Runner Insight

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This year winter in Montana hit hard and fast.  We were having a nice long Indian summer, and I had only worn my running tights a few times up until mid December. And that was only because of the wind or because I would meet my mom after my run, and we would go for a walk.  For the most part, I had been running in my running shorts and a lightweight running jacket all the way up until about the second week of December.

In fact, I wrote “Christmas Tree Run” blog a few weeks ago about running in my shorts in December!  But that ended up being the last day I was able to run outside in my running shorts. As it happens, it was the last time I’ve run outside to date.  We got hit with about 9” of snow, then the wind started to blow and the temperatures took a dive down to the land of negative numbers.  When it got that cold, I was content to stay warm and cozy inside…for about 3 days.

Then the restlessness struck, and I just couldn’t stand not running.  So I packed my gym bag and began the long and involved process of getting dressed to venture out into the beyond-frigid, frozen tundra that was now the world outside.  I swear it took me as long to get dressed as it did to waddle like a penguin in my multi-layered winter protection package to the gym, which is only a couple of blocks away.

Out of all the seasons, winter poses the most challenges for me as a blind runner. From snow to sub-zero temps to ice underfoot and freezing rain, the challenge is not in the knowing when or how to run in these elements, but rather it’s understanding and internalizing that I can’t, and finding an alternative to get my running fix.

Because I don’t see well, it’s a no-brainer for me. When there is snow on the running path, I can’t run. Same goes for temps below 20 degrees. It’s not much fun when it’s that cold, and can be dangerous if the weather takes a turn for the worse while I’m out in it.  So during these unfavorable conditions, I usually resign myself to running on a treadmill.

Treadmill workouts are not my favorite thing, but they do serve a useful purpose: mainly to keep me from going crazy from not getting my running fix!  But I have to admit that if that was all I could do – run on a treadmill – I don’t think I would be a runner. I just love running outside so much.  Even though I don’t see well, there is just something wonderful, yet indefinable about being outdoors and running that defies my understanding as to why I love it so darn much. But regardless of the reason, in order to be able to run outside when the weather is better and not have to completely start my training regimen from scratch every spring, I use the treadmill to keep myself in shape. That way I am able to do longer runs once the weather improves.

Since I don’t enjoy running on the treadmill, but find it to be a necessary evil, over the years I have developed some tricks that I use to keep myself sane while running on the treadmill.  One strategy I learned was to put a towel over the display panel of the treadmill.  This way I don’t keep looking to see how much time has passed or how much further I have to go.  I no longer need to do this, as I can’t see the display screen anymore. In fact, it’s quite comical if you’re watching, because I practically have to put my nose on it to see it.

Another thing that I do to make the treadmill running tolerable is I listen to my mp3 player.  I will select music that I have listened to during some of my different runs.  For example, while I was on vacation in Hawaii with my parents in 2002, I was listing to Shakira “Laundry Service” for the 3 weeks I was there. When I run on the treadmill, with Shakira along for the fun, I can visualize myself running along the path by the canal, watching the kayaks float by. Listening to a good book on the mp3 player can make the time go by faster, too.

Another tip is to get a treadmill by a window if you can. The gym I go to has huge picture windows, so I make it a point to get as close to one as possible. Not only is it cooler, but it gives me more of the sense of being outside.

I also use my time on the treadmill to do some speed work.  I can’t do speed work when I’m running outside, as I have to really watch where I’m going. Since I’m not able to run fast outdoors and be safe, too, I punch up the speed on the treadmill and really get a good sweat going.  I also find if I do run faster, I don’t feel like I need to spend as much time on it!

The other big positive about running on the treadmill, it actually gets me into the gym, so I am more likely to do my weight training! And that’s a good thing, isn’t it?

How ‘bout it?
-Vision Runner

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What’s involved in getting ready to run 26.2 miles?

Well I guess for me, being blind, there were two primary things: commitment and a support team.

Once I decided that I was going to run a full marathon, I had to make an absolutely unwavering commitment that I was going to do what it took to train properly for it. I knew that this meant that from January till July I was going to be running, and running a lot. My daily schedule would revolve around my job and training. Other things would have to fit in or be left out. I had to be confident that I was up for that.  No matter what, once I found my training program, I would have to stick with it rain or shine, regardless of whether I was tired or just lethargic and didn’t feel like running. This was a marathon after all, and not for wimps.  

I was older and maybe a bit wiser from earlier days, when I just ran, on a whim and completely unprepared, 16 miles one day just to see if I could do it.  That was 10 years before, and age had been on my side then. I was in my 40′s now, after all, and not seeing as well either. My eye disease had progressed to the point that I wouldn’t be able to do my longer training runs by myself. The short ones around town would be fine, because I had familiar trails, controlled paths that I didn’t have to worry too much about navigation or traffic. But for anything over 12 miles, I would need to figure out a safe route and probably have to have someone with me.

I made sure this experience would be as well thought out and well executed as possible because I really wanted this to be an enjoyable journey. I understood that the process was just as critical as the final result, especially since I knew going in that this may be the only time I want to or am able to run a marathon. After serious consideration, I decided that I was willing to make the commitment to the intensive running schedule. 

But I also had to be committed to the other sacrifices it would involve, beyond just running a lot of miles every week. It meant getting up at the first hint of dawn in the summer to get my runs in before the heat of the day, and it meant crawling out of a soft, warm, cozy bed in the dead of winter to go for a run bundled up in my less fashionable winter gear, and running during transitional seasons when I couldn’t be exactly sure what the weather was going to do, or how to dress for it.

It also meant sacrifice at the table: ordering grilled chicken instead of the Bar-B-Q ribs. Paying closer attention to what might upset my digestive system, as I didn’t want to have to postpone or miss a run cause my stomach was unhappy or I wasn’t feeling well. It was a sacrifice, but it also felt good that I was on a mission, striving towards a goal.

