Summer Planning: How Much Do I Hate Myself?

I have a rare opportunity this summer which is also the terminus for a major chapter in my running career. I'm currently a graduate student in New York City and will finish school in May. I'm also fortunate enough to have a good, though demanding, job lined up to start sometime this Fall. That means I'll have more time than a normal person should have for training in the Spring; as much time as a vagrant during the summer; and less time than a political prisoner in the Fall and then after. Most of my classmates in similar positions will spend the summer traveling and seeing the world. I know myself well enough that I wouldn't be satisfied with this passive enjoyment of my Summer. Seeing isn't a worthwhile use of my time, doing is.

Thus, I have a ample block of time to do something big, and a desire to do something hard. On my 'Running Bucket List', I've made some good progress in the last few years:

• I ran what I judged as a 'perfect race' in the 2008 Rock & Roll Arizona Half Marathon
• I won my age group in another Half in 2010
• I finished a 50+ mile race in July 2010
• I qualified for the Boston Marathon 2 weeks ago at R&R AZ 2011

I'm very happy with and proud of these accomplishments; but I'm also far too young to call it a career and retire. I feel I can still add noteworthy achievements to this list. On top of that urge to do more, I'm going into these next two seasons with the assumption that I probably won't have time to adequately train for a marathon once I start my new job, let alone an Ultra. That means it's now or never for my greatest ambitions.

In figuring out what to do next, I'm trying to weigh what I want to do with what I have the desire to do. I want to do something phenomenal that makes people question my sanity and makes me smile when I reflect on the grit and heart it took to accomplish. However, I'm not sure if I have the appetite for what would be self-induced 'death by a thousand miles' that would be the requisite training. Realistically, if I want to finish one of the major trail ultras, then I'll have to train with 100-mile weeks, and I've never come close to that kind of volume.


As a trial, I spent this past week pushing myself to see what kind of volume I can handle, mentally and physically. I did 9-12 miles each morning, then tried to tack on a few extra in the afternoon just to keep from getting too 'fresh' before the next day's run. The final tally was 80 miles, and I think I emerged in decent shape. Physically, my legs are worn and my feet hurt, but nothing a rest day won't fix. Mentally, I came to accept the redundancy and routine of my 'morning 9', and was able to bounce back for more in short order. Short-term, I was fine. I just worry about the long-term toll it will take on my body and the limits of my mental stamina.

With all of those considerations, I've thought of a few possible goals. I just need to figure out which pursuit or combination of pursuits to choose. 

• Gold Coast Marathon (Gold Coast, Australia - July 2nd) - Probably the only place in the world I'd make an exception for on my 'no passive vacations' rule is Australia. I don't know why, but I feel for Australia like a sixth grade boy feels about the Playboy Mansion. I'm not entirely clear with what goes on down there, but I just gotta go check it out. The idea with this race would be try to lower my marathon PR (maybe down to 3:00), then take a few weeks to explore the land and figure out what makes Kangaroos so awesome and see what Vegemite tastes like. 
• Midnight Madness 50 Miler (Tulsa, OK - July 1st) - On the upside: I did this race last year, it's an easy course, and it's in my hometown. On the downside: I did this race last year, it's an easy course, and it's in my hometown. While the comforts of home and a flat route are nice, I think I want something more ambitious. That's not a deal breaker, though. This race is early enough that I could treat it as a training run for whatever I end up doing later in the Summer. 
• White River 50 Mile Endurance Run (Crystal Mountain, WA - July 30th) - A distance that's tolerable and a race that's respectable. WR50 would be a memorable trail experience around Mt. Rainier, and is a hard enough obstacle be worthy of 7 months of focused training. I could do this race and be happy with the way I spent my summer, and maybe with how I close the book on my Ultra career. 
• Leadville 100 Trail Run (Leadville, CO - August 21) - I could say everything I said about White River 50, and that's just on the outbound leg of this race. This one is the legend. What's more ambitious than 100 miles of trails and 13,000 feet of elevation change, all between 9,000 & 12,000 feet above sea level? And what race in the U.S. is more esteemed among runners in the know (other than Western States and Badwater)? This race offers challenge like BP oil rigs offer risk. 

