On 03-05-99, K Storlien wrote:
For you marathoners (or ultramarathoners) out there I had a
question. What I'd like to know, is in the latter stages of a marathon or long training
run (let's say from mile 18-20 on), what physiological changes do you notice?
It hurts.
For example, after you've been running
X-plus hours do you notice a change in your breathing patterns?
Yes, breathing hurts, too.
How do your legs usually feel?
They hurt....on a good day.
At what point do your legs tend to get a
bit heavy?
Way before they start to hurt.
And, during these physiological changes,
what techniques do you use to keep yourself on course?
Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, etc, etc...... :-)
I'm working with a friend who is a first-timer
and beyond all of the books that go into general detail, i.e. "You will be tired,
just keep going", I would like to provide some true-life examples of how the body
actually feels in the later stages, beyond my own experience.
In seriousness, and IMHO, your friend needs to do it and find out. Everybody reacts to the
stress of distance running in different ways. There's no tricks. Hard work and time
on the roads are the true-life examples your friend needs to experience.
Physiological changes? I don't know. Your face is caked with salt. Legs
are cramping and you want to walk but know that starting to run again after walking will
be harder then if you just kept running. Your breath smells really weird. The
sweat on your forehead is slimy. There's blood on your shirt. You're
sunburned,
or windburned, or burnt out for any one of dozens of reasons. You've been awake
for hours and haven't eaten real food yet.
But, after the ordeal, you realize you're gonna get through it. There's just a few
miles to go and you plug along. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot.
You're hoping that each foot is going in the right direction, ie toward the finish
line :-)
Somewhere, somehow, you smell the finish. You see a friend or a loved one in the
crowd or pass an inspirational point or are somehow reminded of why you are pursuing this
madness, and your legs are no longer your own. All of a sudden, your legs are
traveling at light speed, your back is straight,
your shoulders are square, and you are smiling. Your arms are pumping strongly.
You find the energy to slap hands with spectators and return their good will.
Your legs feel removed from your brain, but of course, they ARE you. This day, your
legs are what you are, and they carry you, and your soul, across the finish line.
Once again. That's the technique I use to keep myself on course. :-)
Hope your friend has a good experience.
************
Tim Smith
Jamaica Plain, Mass.
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