The Wall

You hear athletes talk about hitting the wall when they are working out. Others call it an off day. I always wondered how someone could wake up and just not have it. I realize we all have bad days and that goes for athletes and would be athletes. The web site Marathon & Beyond (http://www.marathonandbeyond.com/choices/latta.htm) the wall for a runner is hit beceause: "in the excitement of the moment, to start out at a pace that’s too fast for you. Big mistake. Your heart cannot pump enough blood to ensure a steady supply of oxygen to the muscles. At this point, your muscles have no choice but to burn glucose in the absence of oxygen. The anaerobic metabolism of glucose, as it’s called, is inefficient, yielding only about 1/18 as much energy (in the form of ATP) as aerobic metabolism,"

So...what does that mean? Essentailly by pacing yourself from the start you can save your body from being sapped to soon. Your inital pace is so key. You have to be able to contain yourself. Until this Saturday I must have been doing that more effeciently. It was my Team in Trainings first attepmpt at a 10 mile run. I admit I only completed 8.5 of it, I believe, because I started too quickly for the first 3 miles and burned out too soon. I definitley felt a tingling in my feet and weight on me I had never experienced. By mile 3 I slowed down soo much i went from the middle of the pack straight to the back. It was an experience I had never felt before and was rather frustrating. But you have to keep trying to push through I slowed down more on mile 4 and started to see my pack turn around, so around 4.25 I turned around in advance in order for me to have the oppertunity to finish within a reasonable time. I did come in one of the last people and ran about 8.5 miles (Now let me say that's still a personal best) but it was a total struggle. All I know is I'm greatful i have a good paid of Saucony's that dragged me to my conclusion. But all new runners know you will hit the wall. You will have off days where you just don't have it. And it's ok. Like my coach says "Keep pushing and if you have an off day, make the next day better"

Here's to the next day.

About Step Over step, mile over mile blog

Before I post anything I wanted to give you a little background on the author "Doc". I am a new runner. Meaning I've never run anything since High School sprints (and my last track meet was in 1996). Doing any running of distance is new to my body and mind. So I'm training for the Country Music Marathon on April 26th 2008. Before I went into training I weighed around 213 lbs and am 5'11, and I ran a 15:10 mile. As I've progressed the first two months were a bit rough, lots of being sore. My mile time in December (1 month into my training) during a 4 mile run went to 12:36. My second race (5 miler) my mile time now stand at 10:54. Subtly making improvements. At present I'm down to 205 lbs.

This blog will host to the struggles and successes that a newbie runner would face. Well at least that I will face. I will analyze certain aspects of my running and if enough people start posting questions, I will respond to those either in blogs or from the post section of this blog.

Happy running and happy readings.