My Creds

OK, so I didn't run track in high school or any school for that matter. I'm not a track coach. I have not been running for 20 years. I'm not the fastest runner (not the slowest either). I'm not winning my age group (yet) and I haven't yet qualified for Boston (yes, it only counts if you qualify).

But I am proud of where I've come from and what I've achieved over the last 3 years.

Scranton, PA Steamtown Marathon 2006 - 3:38

LAPD Lewes Deleware Half Marathon 2007 - 1:41

Princeton Fete 10k 2007 - 43:41

Big Chill 5k New Brunswick, NJ 2006 - 20:14

Beyond those PR's I've run a dozen or so 10ks. Maybe 10, 10ks, a couple 5 milers and 10 milers and 3 or so half marys (I love half marathons. There's a post on that topic I'm sure).

I'm not sure how I'm doing it but I've been on a PR streak. I have PR'd every race I've run in. I can't quite figure that out. I'm getting older but faster. I've had many theories on this but keep coming back to this one.

I'm either not running 100% race day or I'm not training optimally and learning more each year. I suspect it's the later since there's plenty of races where I'm about ready to puke as I cross the finish. (I'll cover the Steamtown Marathon some other time). I'm sure it's not that I'm a genetic freak like those guys (and many girls) running 5 minute miles or faster.

It's taken lots of hard work for these times and although I'm proud of them, I'm not yet close to qualifying for Boston. Then again when I see what others are doing including Seth (my bro-in-law) I'm not doing nearly what the other half (or top third) is doing in terms of training and commitment.

I've trained hard and have been very committed but have seen that there are different levels of commitment that goes along with progressive increases in performance.

I'm pretty sure that my first marathon training season I was doing the most I could without risking injury (and I still got injured - groin/hip and as my wife tells it to my friends "my pubis"). But after that initial "Let's just make sure I finish but at a respectable time (3:51)" I found it pretty hard to stay as committed as I did.

Yes I ran a more challenging training program and put more miles in but I didn't watch what I ate as much. I didn't work the core and get in to the gym and of course I didn't cut back on the beer/wine like I did the summer before.

Although I took 13 minutes off my previous marathon (I've run 2 so far), once you get up to the point of getting beyond "just finishing or picking a time that is just beyond just finishing" there's a whole other level of training.

I'm pretty sure that once you can past that first one and maybe the 2nd like I did, you realize to get faster (as you get older!) there's a whole other level of training.

I see my brother in law (granted 3-4 years younger). BTW I'm 39 next week, training twice as long as I do. He's in the gym, Oh something like 4-5 days a week but also was running 5 days a week on top of that. Not just running but full on training (track, tempo, hills, long, pace, plyometrics...) and he's pretty fast. I'm trying to keep up.

So what's holding me back from getting to the next level?

Time - I don't have the time to train like that. Or I can't make the time to train like that. He's up at 5:30 running and then hitting the gym after work and when he was training for the Iron Man, swimming at lunch.

Commitment - I still like to eat when I go out and every once in awhile I like french fries (and other things). I still like a glass of wine (or two or more) a few times a week. I don't get to the gym because I hate the gym. In general with my training if I don't have it in writing and don't have someone helping me push I can't get all of these cylinders firing at once for 4 months (It's a way of life and not just 4 months though).

So when it comes down to it, it's commitment. I can find the time to do this (I could be doing crunches, stretching, yoga... but I'm writing this instead as Kill Bill volume 1 is on) but choose not too.

Maybe this is the proper balance. Maybe it shouldn't be the most important thing in my life just as long as it is important in my life.

Either way, I'll try pretty hard to keep my PR record going (actually 5 years if you count a couple of pauses in my running years at the beginning) but you know what? I can't let it kill me if I don't PR in my next 10k. There's the Revolutionary Run 10k coming up on July 4th, the day after I turn 39. I haven't been training for it but it's a tradition.

I'll think I'll run just to run. If I PR, great, if not the streak ends but you know what? It's going to happen. I'm approaching 40 and at some point my body is going to say "that's as fast as you can run and you're getting older".

Stay tuned and I'll let you know how it turns out.