It most likely comes down to a decision between White River and Leadville. White River would give me plenty of accomplishment, and wouldn't be as demanding during the prolonged period of training. Additionally, I have to wonder if my life is really incomplete if I don't run a 100 Miler? Probably not. In my mind, these are all great reasons to run White River and not subject myself to the suffering of 100 miles. On the other hand, and I can't put this any other way: White River just isn't Leadville.


I put a poll on the right sidebar. Let me know what you think I should do.


-John

States' War on Runners

From this morning's New York Times: Several states are considering legislation to BAN EARPHONES FOR PEDESTRIANS AND RUNNERS!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/us/26runners.html?hp

The ubiquity of interactive devices has propelled the science of distraction — and now efforts to legislate against it — out of the car and into the exercise routine.

In New York, a bill is pending in the legislature’s transportation committee that would ban the use of mobile phones, iPods or other electronic devices while crossing streets — runners and other exercisers included. Legislation pending in Oregon would restrict bicyclists from using mobile phones and music players, and a Virginia bill would keep such riders from using a “hand-held communication device.”

This is ridiculous and counter-productive. Let people be adults and be responsible for their own safety. If you live in a state where this kind of legislation is proposed, spread the word. Help make sure lawmakers know it is ridiculous and overly constrictive.

The Humble State of Ultra Running Elites (Part 1)

This is the first of a few posts I intend to write about the humble and modest state of professional utlra-running.

Eleven days ago on January 13th, four ordinary looking guys, though maybe a little on the skinny side, walked into Sherpa's restaurant in Boulder, CO. They sat down for about an hour in a mostly-full dining room, answered questions, then went on about their lives like normal people. The fascinating thing about these men is they were anything but normal; they were perhaps the four most dominant or important ultra runners in the U.S. today: Scott Jurek, Dave Mackey, Anton Krupicka, and Geoff Roes. They answered questions on a moderated panel, then mixed with the 'common' people like normal personalities would do. Compare this to what you'd expected from the top four competitors in any other international sport right now. (I've embeded the video of the panel at the bottom of this post. Do yourself a favor and watch it, especially when Krupicka starts talking about his training at minute 24).

If you aren't a fan of the sport of 100 mile trail running, let me give you some references: Scott Jurek is the Pete Sampras of the sport (the old champ); Roes & Krupicka are the Federer & Nadal (current dominators); and Mackey would probably be a mix of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick (he's always around and popping-up intermittently to do great things).

Just the possibility of this type of gathering is astounding to me, and the basis for a truly extraordinary story. Imagine the a meeting of the Greek Gods in the Pantheon, but replace the sandals with trail shoes and lightning bolts with water bottles. These are four 'first-ballot Hall-of-Famers', and not only could they speak to a crowd that could fit into one restaurant, but they are also training partners, friends,  and rivals.

Could this happen in any other sport? Ever? No.

In baseball, that'd be like Babe Ruth, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, and Ted Williams all taking batting practice together before hitting 2, 3, 4, & 5 for the Yankees. Williams would try to give A-Rod some pointers on his swing, but wouldn't be able to pull him away from the vanity mirror long enough.

In football, that would be Joe Montana passing to Jerry Rice (ok, that actually happened), but with Walter Payton in his backfield and Lawrence Taylor running the defense. For better or worse: we don't need to worry about any of the ultra runners being indicted for sex crimes or winning Dancing With the Stars.

The NBA comparison would be Jordan at small forward, Magic running the point, with Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain in the paint. I'll give credit to Michael Jordan though, if he ever decided he wanted to win a 100 miler, he'd do it or die trying. Literally.

