White River 50 Race Strategy

In doing my game-planning for the White River 50 this weekend, I like to break down the course in mentally digestible, conquerable sections. This makes it easier to approach the distance, thinking about just doing a handful of six-to-eight mile runs instead of one 50 mile run. It’s like the baseball adage  ‘don’t try to hit a 5-run Homer’, meaning you have to string together singles and doubles to climb back from a grand deficit instead of biting it all off at once. That’s how I feel one must approach any race from a half-marathon on up.

An accomplished field ran in 2010; including eventual winner Tony Krupicka, Ultra-legend Scott Jurek, and 2011 Hardrock 100 runner-up Dakota Jones.

The White River 50 course lends itself well to segmentation, which makes my strategizing (and hopefully, my execution) easier.

White River 50 Course Elevation Chart

Section 1: Miles 0 to 5.5 – The Warmup

This should be an easy, flat ‘warm-up’ stretch, run mostly on open road and wide trails before the course funnels into the single-track. This will be early enough that the weather should still feel balmy and cool, which will be nice. My idea for this beginning is that I can’t run it slow enough. I want to start at the back of the pack, and if I’m in middle-to-back of the field by the end of this stretch, I’ll be happy. I just want to get through this stretch with as little damage as possible.

Section 2: Miles 5.5 to 13.5 – The First Climb

Here comes the first, and largest, sustained climb of the race. I’ll go up more than 3000’ over the course of 8 miles, which will be a challenge for me as climbing is the weakest part of my running. I’ll gladly adopt a run/power-hike strategy here, and am hoping that my training in the altitude of Boulder will help me generate more power during my ascension.

Section 3: Miles 13.5 to 21 – Ridgeline Running

Next up is a reward for the climb: single-track, ridgeline trails with beautiful views (see below). This is where I hope to pick it up and gain some ground on the field, but still be mindful of saving as much in the tank as I can.

A scene from mile 17

Section 4: Miles 21 to 27 – The First Descent

What goes up, must come down, and here is the longest descent of the race. I’ll go down single-trail switchbacks, peppered with some steep drops. Again, I look to make up some ground here as I feel I have very good downhill strength.

Section 5: Miles 27 to 36 – The Second Ascent

This section begins at the start/finish area, which will be a little challenging mentally. I’ll probably be hurting pretty well by this point, and the thought of leaving this sanctuary for another 23 miles will be tough. However, once I get going, the course starts climbing again. According to the official course description: “Don't worry, it's the last hill on the course and it will only last 8.5 miles [and go up 2500’].” Oh good.

The only redeeming part of this section is the view of Mt. Rainier, which the race photographers are sure to capitalize on to try and garner $40 from me later on.

Section 6: Miles 36 to 43 – The Last Descent

The beginning of the end. Again, I’ll hope to tap into my downhill speed.  I’ll be exposed to the sun and running on dirt roads here, but that will just motivate and enable me to get it over with quicker.

Section 7: Miles 43 to 50 – The Finish

I’ll pass through the last aid station at mile 43, then I’ll be able to smell the barn. If I have anything left in my legs, this is where it will come out. There aren’t any major ups or downs, and it’s mostly shady trail. Some parts are technical and have tough footing, but that may be a legitimate reason to ‘gear-down’ and regroup for the next stretch of runnable trail. If I have to crawl these last 7 miles, I’ll do it happily.

Macro Strategies

Nutrition – The best advice I’ve heard about ultra-running nutrition is that this is a ‘calorie deficit sport’, meaning while I will be burning about 600 to 700 calories an hour, my body can only absorb 250 to 300 calories an hour, creating a larger deficit with each hour. Thus, the best thing I can do on race day is eat early, even if I don’t feel I need it. This will keep me out of greater calorie debt later on. On top of that, I’ll take one or two electrolyte tablets an hour to make sure I’m absorbing my water, and be sure I stock up at each of the 7 aid stations before the finish.

