeeded in finding races four weekends in a row:
aug 28: iron girl triathlon
sept 7: park to park 10 miler
sept 11: fitness festival 5k
sept 19: harvest moon triathlon.

now if that doesn't feel like summer (two races in water for heaven's sake!) then i don't know what does! i'm hoping this will be a great precursor to run the rocks 5k on oct 10 and marathon #3, denver rock and roll on oct 17.

race season helps me ring in the coming fall, and say goodbye to the heat of summer. fall reminds me why i love to race, and racing reminds me of why i love fall. racing is best in fall weather, and this time of year especially is great to be training for distance: the weather is much cooler but still warm enough to be outside for a few hours without going into extreme heat stroke. the colors start to change and the air starts to smell a little different. running around parks, i notice the summer softball and kickball leagues are winding down, and more runners are out and about. people are walking their dogs, who have an extra pep in their step.

today i denied my aching muscles and i ran 6 miles at the park. usually that's not a long distance, but after a 10 miler two days ago, my body was feeling it. no matter how tired and achy my body is, however, there is a routine to my running that i have come to learn and love: the first half mile or so is exciting: i have to remember to pace myself and mentally prepare for the distance ahead. the next 2-3 miles just plain suck- there's no real way around it. my body is still achy, it's not in the rhythm of the run yet and i want to stop- the distance is short enough i convince myself it's not a big deal, and long enough that i know it's worth it. around mile 3 or 4 my body kicks in and says hello... 'oh, this is why you run- this feels great!' there is a rhythm. there is a pattern. it becomes a dance i do with myself... i start doing weird math in my head about paces and times and distances and such; i start making bargains with myself when i feel a twinge of tired: "once i get to that crack in the sidewalk i can walk to that branch of that tree", or "once i hit this specific corner i'll know i'm halfway to halfway," or better yet, "you only have this much more to go. that's less than two laps around the track. sprint home and you win." what do i win? nothing really, just the satisfaction of knowing i ran. i worked. i pushed. i went the distance.

this little routine is how i know i'm a distance runner. if i was a sprinter, miles 1-3 could be fast, hard, amazing. my miles 1-3 are never that. they are painful reminders of why i don't like running. however, once i'm past that wall, i'm in it to win it- i could run for. ev. er. distance i tell you- slow and steady wins the race.

this translates a lot into my life in other areas: dating for example... it takes me a long time to decide i'm both feet in (like mile 1-3) but once i'm in, good luck getting rid of me. i'll go that distance. careers, school, responsibilities, duties, just things around the house: it may take me a while to get around to doing something, but once i start, i'm a barreling train, full force ahead, and i won't stop until there's nothing left. it's fun to see how this philosophy (which ties so nicely to my life motto, 'go big or go home') permeates everything from day to day things (like running) to bigger life things (like making a career or getting involved in a church). i like that i can use these seemingly superficial lessons to reflect and learn more about who i really am. i know that other people notice my endurance for distance, but i like finding out and knowing, for myself, that i'm a girl that will go the distance.

i was swimming (or trying to) the other day and a woman in the pool stopped me. she said, 'how long have you been swimming?' i said, 'well, about a month'. she continued to give me some great pointers (who doesn't love free swim lessons from azita, the russian woman who offered me her very own swim cap off her very own head ?!). at the end of our impromptu lesson she said, 'you look like a distance swimmer. i bet you could swim forever. swimmers with kicks like yours are distance swimmers'.

see, even azita could see it. and it's not even fall yet.