But in Ultra Running, a sport requiring far greater physical efforts and achievements, these men, their fans, and [most importantly] their egos all fit into one room. 99.999% of the world just doesn't seem to care or even take notice. Is this right? Granted, the sport is still in a relative infancy; but I'd wish there was more respect and reverence for the knowledge and wisdom these men have to impart.

We can't force people to like a sport or become fans of certain athletes. However, we can educate them to eventually develop this appreciation. If you know about the accomplishments of these guys, spread the word. Bring them up in conversations about great athletes and their accomplishments. If you don't know who I'm talking about, then check out what they've done: Scott Jurek, Anton Krupicka, Dave Mackey, & Goeff Roes. You'll be amazed by what these men have accomplished and what they've proven the human body is capable of.

Boulder Trail Runners - Q&A with Scott Jurek, Anton Krupicka, Dave Mackey and Geoff Roes from Alpine Works on Vimeo.

R&R AZ Marathon - The Rest of the Story

Here is some more color to last Sunday's Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon that I chose to omit from my final race recap:

• My toes look like I stuck them in a cuisinart. I wore Saucony Kinvaras in the race, which I love as racing shoes. I've worn them in two marathons and one half, and feel they shaved a few minutes off my time in every instance. However, they don't protect my feet very well from the requisite trauma off such a hard effort. By my count, I had about 4 or 5 blood blisters and one completely black toenail. 
• The thing I'm most proud of is I didn't puke or have any stomach issues. This has been a problem for me before, but not this race. I believe my GI success was the product of a conservative diet the last few days before the race; especially my avoidance of my beloved Diet Dr. Pepper (I usually drink about a half gallon of this stuff a day). 
• I once tried to ask out Sally Meyerhoff, the women's champion, with a lame comment about moonlit runs without a mate. We met at a race expo for an all women's Half in New York. She was a featured racer and speaker; I was the creepy single guy at the expo for an all women's race. I actually had a legit, normal reason to be there, but the circumstances probably didn't help my chances. 
• I have no idea how I didn't bonk during the race. I only took one gel at miles 9 and 16. I guess the only thing propelling me the last several miles were my hopes and dreams. And maybe double rainbows.
• The only song I could hear in my head was 'Like A G6'. How does this motivate me to keep running? I have no idea. The song is about gangster subculture and getting drunk on bottles of Crystal:

"Poppin bottles in the ice, like a blizzard

When we drink we do it right gettin slizzard

Sippin sizzurp in my ride, like Three 6

Now I’m feelin so fly like a G6"

• My sister got a picture with  men's champion Josh Cox after the race, which made me insanely jealous. He's my favorite pro marathoner.

• My biggest concern during the race was my necessity to 'lighten the load'. It took a lot of intestinal fortitude to run by every port-a-john after mile 16. 

Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon Race Recap

It’s the day after the 2011 Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon, and I can still barely walk. My hips ache, my hamstrings are tight, and my feet feel like the bi-products of ground beef. I had significant trouble sleeping last night due to discomfort in my legs, and my digestive system is just now settling down and getting back to normal. However, if that is both the cost and ‘reward’ from three-plus hours of work and agony yesterday morning, I’ll be happy to take it.

I’ve done the half-marathon race in this event twice, but never the full. It’s a tremendously well-run event, with a huge crowd and a nice, flat course. When I was making my winter racing plans, I really felt like I was capable of making a go at a Boston Qualifying time. The 3:10 standard for my age group is well below my PR of 3:18, but I’d had a good summer of running; was starting to pick my speed up; and more important than anything else, I really had the desire and motivation to make it through the requisite training. The Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon was the perfect setting, given its timing, weather (almost always sunny with mild temps), and fast course.

When race day came, everything was just about as expected. The temperature at the start was in the low-to-mid 40’s, with just enough cloud cover to keep us out of direct sunlight. I was in corral 1, where I met Tony Stafford, the 3:10 pacer and a friend of my sister’s; and my friend Matt, who had the same BQ goal as me. The elites (including Josh Cox getting ready for his new AR in the 50k) were just in front of us, and the rest of the 5,000 runners were behind us.

