Sunday July 16th at 19:00 I did my first run. I know from experience in my time doing endurance events that I needed to pace myself. Going out too fast in these early runs would cost me in the long run. Mental note, be smart and go easy. I had a plan to alternate between one run on the roads around our house, then a run on the local track just minutes away from our house. The track is a little more forgiving on the legs and that seemed to be smart planning in order to be successful in this challenge. In between runs the plan was to eat, sleep when possible, take ice baths, stretch or do some yoga, just be smart with my time and focus on recovery.
Spoiler Alert, I completed the challenge as I had set out to do. Here are some numbers from the challenge:
12 total runs
5 Road runs, 7 Track runs
7 sleeps for 13.5 hours
5 ice baths
14 NUUN Tablets
Alternated between two pairs of shoes for each run
Total Distance 48 Miles or 78.24 Kilometers
Total Time 9:34:40
One pretty big pile of laundry.
Running the track at night in the dark is really exhilarating.
There was no medal for completing this. No t-shirt or finish line with spectators or family waiting. At 16:06:24 on Tuesday July 18th my device clocked mile 4 and I pushed the stop button. That was it, me on an empty track having completed this birthday challenge. I only wanted to quit once. On Monday morning when I woke up for the 03:00 run I thought about how easy it would be to just go back to sleep, I didn't. There were some really ugly runs along the way as well. The 03:00 run on Tuesday morning was a mental challenge to say the least. This was a run on the roads and I was simply out of it mentally. I needed to take some walking breaks just so I could focus. I didn't want to quit, I didn't feel bad, I just was feeling tired and unable to get my mind into what I was doing. This was the worst mental moment of the challenge. This is pretty small in terms of what can happen mentally during such a challenge.
The final two runs at 11:00 and 15:00 on Tuesday were not pretty let me tell you. My hamstrings, hips and lower back were all really tight and didn't like what I was asking of them. But even with some pain involved I just didn't feel like quitting. I needed walk breaks and I did the final four runs of the challenge on the track. The track is so much more forgiving than the pavement. I was also surprised at how focused the running in circles made me during those runs. For much of Tuesday after 07:00 I was fatigued physically. Mentally I was surprised at how sharp I was. Spiritually it was an amazing journey the whole way through.
The purpose of any challenge should be to grow in some capacity as a person. I thought a lot about life and how amazing the gift of life is. I thought about my self absorbed complaining and how little I really have to complain about. I really need to work on that, challenge accepted. The metrics I measure my fitness by now at 54 are different than they were when I was 44. I simply can't go as fast any longer, I' alright with that because I am still doing it. The metrics I measure success by have also changed and evolved. Going slower is a good thing. Taking the time to look at life from a different angle can help us understand that we are capable of growing and changing. Moving the needle can mean looking at your own perceptions and digging into why they have such power in your life.
The challenge is to grow and make the world a better place. The challenge is to be an example to others. The challenge is to understand that you are a valuable part of the solution. When we accept the challenge we are saying I'm open to whatever may come. Life isn't absolutes and guarantees. Its mystery and I don't need to have all the answers, just the heart to explore it all with exuberance and a Spirit of joy. Hmmmm, what will be the challenge for my 55th Birthday?
"Live remarkable and follow the Spirit in your heart."
Daniel