Pacing – As I mentioned earlier, I want to start slow.  If I can average 9 to 10 minutes/mile on the flats, 8 to 9 minutes/mile on the downhills, and maybe 14 to 15 minutes/mile on the climbs, I’ll be happy.

Gear – Trying to go as light as possible, so all I will take with me on the trail will be my handheld water bottle, sun glasses, and MAYBE a hat. Anything else will just weigh me down.

Motivation - I have invested a LOT in preparation for this race. I’ve averaged 65 or 70 miles/week for most of 2011; I’ve moved to Colorado for the summer; and I’ve given it most of my mental energy and attention in my free time. When I’m at my lowest on race day, I have to remember that all of that was for a reason. That the fact that I could showed up to the start line of the race says a lot about myself, and crossing the finish line will say a lot more. There aren't a lot of people who do these races, and for good reason.

Most importantly, I get the luxury of reminding myself that this is my last ultra. That’s it, I’m done after this race. Thus, I might as well expend every last mite of energy I have, even if it makes me hate running for the rest of my life. So what? I’m not running again anyways. I tell myself this towards the end of every hard & long race I do, and I tell myself I really mean it every time, but this time, I really mean it. I’m done with Ultras.

Training Week Recap - June 5, 2011

Week Summary:
72 miles
11 hours
4750' Elevation Gain


Monday - 9 miles, hard effort


Today was a race day - I participated in the 33rd Bolder Boulder 10k, one of the biggest races in the country. How big is this race?

• There were 54,000 runners
• Everyone started in waves, beginning with A, AA, AB, B, BA and on, all the way to down to about PD, PE, & PF
• Wave start times began at 7 AM, and lasted until sometime after 9 AM
• Age groups where single years, as in I was in the 27 - 27 age group

The race itself wasn't a spectacular effort for me. The course was tough - the elevation was around 5300', and featured several tough hills and a lot of twists and turns. On top of that, I didn't exactly taper, having done a 17 miler 2 days before, and an extra 5 the day before. That said, it was an awesome way to celebrate Memorial Day, and the city of Boulder really came out in full force to celebrate the race.

The finish line in the Colorado University football stadium

Not feeling so hot around the 8k mark

Approaching the finish. Still feeling like pooh.

Tuesday - 5.4 miles, 1540' Elevation Gain

Having done a fair amount of hard-pounding running on concrete the day before, I decided this would be a good day to head up to the trails in the mountains. I got a good climbing workout on the Mesa Trail around Bear Peak.

Wednesday - 21.2 miles


I needed to start getting some good slow distance work in, so I went long today even though I had done a 17 miler just 4 days prior. I headed out to the Boulder Reservoir, and looped my way around there for 3 hours, of which I did about 6 miles with my sister and one of her friends. Good, long day.



Thursday - 3.75 miles + Cross-Training


Having gone long yesterday on already fatigued legs, I didn't feel up to much today; but I still tried to get a good morning of work in anyways. I slept in, then did 30 minutes easy on a paved path along one of the creeks in town, then hopped in the pool for 30 minutes of water running, which wiped me out much more than the running did.

If you haven't done water running, it's a kick in the ass. The activity is exactly what it sounds like - an upright running motion in water (without touching the floor of the pool). Not only are you constantly pumping your feet and arms just to stay afloat, but you are getting a tremendous amount of resistance from the water. It's also low-impact, which makes it ideal for rehab or cross-training. Give it a try next time you want a fast, hard workout.


Friday - 10.33 miles, 1230' Elevation Gain


I headed up early for a run on Bear Peak. This was another good climbing session on a technical trail, but I also was fortunate enough to have my phone on me, which allowed me to grab a few pictures. I got 6 miles in on the trail during this morning run. Later, I went back out for 4 easy miles on one of the paved paths in town to grab some extra miles.