Once the race started we ran at smooth 7:15 pace. The first 3 or 4 miles flew by; I could barely believe how quickly they passed and how easy they felt. That part of the course was through a quiet, commercial part of town. More importantly, it was very flat. I felt fortunate that I could make it through this first fraction with minimal damage, and started preparing myself mentally for the long haul.

Mile 6 brought the first feelings of ‘work’ in my legs. The pace didn’t feel hard or challenging, just no longer easy. I concentrated on not letting foreboding thoughts about the next 20 miles poison my attitude. At about this time, the route started working its way west through Phoenix, giving me the visual goal of Camelback Mountain; or something on the horizon to pull myself towards for the next few miles.

The 3:10 pace group hit the halfway mark in 1:32, or about 3 minutes ahead of an even split time. It felt good to have a few minutes ‘in the bank’, but I could really start to feel the accumulated work take its toll. I’d say the level of effort at that time went from ‘not easy’ to ‘not hard, but...’.

My friend Matt had the mental strategy of breaking down the course into three mile chunks, with the goal of knocking out each piece in 21:30. Starting at mile 12, this really became a big help to not focus on the 14 total miles remaining, but rather, just the next 3. My purpose became to get to mile 15 on time, then 18, then 21. There’s no point in even being mindful of a portion of the race 10 miles away because there’s no telling how you’ll feel when you get there. Three miles ahead is a different story, as you can sense any potential trouble you might encounter in the next twenty minutes, and mentally focus or regroup as necessary. This midsection of the race became a repetition of 'survive 3 miles and reassess'. 

Mile 19 got into a really nice part of the course as we wound or way thought Old Town Scottsdale, with positive crowds and intimate neighborhoods and shopping districts. This area was also home for me not too long ago, which gave me the added benefit of familiarity. I felt good and strong going through this segment of the course, but once it was over and we hit mile 21, the effort rocketed up from ‘not hard’ to ‘stabbed in my feet and thighs’. I was still with the 3:10 pace group, but straggling at the back of the pack. The pace group was down to about 10 now from 25 at the start, and I started to believe myself that my departure would reduce the group to a headcount of 9. Every slight uphill swale felt like a good time to stop and give up on my BQ goal. I just wanted the whole ordeal to be over. However, I also knew that'd be wasting the two-plus hours of work I'd already put in (not to mention the months of training). My mantra became ‘Hang On’, and do whatever it would take to stay on pace.

I was reminded of a powerful memory I had from viewing this year’s NYC Marathon when Shalane Flanagan held on until the end and finished second. Moments after she crossed the finish line, she was on her hands and knees in full and utter exhaustion. The agony she must have endured the last few miles while holding on to the end is what separates those who achieve their goals, and those who fail. I convinced myself to do as Shalane did, and endure everything until I finished 26.2 miles - to just hang on.

Shalane Flanagan after finishing the 2010 NYC Marathon in 2nd place

At mile 22, the game changed. We hit a water stop, and my conviction to hang on coupled with a cup of cold water poured on my head gave me the last charge I needed. The temperature was up into the 50s by now, so that little bit of coolant was a big boost. I felt fresher, stronger, and within reach of the end. I went from a straggler on the back of the 3:10 pace group (which was probably down to 5 runners) to running at the front of it. I was just trying to tackle one mile at a time, and gradually work my way up to 26. Matt was still with me, and our pacer, Tony, was still keeping us encouraged and running strong. I could also feel the blisters on both of my feet start to make their presence felt, but it was nothing too severe to be a problem.

