Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Aaaaarrrrgggghh!!!!

This is killing me. I'm trying to decide whether I should cancel my February marathon plans and switch to Susitna instead. I was looking at my training last year at this date and I'm pretty sure it's not too late. Actually, at this time last year I was in the middle of an IT band issue that had pretty much confined me to the elliptical until the end of the year, so I'm in pretty good shape. Derrick agrees, as long as I make my decision soon.

I have the gear. Sancho the sled is still in my shed. I have the fitness. I can take the time. Now, am I willing to actually do the training? You can't fake a 100 miler, especially that one where only two guys (Geoff Roes and John Stamstad in 2007) have ever run it under 24 hours. I know I WILL spend lots of time out there.

I REALLY want to run it, but training for that race is something else. I have to decide by tomorrow...

Damn.

13 comments:

Sara Montgomery said...

All I see is this:

I REALLY want to run it

I know, easy for me to say.

Anonymous said...

What about this post you made a while back:

"Another big decision I made is that I’m not going back to Susitna this year. There, I’ve said it. That breaks my heart but I just can’t contemplate the training right now. I need some down time where I can just run for the fun of it without having to worry about squeezing in 5+ hour long runs on the weekend, plus travel time if I need to find snow. I believe that the fact that I can’t even think about the training tells me that I need a break, so I’m taking it. We're going to try to spend as much time as we can at our new "cottage" and I'm going to enjoy my runs there, that's a for-sure. I'm going to call it hill training for r2r2r."

Granted, it was back in mid-October. Was that simply a moment of mental weakness and burnout? When you reread that can you honestly say that you are past the mental state you were in when you wrote it? If so, then Susitna could be in the cards...but only you can answer that.

JD said...

I know, I know but I guess that was too soon after Haliburton. Now, after volunteering/pacing at Creemore, I crave running a long race so bad it's making me depressed thinking I might have to wait until the end of May.

David said...

We all know you are going to!! So long as the Family is okay with it, then I'd say it is a done deal.

NJ said...

Only you know if you're ready to handle the training...time and circumstances were likely different at the time you wrote that. Only you know what is different now. Make the right decision for you.

For what it's worth, I understand the indecision. I had my own decision to make about a race this last summer. I wished someone had some magical nugget of wisdom, but in the end, I simply had to really look deep and decide.

Derrick said...

Wanting to run the race is one thing, but wanting and being good with the training involved to do the race is key.

JD said...

Derrick: As I often quoted (forgot who said it): ""the will to race starts with the will to train".

That's the key. Don't I know it.

Derrick said...

Juma Ikanga:
"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare"

Marathoner from Tanzania. Was notorious for going out hard and fading late. Then one day he didn't fade and ran 2:08.

Sue said...

JD, just do it! You only live once. I'd do it if I were you :)

Derrick said...

Wow, very cool. Did I just hear Sue say that she'd do it if you did it??

chris mcpeake said...

time to get that training tire out

JD said...

Chris, you must be referring to Fucker the Tire. Unfortunately, Fucker has disappeared. I hid it along the trail and now it's gone. No big loss. I'll stick with Sancho the sled.

Maryka said...

JD: Everything about your post tells me that you want to go back to Susitna. Once you make the decision to do it, you'll be motivated to train for it.
Of course, you can also join a few of us at Beast of Burden instead. And I'm sure that Sancho would be welcome ;)