Sitting at Brunch on Sunday after the 10 miler, my running buddy Megan asked "What is the Blog going to say about Cherry Blossom?" In my post-race stupor, I told her that all I could remember noticing was asphalt. The great thing about that is that it meant I was actually, finally, focused during a race. The bad news is that being that tuned in sort of makes for a boring blog report, but I'll see what I can do.
I had two goals going into this race. One was to not stop. There was stopping at Chicago. There was stopping in Disney World. I wanted no stopping this time. The second goal, which would help me achieve the first, was to not give in to my Inner Piglet. You know Piglet -- the tiny voice that goes "Oooooo! Is my Achilles supposed to feel like that?"; or "Ooooo! is this crazy breathing turning into asthma?"; or "Eeeeeee! How can I feel this bad when I am only half way through?" Instead I needed to do more Tigger-type thinking, which goes more like this: "Five miles more to go? No problemo! Five miles is what Tiggers do best!"; or "Pot hole I just rolled my ankle in? Tiggers LOVE potholes!"; and also "Hill at the end? My top is made out of rubber! My bottom is made out of springs!"
In truth, I don't recall having any truly exuberant Tigger-type moments. It was more an ongoing argument with myself, but at least, this time, consistent forward motion kept winning that argument. It's all about fooling and lying to yourself when it gets hard. Tricks and distractions. I think the difference between this race and previous races, besides it being shorter, and besides my just being tired of punking out, was that I prepared. Every spare moment I had two days before the race I used to go over my list of tricks. Many have been given to me by Taneen Carvell, who has been steadfastly hoping that I might actually employ one or two of them in a race situation. Others I learned by happy accident.
1. Find Pre-Race Cheerleaders.
If I can rally with other running friends before the race, it helps. If I can rally a friend who seems more nervous than I am, it helps. If I can wake up a friend who isn't running my race and therefore would have liked to sleep in with a Can-I-get-a-rally-last-minute-cry-for-help text, it helps (thanks, Leigh!).
2. Salute the starting line announcer.
I try not to wave and high-five people during the race as it wastes energy. However, I equate a salute to the race announcer as I cross the start line to putting the work pumps on before going to work. It preps me for the job ahead. It's not a jog. It's not a social event. It's time for work.
3. Be one with the buffalo.
The only way to make any headway in a field as crowded as Cherry Blossom is to go with the flow and dive into every available hole. This is a challenge for a polite person like me. But do buffalo politely step aside or yield to other buffalo? Hell no! Stampede!!!
4. Find a beacon.
If I am lucky, I can find someone (unbeknownst to them) to try and keep up with. They will effectively pull me across the finish line. For me it is best if they are wearing a bright color or something that flaps. This race, I found it in the form of a neon-pink tank top. It was perfect because even when I was so toasted I didn't know where I was or what my legs were actually doing, I could still see and mindlessly follow the neon pink blur. I thanked her in the finishing chute, and she admitted she had been following her own beacon. 6 degrees of Cherry Blossom Beacon!
One of my least favorite locations to run is Hains Point. It is a total mind-f#^%. It looks like it should be cake. It's flat. It's straight until you go around the point, then it's straight and flat some more. But there's wind. And it gets narrow and cramped with so many runners. And on the way to the point, you can't see the point, so it feels endless. Plus, it oozes the bad feeling of past training runs gone bad. So for instance, when I passed the restrooms that I once stopped at on a hot day and watched my knee puff up to near immobility, making the return trips one of my most painful runs ever, I flinched. And then I asked myself if I was content to be Hains Point's bitch today. I was not!
6. Invent enemies.
Aggression on these things is helpful if not necessary. Battling yourself for an hour or more gets tedious. Battling someone else can be a nice change of pace, literally. I'm supportive of all runners and training groups. But there is one local group that is easy for me to vilify, although not for any good reason. In fact, I think of joining them every year. But their jerseys are obnoxiously bright and therefore easy to spot. I caught one in my peripheral vision, trying to pass me. It did not STAY past me.
7. Self hypnosis.
You can use mantras for this or visualization - the point is repetition to the point where you stop hearing Piglet and stop feeling anything. My mantra worked to the point where I don't even remember what it was. I just remember starting it around mile 8.5 and using it until I crested the hill before the finish line. I suspect it was "Get it done!" Or possibly "Don't be late!" (brunch reservations were for 9:30).
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