Left-to-Right: Matt, Me, and Tony around mile 23

I started the countdown in my mind of whatever milestone I could come up with: 30 minutes to go, 4 miles, 3 miles, 20 minutes, 2 miles, 2 km. At each point, I did the calculation of what kind of pace I’d have to run the rest of the way to hit 3:10. Once those calculations started to get up to 8:00 and 9:00 paces, I started thinking that I had my 3:10 in the bag, that I could easily coast in the rest of the way and get a qualifying time. That was my first sensation that I’d done it; that I would be a 3:10 marathoner and Boston Qualifier. It got much easier to hang on and grind through the rest of the race when it was measured in mere fractions of a mile. Tony (the 3:10 pacer) let me go, saying I had it, and now I just needed to enjoy the victory lap.

I clicked off the last milestones: 0.9 miles to go, 0.8, 0.5, and so on until I made the last turn and saw the finish line a few hundred yards ahead. I checked my watch, checked ahead of me and behind me to see if anyone was nearby (they weren’t), then truly enjoyed the last 20 yards as I clapped for the crowd and ‘airplaned’ my way across the finish line. All that was left to do was check my final time – 3:06:23. New PR. Qualified for Boston.

Check out the splits & details from my Garmin Forerunner

Tony, Matt, and Me after finishing under 3:10. I couldn't have done it without both of these guys.



Marathon Mental-Readiness Checklist

The countdown to my next big race, the Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon, is down to a scant 3 days. Sunday, I'll toe the line and chase down an elusive, and at times seemingly impossible, goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. This will only be my 3rd full marathon (if I finish - knock on wood), and my PR is a gaping 8 minutes slower than the 3:10 standard that is required for my age group. Earning the 'Qualifier' distinction is something I've respected since the day I started running competitively, and one I've chased since the day I finished my first half marathon and got the notion that perhaps I could achieve it. I've had a long and rocky pursuit, but I feel strongly that this Sunday harbors a successful terminus. 


All of our goals and aspirations are very personal and relative to our own abilities and ambitions. When I finished my first half marathon, I felt like I was on top of the world and my running pursuits were fulfilled. Soon enough, my eyes interests moved on to the marathon distance, then to ultras. At each step, crossing the finish line felt like the ultimate accomplishment, and gave me the honor of feeling like I'd arrived at some ostensibly insurmountable summit. Those are my greatest feats achieved, and i know to some they may seam unattainable, and to others, they are simply pedestrian. To the former group, you'd be surprised what you are capable of; and to the latter, can I run with you sometime?


For now, my 'ultimate goal' is to cover 26.2 miles in under 190 minutes. That's it. Nothing more complicated than that. To accomplish that, I have to believe I've prepared myself adequately. I have to convince myself that my tedious, grinding, and redundant efforts over the past several weeks have primed my body to run a 7:15 mile twenty-six times in a row. Given my professional background as a forensic accountant and naturally skeptical nature, I have to lay out the evidence even to win an argument with myself. So here goes:

• Two and a half months ago, I ran 3:18 at the Niagara Falls International Marathon.
• Going into that race, I didn't rest properly and focus much on it mentally, as I viewed it as just a training run in preparation for another race I had planned on doing in November (which I ultimately didn't run for other reasons). Additionally, I had stomach problems during the race that probably cost me about 4 minutes.
• I've put in 12 weeks of excellent and problem-free training since then.
• I've been training on difficult (read: hilly) courses and in adverse weather conditions. 
• The weather should be perfect.
• I have a clear goal and have actually put thought and consideration to my race strategy. 
• I've run enough intervals and tempo sessions that I feel comfortable at the 7:00 pace.
• I have a positive and confident attitude. 

To me, this is a convincing list. I should be compelled to believe that I'm ready and can do 3:10 no problem, but the last, and most important part of achieving my goal is still incomplete, and candidly, there's nothing I can do about it. I have to execute and endure the and physical pain and mental suffering requisite for my goal. 

Any goal that doesn't require this test of will and determination just isn't a goal worth having.

See you after the race on Sunday.

