The Doldrums
Over the past couple of weeks I have experienced a series of nexuses.
Our training mileage began to creep up and I caught a cold--nexus
It snowed, it got colder--nexus
My cold lingered, it snowed again--nexus
Yesterday a non-running friend asked me:
"Don't you ever get tired of running?" -- the ultimate nexus!
My first reaction was to immediately respond "NO, I love running" but something stopped me and made me think and consider my answer. You see runners, especially endurance runners feel an obligation to defend our sport. Oh yes, we readily admit to begin a bit wacko but we tell everyone who ask, and sometimes those who don't just how much fun it is to run hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles just to prepare for one little 26.2 mile jaunt. Please know that we don't do this just to impress those less wacko than ourselves. We mainly do it to persuade ourselves that it is indeed true. A defensive mechanism to keep us going. So as I said, I stopped and thought for a moment and...
That brought me to the topic of today's blog: The Doldrums
In general I think we usually think of the doldrums in warmer terms, you know like:
Argh Matey, we've been becalmed in these here doldrums near the Tropic of Capricorn for nigh on to a fortnight. We be out of warm beer and bread, avast what I wouldn't give for a cheeseburger in paradise.
You get the picture, doldrums, a state of stagnation or a slump, a spell of listlessness.
I knew when I decided to train for a spring marathon that I would find it difficult to get sufficient mileage in during the winter months. I was so cognizant of that that I joined Lifetime Fitness so I could flee to a nice warm fitness club. But that means running on the treadmill, oft referred to as the "dreadmill". As the old saying goes, if you're not the leader of the pack your view from the rear never changes.
Even the manufacturers of treadmills must recognize it. When you set the time for your run they don't allow more than 60 minutes. I am surprised they don't put bright yellow warning label:
"CAUTION RUNNING ON THIS DREADMILL FOR DURATIONS IN EXCESS OF 60 MINUTES CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH"
Only under the most dire conditions should one subject themselves to this torturous method of covering miles. That means that there are still many miles to be run-----outside on the snowy dark and cold streets.
Thus, this week when presented with that question I was forced to admit, not only to my friend but also to myself. By golly, yes, I do sometimes get tired of all this running. It is sometimes hard for me to come home in the evening (I simply can't get out of a warm bed in the morning to run) stuff myself like a sausage into multiple layers of tight technical fabric and leave a nice warm home to run in the dark and cold. Then to come home, eat to replace the calories and rather than doing those all important stretches, to fall asleep in the chair missing a favorite TV show. Yes, I admit, sometimes I do tire of doing this 4 or 5 times each week.
Now please know that I do not write this to ask for any sympathy. We runners deserve NO sympathy! Any discomfort or pain or inconvenience that we incur is 100% self inflicted. IT IS ALL OUR OWN FAULT!
I write this simply to chronicle my journey toward Boston to someday when they reach the age of reason to help my Grandchildren understand that reaching a goal is not always easy. That endurance requires persistence.
Next time I'll share with you how I managed to get out of the doldrums, to get closer to that cheeseburger in paradise.
Until then,
Eric
aka RunGrampyRun
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