Bear Peak from the parking lot

I saw this guy on the trail, not 10 feet away from me after I turned a corner

I believe this is Green Mountain, which is adjacent to Bear Peak

Looking back down on an uphill portion of the Mesa Trail

Just a cool tree along the path

One of the few exposed portions of trail above a canyon

Another section of trail along the side of Green Mountain

A look down the side of Green Mountain

Saturday - 11.5 miles w/ interval work

Had a workout with the Running Republic of Boulder. I ran from my apartment to the meeting place for the group (about a 2.4 mile warm-up), then did the interval workout: 6 mins, 4x2 mins, 6 mins, all at about 10k to Half-Marathon pace. This took a lot of effort, and was with a really fast group, which forced me to push it hard. Afterwards, I ran back home to tack on a few extra miles, making for a solid morning of work. The pancake feast afterwards with my brother-in-law and nephew was extra motivation.

Sunday - 11.3 miles, 1100' Elevation Gain

This was probably the toughest workout I've had yet in Boulder. I met up with a group of about a dozen other runners in town, and we all piled into 3 cars to venture into the mountains. After 20 minutes of winding through canyons and narrow roads, we parked in what seemed like a remote intersection of 2 dirt roads, deep in a canyon created by about 4 different mountain ridges. From there, we took off on a dirt road (perhaps ironically) called Wall St., that ran parallel to creek that cut through a deep and heavily wooded canyon. The road started at a 5% uphill grade, and barely deviated from that pitch the entire run - which was 5.5 miles. 5.5 miles, all uphill, and we started at about 6600' of elevation.

I was totally unprepared for this. First, I didn't know how long the run would be. Second, I had no comprehension of how much climbing was involved. Third, I didn't carry any water with me for the first two reasons. The group I was with were solid altitude runners and climbers, so they motored their way uphill. I tried to stick with them, but after 2 miles, fell into a walk/run routine to try and make it to the summit. After 5.5 miles of running 1100' uphill, I reached the turnaround. That was when the fun finally began, because for every suffocating foot of climbing I did, I had a foot of downhill that I could bomb. The instant I turned around, I went from being restrained by how well my lungs could supply air to my muscles to being held back by only how quickly I could turn over my feet on a rockin' downhill. If I did about a 9:30 to 10:00 pace going up, I was going sub-7:15 on the down. For as much agony as I had in the first half, I had equal amounts of excitement on the way down.

THIS was the exact kind of workout and trail I need to do more to get ready for my ultra. I can't wait to make it back into these canyons for some tough climbing at elevation.

Lastly, perhaps the highlight of the morning, despite the awesome run and beautiful canyon, came on the drive back in to town. The road we were on ran parallel to the Boulder creek path, and running towards the canyons (opposite our direction), I spotted Tony Krupicka - perhaps my favorite ultra runner right now! He was likely on one of his epic 30 mile training runs (the guy logs about 140 to 170 miles a week here in Boulder). Anyways, with his signature long hair, beard, and shirtless attire, I'm 100% confident it was him. I felt like a 'tween girl who saw Robert Pattinson drinking a Bloody Mary. 

My Last Few Runs & The Bolder Boulder

Wednesday


9 miles in the morning around town, then 3 miles up & down Mt. Sanitas in the afternoon. The mountain run was phenomenal - tough climb uphill for some good scenery over the city of Boulder, then bombed it on the way down.


Thursday


I went out to the Boulder Reservoir for the first time. 10 mostly flat miles on a cool but sunny morning.


Friday


I wanted to take it easy, but still wanted to get some trail work in, so I headed up to Bear Peak Trail. 5 miles took me about 65 minutes, but considering all was above 6000' and included 1200' of climbing, and I felt it was a good morning effort.



Saturday

I'd been having a lot of 'long-run anxiety' recently. It had been almost three weeks since my last long run: the Bear Mountain 50k. With the White River 50 mile looming about 9 weeks away now, I need to start planning for my last few big runs. Ideally, I'll get in 2 more 30 milers before the race, which means probably at least 3 or 4 more 20 milers. Factor in the 3 week taper, and that doesn't leave a whole lot of time. Today was the best chance to get in a long day.