-John

2010 Running Year in Review

Overview

2010 was more of an up-and-down year for me than it was for Lebron James' popularity. I'll elaborate in a later post, but the year started with a medical episode that kept me from running from about October 2009 until March 2010. However, once I got back on my feet I had the best 9 months of training and racing yet. This was fortuitous and necessary, since the first 3 months were the rock bottom of my running career. In July I finished my first ultra-marathon (the Midnight Madness 50 miler); in October I set a PR in the Niagara Falls International Marathon; and finished off the year with 2 months of excellent training in preparation for the Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon in January 2011.

Races

Oklahoma Aquarium Half - A small race I did just as the first part of a 26 mile training run in preparation for the Midnight Madness 6 weeks later.

Midnight Madness 50 Miler - This race was the dominating event in my life for 3.5 months. I heard of this race when I was first starting to run again in March. Beyond anything I could control, the seed of ambition was planted in my mind to run it. I saw it as part redemption, part exercise in discipline, and part fulfillment of a bucketlist goal. Once I had even the notion that I could do it, it was over; I had to try it. The race itself started at 11:59 PM on July 2nd, and consisted of 5 loops around a 10.3 mile loop on a humid night. I threw up a bunch, generally hated life by mile 30, but got through it. Here is a video of me saying hello after about 6 hours:

 And me finally getting the thing done (and swearing to myself I'd never run again):

Philadelphia Rock & Roll Half Marathon - A great race around some the most famous Philadelphia landmarks. I loved the whole experience.

Niagara Falls International Marathon - I didn't focus too much on this race, as I just looked at it as a test of my fitness in preparation for the rest of the year. However, I got caught up in the competitive atmosphere and felt better during the race than I expected, which led to a great performance (new PR by 10 minutes). The weather was perfect and the course was decent. It also traces the route Quenton Cassidy ran in the Olympic Trials at the end of Again to Carthage. And yes, the ghost of Jack Nubbins did appear to pace me the last 7 miles.

Run for the Ranch Half Marathon - Also supposed to just be a test of my fitness, but like I always do, I started running much faster than I planned on running. (Un)Fortunately, I couldn't talk myself into slowing down early, then just tried to hang on late. I didn't set a PR, but in this small race, I actually won the 20-29 age group and picked up my first trophy. I'm glad I stuck around for the awards ceremony.

Training

Where & What I Ran

As shown below, I logged about a third of my miles on 'Easy' efforts, a third on 'Tempo' efforts, and a little less than a third on long runs. I'm satisfied with this distribution, and I think it's a big reason why I stayed relatively injury free throughout the year.

With my graduate student lifestyle, I spent the Spring and Fall semesters in New York City, and did a Summer internship in Tulsa, OK. This explains why these two cities account for about 70% of my miles. Additionally, the Central Park loop is a fantastic place to run, but putting in nearly 800 miles on a 6 mile course gets a little monotonous. My back of the envelope calculation says I did the loop over 130 times in 2010. Also, I logged lots of miles on the treadmill over the summer to try and avoid the sweltering heat and humidity of summer in Oklahoma. However, I have tried to avoid the machine as much as possible since then because it's really just not the same workout. Otherwise that number would have been much bigger.

This same analysis of miles-by-shoe should look much differently in 2011. I started the year loyal to the Brooks Addiction 8. I've gone through probably 7 or 8 pairs of this shoe, and loved it for years. However, over the Summer and into the Fall, I became a bigger devotee to the minimalist shoe movement, and really concentrated on changing my stride so that I landed less on my heel, and more on my mid-foot. This made the over-pronation mitigation provided by the Addiction unnecessary, and rendering the shoe nothing more than a heavy, over-cushioned boot. Next year, I expect to see more 'less-shoe' shoes on this list, such as the Free & Kinvara, as well as maybe the New Balance 101 or Brooks Green Silence.