This commitment thing so far involved sacrificing my sleep schedule, my eating routines, my fashion coordination, and…Oh yeah, my social life.  Once I really got into some serious miles, I knew it would take time away from my family and friends, and things that they might be doing that I might not get to do because it conflicted with my training schedule.

But that is where a good support team comes into play. As I mentioned previously, one of the reasons I never considered running a marathon before was I did not have a support team.  For me, that was truly the most vital and important key to train for and run a marathon.  I could run all the miles I wanted to, but I knew without the support of my family, I would not be successful in my attempt to run a full marathon. Fortunately I did have the full support of my partner, family, and friends, so it became a goal that I could focus on achieving without having to contend with doubt as to my ability to attain it. Obviously I had some logistical obstacles to contend with due to my vision issues, but my commitment was strong and my support team was in place. I didn’t know exactly what the journey would entail, but I was ready to get started . . . training for a 26.2 mile marathon run six months down the road….gotta run. 

How ‘bout it?

 Vision Runner

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I have been running since 1992.  I love running.  You could say it’s my passion. There are few things that get me as excited and motivated as the thought of a good, long run.  Now I’m not talking about those “Ultra-Ultra-Marathons” “Run-all-day-and-all-night, keep-running-till-you-puke-and-then-keep-going-till-you’re-a-bag-of-hallucinating-slobbering-loosely-mashed-meat-in-running-shorts-and-then-keep-going-some-more” kind of long runs. Good for Dean Karnazes and Pam Reed and Scott Jurek and all those other “beyond hardy” folks, but that’s not what appeals to me, at all. I’m guessing that the enjoyment probably fades somewhere past the 30 or 40 or 50 mile mark or so, and then at that point, one is just doing it because their brain cells have relented, no longer trying to convince them to stop, and are leaving it up to the rest of the body to do or die….I don’t really know where that stems from. Good for them, and I respect their dedication, but not really my bag of chips.

So when I say “long run”, let me define it for you. The furthest I had run, before I started contemplating the marathon in 2007, was 16 miles.  I did this on a whim, one summer day back in 1998. I had it in my head that if I could run 16 miles, I could certainly run 26.

Mind you, when I did those 16 miles, it took me 4 hours. That’s not moving too fast. The first 3 were up a very steep road in a beautiful canyon. The next 5 or so were downhill on a gravel road.  After that it was along an overgrown trail for a few miles to a nice path that had once been an old railroad route. Then the 3 miles home which was on top of a very long steep hill.  Well you probably get the picture. It was beautiful, definitely one of the benefits of living in Montana. But obviously, the up and down like a yo-yo thing, really not the most well-thought out plan, or the ideal route to run that many miles for the first time when my average long run was normally about 5 miles. 

Oh, did I forget to mention that it was also very hot that day?  It was, and it certainly was a challenge to bring enough water.  I wore a CamelBak Hydration Pack.  Once that was empty, I had to drink from a creek and small waterfall along the route.  I ate a very chewy protein bar to supplement on the run. Again, not the best choice for sustenance on the trail, but I survived. Not the end of the world.

Obviously I had no idea what I was doing, and I laugh now at my lack of preparation and knowledge. Spontaneity, pure determination, and the love of running propelled me to do it in the first place. When I had finished that run though, I felt that if I wanted to, I could do a marathon.  

At the time, though, I didn’t want to do a marathon. It really didn’t appeal to me. Probably I discounted the thought because my hometown did not offer a marathon, and I didn’t want to have to travel to run in one. The logistics of it were intimidating. That, coupled with the fact that at the time, I did not have a good support team. It wasn’t so much the running of it that was in question. I could still see well enough to run it. It was the thought of going by myself that was unmanageable, as, due to my gradual vision loss, I was at the point where I had stopped driving.

It wasn’t until years later that I even considered running a marathon again. I had a good support team now, family and friends that were totally supportive of my endeavors, but the thought of running in a city I was not familiar with seemed too daunting a task: my eyesight had deteriorated even further, and running in a town that I didn’t know well didn’t seem practical.

As it happened, one day in December of 2006, T was reading the paper, and mentioned that our town was going to have their first marathon.  Well I was excited and animated over this bit of news. She was surprised, as I had never, in the 2 ½ years I’d known her, mentioned my desire to run a marathon. But she quickly got on board, and supported my decision.

Looking back, I’d say my desire to run a marathon was based on 3 things: the mystique of it, the challenge, and the ensuing sense of accomplishment.

The mystique of a marathon is very alluring.  It is, indeed, a very select few who will run a marathon in their lifetime.  Another runner once told me that he only ran half marathons, because when you tell the average person that you ran a half marathon, they only hear the word “marathon” anyway. They never hear “half”, and are consequently duly impressed with the accomplishment.  But I knew this would never suffice for me, because I would know, and it was me I was running for, for my own enjoyment, not to impress any one else. So my big goal was the actual 26.2 mile marathon.

Throughout my running career, I have continually been challenging myself to run further.  Not necessarily faster, but certainly further. Obviously, for a person with vision issues, faster is not always better. But endurance, stamina, and longer distances, those are challenges I can work with without endangering life, limb and miscellaneous pedestrians and puppies.

And that brings me to my last reason for wanting to run a marathon: a sense of accomplishment.   To me, nothing else compared to a marathon.  It was the ultimate goal to strive for, and achieve in my running career. I really only needed to do it once, to be able to know that I had done it – but if I enjoyed it, not just the race itself, but the entire process, there’s no telling where it could take me.

How ’bout it?

Vision Runner

Please leave your comments and any insights you have below… We look forward to hearing from you!  Thanks!

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