Last night I was talking with someone who is training to run their second ultra event.
An ultra event according to ultrarunning.com is any event over 26.2 miles. Which is the typical length of a marathon.
During the course of the conversation I learned that there is an ultra event in California through Death Valley, in the dead middle of summer.
It gets so hot apparently that the runners will run on the white line because temperature's can get up to 200° on the blacktop.
"Whatever posesses them to do that?" I asked astonished.
The reply was "what possesses any of us to do the events we do?"
The conversation quickly led to the number of injuries we acquire throughout the brutal process of training and conditioning.
I'm not sure how many in total I've had but just the ones I can tick off are: pulled hamstring, 'turf toe', pulled a muscle in my back. I've bruised my arm while working out. Countless leg cramps. Minor scraps and bruises.
Why do we keep pushing? Keep training?
Is it because we're crazy, or dedicated?
I used to think I would never in a million years run a marathon. But now...now I wouldn't mind. I actually hope a marathon, or the very least that a half marathon is in my future.
Sure, there's plenty of ways to train to avoid injury. But life happens.
That's what keeps us going I think. For the next race, for the next journey.
I'll do it better, stronger faster then I did this time. Its setting up goals then kicking them in face after you beat them!
Or at the very least, we do it for the endorphins ;)
As Elle Wood said in Legally Blonde "People who exercise are happy. Happy people just don't murder their husbands." ...okay so I got the wording wrong...
An ultra event according to ultrarunning.com is any event over 26.2 miles. Which is the typical length of a marathon.
During the course of the conversation I learned that there is an ultra event in California through Death Valley, in the dead middle of summer.
It gets so hot apparently that the runners will run on the white line because temperature's can get up to 200° on the blacktop.
"Whatever posesses them to do that?" I asked astonished.
The reply was "what possesses any of us to do the events we do?"
The conversation quickly led to the number of injuries we acquire throughout the brutal process of training and conditioning.
I'm not sure how many in total I've had but just the ones I can tick off are: pulled hamstring, 'turf toe', pulled a muscle in my back. I've bruised my arm while working out. Countless leg cramps. Minor scraps and bruises.
Why do we keep pushing? Keep training?
Is it because we're crazy, or dedicated?
I used to think I would never in a million years run a marathon. But now...now I wouldn't mind. I actually hope a marathon, or the very least that a half marathon is in my future.
Sure, there's plenty of ways to train to avoid injury. But life happens.
That's what keeps us going I think. For the next race, for the next journey.
I'll do it better, stronger faster then I did this time. Its setting up goals then kicking them in face after you beat them!
Or at the very least, we do it for the endorphins ;)
As Elle Wood said in Legally Blonde "People who exercise are happy. Happy people just don't murder their husbands." ...okay so I got the wording wrong...
These events build us to be tougher. Forms us into the athlete, the warrior we were meant to be.
Can you make your health part of your Lenten goal? A co-worker of mine said she never gives up anything for Lent. Instead she completes or finishes. This Lenten season she is finishing training to run her first 5k.
Romans 5:4 says "and endurance produces character, and character produces hope."
I've decided to run the Warrior Dash. Keep moving. keep building. Keep hoping.
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