How I Ran

As would be expected, the first third of the year barely even registers on my charts. However, once I made the commitment in mid-March to run an Ultra in July, my miles picked up very quickly. My average pace actually got slower as I worked myself into better shape from March to July. This seems counter-intuitive until you consider two things: more of my mileage came from longer & slower runs as I approached the race, and the changing of the season to Summer created significantly more difficult weather conditions. After July, my focus shifted towards shorter distances, and temperatures eventually started to cool down. My training intensity really kicked up in September, resulting in more miles at faster paces.

I like to calculate my 'rolling' totals, which is just how many miles I've run in a trailing period of X days. I think it's a good measure of the fatigue and work you've put your body through. The main idea is any mile run when your rolling 7 or 28 day total is high is of higher value than when the rolling total is low since you'll be running through more fatigue.

*I've cut off the max pace, as my 13:00 pace for the Midnight Madness 50 miler in July skewed that month significantly. Suffice it to say that my average pace during that time was sloooow.

The more days I can spend above certain thresholds of rolling totals, the better. This means my body will spend more time in a 'broken-down' state during training, thus yielding better and stronger results. The tables below show how many days my rolling totals were above certain thresholds. As you can see, I spent almost half the year with "over 175 miles in 28 days" fatigue; and more than a month of  "60 mile week" fatigue. This is good, but ideally, I'd live with perpetual 200 mile/28 day fatigue.

Summary

I'm pleased with my accomplishments in 2010, and feel I've set myself up for a good start to 2011. I earned the title "Ultra-Marathoner", set a new Marathon PR by 10 minutes, and picked up my first age-group victory in the half-marathon distance. Additionally, I worked myself into the best marathon condition I've ever been in, and am poised to set another marathon PR on January 16, 2011 in the Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon. I came back from a pretty serious medical condition, and taught myself about the impact that can be achieved with a good mentality and dedication to a goal.

Rivals and Accountability

One of my favorite writers, Chuck Klosterman, wrote a phenomenal social-observation essay on the importance of having a 'Nemesis' and an 'Archenemy' in your life. The former is a person you begrudgingly and surreptitiously like, but outwardly hate. You're Archenemy is someone you compete with and revile to your core. In a footrace, you'd want to finish first, you'd like your Nemisis to finish somewhere in the top 10%, and you pray to your God that your Archenemy gets trampled at the start. I agree with everything Klosterman said, but want to add one more role; a person in your life that fits somewhere between you're least favorite brother and your Nemsis; the person you'd want to finish 2nd: you're rival training partner.

This is a guy who is at about your same level of ability, has about the same goals, and about the same intensity as you. In fact, you're remarkable similarity and parity creates the reason why you want so badly to best this person in anything that could possibly be perceived as a competition. 

One of the beauties of running is it enables perfect comparability. Results are black and white: you either finish ahead of someone or behind them. There aren't any ties either. There are close finishes, but really no ties. This clarity of results creates a dimension in which you and your rival can finally and definitively distinguish yourselves. The two of you may be comparable in every other respect, but you can always earn the pride and esteem that comes from victory by beating your rival. 

In addition to being someone similar to you in most ways, your rival also has to be someone you at least kind-of respect. This is because it has to mean something to you personally to beat them. It also means you should probably have de-facto respect for yourself since the rival is your near doppelgänger. 

The social dynamic that is the lynchpin of rivalry-driven results is accountability. Your rival probably knows what you are up to: how long your long-run is or how fast your tempo runs are. Because of this, you better know yourself what your rival is up to. If your rival ran 17 miles for their long run, they will earn a minor victory unless you run the same distance & effort. Falling short will only be a tiny admission that this was an instance in which your rival was able to rise to the occasion, but you weren't. This is a constant check for every workout to make sure you are always giving your best effort, as your pride and competitive vigor shouldn't accept these small defeats easily. If you do you can be sure your rival will surpass you eventually, and earn a smug grin the next time you meet and compare training progress. These outcomes will foreshadow your long term triumphs or failures.