I started early (for me) at 6:45 and got in 5 miles easy, then did a workout with the Running Republic of Boulder (my new group). That totaled 5 more miles, including 2x5 minute intervals. Then I wrapped up with 7 miles easy around the Boulder Reservoir. 17 total on the day plus some speed work, the new Colorado altitude and 1200' of vertical I did yesterday; and I was satisfied with the work.



Next Week


Monday I'm running in the Bolder Boulder, one of the biggest races in the country. I'm not really 'racing' it, but just trying to enjoy the experience of running a race with about 60,000 participants. The finish is in the University of Colorado's football stadium, which should be an awesome atmosphere. It should be a great way to celebrate Memorial Day.

My First 3 Days In Boulder

I've had 72 hours and six runs to get a lay of the land out here. So far, it's been a mix of hypoxia from the altitude, chills from the weather, and fatigue from the climbing.

Each morning, I've gone out for runs on flat courses. The last three days were distances of 6, 4, and 9 miles respectively. The degree of difficulty of these workouts hasn't been high; they've just been efforts to build up my mileage and get adjusted to the climate.

My afternoon runs have been when I've had my fun. My first day, Monday, I went up to Bear Peak trail. This is where Anton Krupicka, my favorite ultra-runner, makes his money. He runs up this 2000' peak about 300 times a year. I tried a fraction of his daily workout and was wiped. The trail was thickly wooded along a ridge that wound its way up this Flatiron. The run was short, but still got several hundred feet of climbing in. I look forward to taking my runs further up the mountain to increase my mileage.

Bear Peak, one of the Flatirons in Boulder

Tuesday afternoon, I ran with my sister's running group, the Running Republic of Boulder. This is an impressive collection of runner's, with several qualifiers for the Olympic trials and a coach with significant credentials. We did some good, hard intervals, and totaled 8 miles on the workout. My plan is to do speed workout with this group regularly on Saturdays. This will be an important part of my training to ensure my legs still have good turnover in them late in the White River 50.

Lastly, this afternoon (Wednesday), I went up Mt. Sanitas for some good climbing. The trail wasn't technical (it was mostly just a gravel road), but was a consistent and steady climb. It probably took me 20 minutes to run about 1.6 miles up and gain about 500' in elevation, but only about 10 minutes to get down. That was the most fun part; bombing the downhill with a controlled fall.

All in all, I've done about 34 miles through my first 3 days, and a large portion of that has been high quality. I'm happy with my start, and look forward to what I'll be able to do when I get use to the altitude.

White River 50 Training Progress

I decided I want to start posting brief updates on my progress towards the White River 50 this July. I don't intend these to be just a banal list of my workouts and results, but more of a mental accounting of where I am in my confidence and psychological readiness. This is because while we can't all compare on distances and paces, but we can relate on the mental aspect of running and racing.

This morning I went out for an easy 8.5 after a good 16 yesterday. I had a critical thought and breakthrough around mile 8 - I was cruising over a rocky and muddy part of the Central Park Bridle Path, when I check my distance and time on the run. I was getting close to my target for the day, but realized I wasn't fazed or tired - at all. I felt as fresh after 8 miles and 60 minutes as I did after 1 mile (and if not, even fresher). I know I'm in a good place 3 months out of the race when 8 miles is a yawner, even after running 16 the day before.

Keep on movin',

-John

We Don't Take Shortcuts

I was out in Central Park for a long run the other morning. In the sport of distance running, adjectives that pertain to distances and speeds are all relative, so let me clarify. I’m training for a 50 mile race this summer, and have been very diligent in changing my definitions of short, medium, and long. These days, a short run (which I try not to ever do) is anything under about 9 or 10 miles. A medium distance run is something in the neighborhood of 10 to 15 miles, and a long run everything else.  For this particular long run, I set out the door aiming for anything above 20 miles.

On that particular morning, the crispness of the onset of Spring was in the air. There was just enough humidity and warmth in the air to draw out people in short sleeves, but still enough coolness to partner them with a fair amount of those in tights and jackets. As a runner, this is the perfect climate for a long run; cold enough to not be inhibiting in any way, but warm enough to enjoy being outside with the hope of better things to come that is embodied in the first few days of Spring. Crisp air, brightened sun, and a few bold flowers blooming early.

