Rain

There is a movie from the mid 80's called "The Mission" that I remember little about except that it was set in the South American jungle and was about Spanish missionaries who take the side of the Indians they are supposed to convert in the face of the evil Portugese. There is one scene where one of the missionaries, in search of a penance that will absolve him of a murder, ends up pushing something really heavy up a steep jungly hill in the pouring rain. It takes all he's got and at the end it is clear that in doing this he's unloaded his guilt.

That scene was in my mind as I ran this afternoon. As evidenced by the neglect my blog has seen in the last week, its been difficult to get any kind of running routine of late. My workouts actually haven't been bad since I last checked in:

Thurs - 6x600 in 1:51; 1:51; 1:51; 1:51; 1:52; 1:53 and 7.5 miles total.
Fri - 8 miles (Sweetbriar to 48th St. loop)
Sat. - 3.5 miles Cobbs Creek-Cedar Ave loop.

but it hasn't felt right. Thursday's track workout went well, I was supposed to nail these in 1:52.5 and felt they were just at my fitness level. I'd typically go through the 400 mark feeling strong and then really have to push the last 200. In the last rep I got through 400 right at 75 but just couldn't get it in 1:52. Friday I was supposed to do 2 sessions of 4 miles apiece but overslept that morning and did one 8-mile loop, untimed, to get the mileage in. Yesterday I was supposed to do another track workout which I missed for lack of a 2-hour window to get out to the track. I stole about 45 minutes and got in the run I did, again untimed. It feels alot better to have a few miles run then to have a DNR, but I still hate having to miss a track workout.

That left me with a blah feeling about my training and an unenthusiastic attitude towards my second attempt on Saturday at a sub 16 5k. Just don't feel it happening. The course at the Clean Air 5k, an out and back on Kelly Drive, is flat enough but there is a 180 degree turnaround and the lack of prize money this year will mean that there probably be much less competition than there was last year. So I have no doubt I'll run it hard, I don't see the conditions there for sub 16. But I'm not ruling it out.

So with all that I looked out the window at heavy rain this morning. Schedule called for a 15 miler. I hate running in the rain and the rain is not supposed to let up all day. I postpone my run for the afternoon when it is supposed to lighten up and go about my day. I know if I don't go out today than I will lose alot of confidence in the level of my fitness. But still, 15 miles in this soup would suck. At 2 I call Rebecca, who was also set to do her long run this afternoon. She chatted about gearing up for the run and I realized that, seeing this example, I had to go out this afternoon as well. To make it more dramatic, I invoked that scene from The Mission, with the hopes that doing this run would somehow have cathartic powers to again get me eager to go out and race next weekend.

The reality of course was more mundane. I put on an old pair of Asics racers without socks, shorts a shirt and a hooded windbreaker and took off to do a figure 8 down to the Art Museum and around the Drives. My pace felt strong and the thin sole and lack of socks made it feel, with each footstroke, that my stride was in touch with the surface. The rain wasn't heavy by this point and I felt it was okay. I hit MLK, the first checkpoint, in about 26 minutes, completed the 4-mile MLK portion in 29 minutes; completed the 4-mile Kelly Dr. portion in 25:37 (including mile 3 in 6 flat and mile 4 in 5:52) and then finished the last section in 24:33. Had to take evasive maneuvers to avoid the rising Schuylkill in places and tied my windbreaker around my waist on Kelly Drive as the rain slowed to a drizzle, only to have it start to pour again - leaving me drenched. But no matter, it was a good run. 15 miles in 1:45:06.

I feel more like I avoided losing any further ground than I did anything that really enhances my fitness. I'll take that. I also felt a solidarity for those folks I know running Boston tomorrow. A quick tally this afternoon led to 12 people I know who are running it. The forecast is for more of the same, and I hope they are not disheartened to have months of training lead to the prospect of a soggy slog. If I could tell them something it would be to take heart, if you're like me things are likely to be better than the mind makes them out to be. And good luck out there.