The Marathon has called... Again.
Back To My Running Safe Zone
My fascination for the marathon dates back to my earliest days as a runner. It was the ultimate goal. The end boss of running. The supreme racing distance. And although I painfully demystified the marathon many times, I still believe that’s true.
18 and Life
I have run 18 marathons in my life. That’s not a large number. Some runners participate in marathon events every weekend, and things like the “100 Marathons Clubs” exist for a reason.
For me, the marathon has always been something special, even after I started running ultramarathons, too. For years, I regarded the marathon as the epitome of my progress as a runner. As long as I kept hitting new PBs, my (running) world was ok.
Between 2019 and 2020, this house of cards started to crumble. With two painful marathon DNFs and the pandemic, I left behind the marathon and made no further attempt to train for and run it seriously.
Full and Empty
Until late 2022. Western States had left my soul both, full and empty. Full of formative experiences, and totally empty of drive and enthusiasm to embark on any new running project. In the end, it was the marathon that dragged me out of this no(wo)mansland:
I took training seriously and progressed well. Not least because of my coach, Karim Ramadan, who found the perfect balance between challenging workouts and sufficient rest.
One week before my targeted A-race, however, I’ve been thrown back to zero by a nagging injury that derailed my running for almost 3 months. Could it have been avoided? Maybe. But that’s not what I want to discuss today.
I involuntarily ended up running in the mountains again, had a great Sierre-Zinal race as my season highlight, and once again found myself both, totally full and empty. Great.
You only live once, so do everything twice
So why not pull the trick a second time? If training for a road marathon has gotten me out of my blues once, then it can do it again, right? Right!?
Said and done.
So here I am, in my 6th week of marathon training, and 7 weeks left to go until the Valencia Marathon. Yes, Valencia. After Sierre-Zinal, this will be my second season highlight for 2023.
So what did you miss actually?
Not much. As usual, Karim started the new training block with a large chunk of base building, gradually increasing volume and intensity.
Also, as usual, I have the feeling I want and need to train more and harder than my assigned workouts, but that’s just the old (running) me, trying to play through the running game with a crowbar. Been there, done that. I’ll stick with the smart way, again.
“That’s just the old (running) me, trying to play through the running game with a crowbar.”
But, to be honest, it hasn’t made “click” yet. Yes, I am running ok volumes and yes, there are at least 2 workouts per week that leave me pleasingly exhausted, but the gears are not gripping yet. During my last 2 build-ups, this sensation came completely out of nowhere, so I am practicing patience. Not my biggest strength.
My running safe zone
The most important thing is that this new training cycle gives my life structure and continuity. I once called marathon training my “running safe zone” and it really feels like that. My weeks have a clear structure, I am given feasible tasks, and, hopefully soon, I see constant progression.
What’s the goal for the Valencia Marathon?
That, I’ll discuss in another Das Z Letter soon. But let me tell you already, that the last 4 years without a serious attempt to run a fast marathon have left me quite clueless about what I want from it. I still feel the same fascination for the 42.195 km as described above, but I don’t really know what my role in it is, so to say.
But I am willing to find that out. Maybe it will take me until I’m already hitting the asphalt on the streets of Valencia. What I can clearly feel, though, is the desire to reunite with the marathon. For better or worse.
Everything not Running
To be honest, the last few days, weeks, months, and years have left me more and more restless. It is such an overkill of violence, sorrow, anger, menace, ignorance, hate, and despair, that it more and more often leaves me paralyzed and clueless.
I generally see myself as a positive person. All things considered. And even if I’m at war with the world around me now and then, I have the drive to turn my discontent into vigor and do something about it. Sadly, I have seen much of this vigor decreasing, lately.
We had a Burger Club dinner the other night and I asked my closest friends for tangible actions we can take, to make things less bad. I am speaking of all the things that are going wrong in the world right now.
I am still open for suggestions, so feel free to leave a comment.
In the face of relentlessly bad and traumatizing news, self-care and goal-setting are more important than ever, so marathon training matters in that regard. I use my running to cope with the bad news. I don’t believe it’s escapist; it’s fortifying and calming. The other main thing, as a parent and partner, is do all you can to be loving to your loved ones and to strangers too. Spread kindness.