The patrons of Central Park shared my enthusiasm for the changing season, as they were out in full force. A busy day in Central Park is a unique setting; one where the tether of the real world has been severed in a peaceful scene of serenity, all the while being besieged by the largest and most vibrant metropolis in this hemisphere. It’s a fleeting escape from reality, but a functional one. Additionally, it’s the only piece of nature accessible by the millions of residents of Manhattan, and as such, the main loop around the park is more like a circulatory system of runners, walkers, and bikers than it is a running path.

It was into this atmosphere that I set out for my big run of the week. But getting to this point wasn’t a short path. Since my last long run just 6 days ago, I’d put in close to 55 miles of work. I’ve gotten to the point in my training plan where I really don’t want easy days anymore. When great painters were in their prime, I doubt they ever looked at any piece as just a time killer until their next great work. I don’t want to take any individual run for granted or not feel the strengthening burn that comes at the end of a difficult effort. So, as I set out on this particular long run, my legs were already burdened with the accumulated fatigue of a long series of hard working days.

As I progressed through my run with a methodical economy of movements, I felt the benefit of my months of training up to that day. Every time I stayed out on the trail for just an extra mile or 15 minutes, I was purposefully augmenting every muscle in my legs like steel hardening in the furnace. Now, 14-15-16 miles deep into a run, the task still felt as simple as ‘focus on your form, keep your good posture’. At this point, I felt I was a product of my own making (at least as far as my conditioning went).

It was then, around mile 16, that I made a spontaneous, yet critical decision. I approached a fork in the trail. Veer to the left, and I’d continue for another revolution around a 1.5 mile loop. I could do this loop a few more times then turn towards home and finish right around 20 miles and satisfy my goal. However, veer to the right, and I go down a southward spur of the trail that would take me much further from home, and commit me to many more miles. By taking this route, I’d be both accepting and subjecting myself to a hearty surplus of miles above my stated goal. I’m glad to say I veered to the right.

The instant before I chose my direction, I was apprehensive and lazy – I was content with the shorter route and coming in right at my distance goal. However, that would have been the easy way out. We, as runners, don’t take the easy way. By taking the longer route, I faced a larger obstacle, greater discomfort, and a more trying experience overall. When I finished it successfully (as we all almost always do with the right application of mental fortitude), I was a better runner for it.

We don’t take shortcuts. If we did, then why are we even running at all? That’s like cheating in solitaire – it’s pointless and self-defeating. Taking a shortcut while running is succumbing to your perceived limits, be they a 3 mile run around the neighborhood, which could have been turned into 3 and a half; or 20 milers that could be defining experiences in a training cycle with a simple and split second decision to go the long way. You save perhaps a few kilo-calories of energy and a couple of minutes, but the opportunity cost is a workout that exceeded anything you'd expected or thought possible.

Keep on movin',

-John

Sharpening My Axe

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

- Abraham Lincoln

I'm starting a new phase of my running career and though my axe is still pretty dull, I'd say I'm learning how to work the grinder pretty well. Right now, my only goal is to hit high weekly volumes, and I'm adjusting to the requisite lifestyle and work load nicely. 2 weeks ago, I logged 80 miles (no rest days), and backed that up with 70 miles last week (one rest day). I felt pretty haggard after the first week, but my body is developing resiliency and becoming more accustomed to the daily burden of 10 to 15 miles.

My mental acceptance of this new lifestyle is the most important part. I go out every morning for my "AM 9" - a standard run of about 9 miles or 90 minutes. I've tried to make this as much a part of my morning routine as drinking coffee and watching Saved By The Bell on TBS. It's unavoidable; it's just what I do. As soon as I finish my morning run, I try to start focusing on my afternoon run (if I feel like I have extra miles in my legs). Everything else is just waiting and resting for my next workout.

I'm still a long way away from doing any chopping, I feel great about getting my axe ready.

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.