couple of interesting observations

On our Friday "long run" I noticed a couple things, nothing so significant, but I thought they were interesting and wanted to point them out.

1. the run was in the back trails behind a number of moshavim, such as Aderet, Roglit, Neveh Michael, Massua and some others. One other is called Tzafririn. Along the path there were signs directing people to a wedding of two people. The bride's name on the signs was "Tzafrira". She was likely named after the moshav tzafririn (where she probably lives).
2. Along the path there was, at a certain point, a tree with a large sign hanging from it "Tachanat Ri'anun" - or a refreshing point. We would call it nowadays a rest stop or a trcuk stop, though there was no gas station, no kiosk, no Mc Donalds, or anything like that. The only thing it did offer was shade. But the sign made me think of the passuk "Tachat Kol Etz Ra'anan". It seems it was common to make rest stops under trees along the paths. I do not know who is travelling on this path who needs a rest stop - maybe it was for some event or something.
   

Lost

I don't even know where to start. We were scheduled to run 15km this morning. I and a few others ended up running 17km. Because we got lost.

We were running the trails today. The trails behind Moshavs Aderet, Roglit, Massua, etc. Until now we have run a route back and forth, ending where we started. Today we took half the cars to the end point of the run and then half the cars loaded up with everybody to the beginning of the route. When we would get to the end, we would take those parked at the beginning back there and then leave.

Man plans and God laughs.

We made plans that whenever there is a turn in the route off a trail onto a different one, someone from a fast group would hang back to show the next group which way to go. After about 11km or so, we lost track of the people ahead of us. They had waved from afar to show us which way to go, and we saw them. Then we made a turn, but could no longer see them. And then the path ended and became a field. I thought we should still go that way, because that is the general direcytion they had been going, and there would probably be a path up a head. Someone else insisted it must be the way of the path.

So we went the way of the path, which ended up curving in the other direction. So, instead o ending up behind Moshav Roglit, we ended up behind Moshav Neveh Michael. After unning along the fence for a bit, we got to the highway and ran back to Tzomet Aderet where the cars were parked. Because of our detour, our run ended up being 17km instead of 15km. After that we still had to go looking for some people who had been behind us and also gotten lost in different places.

The run itself was great. beautiful scenery. We ran through fields and vineyards, with the sun rising ahead of us.

I noticed something in todays run though, and I think, by me at least, it has been that way in other runs as well. These numbers will be estimates:

0-1.5/2km running is great and strong. Very motivated.

2-4km is fine. technicals. Getting into pace.

4-9km(give or take) was very difficult. Parts got boring. Motivation goes down. Working hard to run.

Suddenly at around 9km or so, the run gets easier and more fun. I feel stronger at that point -kind of like getting a second wind. We stopped at 17km because that was the end, but I could have even run more.

I think things in general work that way. In life you start a program, something long term. You start off motivated and it is easy to stick to. Then the excitement dies down and you have to work hard to keep going so that you accomplish your goal. Then, if you have kept going long and worked through the low times, suddenly you look up and you see you are not too far from your goal. So you get this burst of motivation and energy again and you fly right through to the end.People who do not succeed in accomplishing their goals, it is often because they give up after the first period of excitement. As soon as it gets hard, they don't put the effort into working through it.

I remember it was like that when I learned daf yomi. 7.5 years is a long time to commit to a program. I had tried a number of times before and dropped out after a bit. Many people drop out after a couple months. The last time though, I stuck it out, despite there being times where I did not feel like going, and all that. In the end, it was easier because I knew I was almost done, and the acheivement was right before me.

The same is with the run. On the specific run, I start off excited and motivated. It is easy. After a bit it gets tough. If you work through it long enough to see towards the end, you get that motivation back. The trick is to somehow find the way to push yourself through the tough part.

And it is true with the general marathon training program as well. At the beginning I was highly motivated and excited. It was easy, and I wanted to do it. I think now I am heading into the tough period. Times where I think I am too tired and what I am doing this for anyway. I tell myself I have already proven I can do it. In 7 weeks I have built myself up to running 17km straight without stopping, so I know I can succeed, so why bother. Things like that. Overall motivation goes down, and it gets tough to follow through. If you work through it, and don't let the thoughts get you down, the acheivement will really be right before you. It is not just training yourself to be able to run a lot and once you see you can do that, no need to continue. You have to train yourself to follow through and finish to acheive your goals. And when you get that far, you (I) will get that additional burst of energy knowing the accomplishment is right there.

17km!

who are you competing against?

I do not know if it is an important question or not, but I have been asked a number of times who I am competing with? Do I really think I can win the marathon, especially when so many others have been running for so much longer than me? And if not, why am I bothering?

My answer to that is that a marathon (as if I know so much about them) is not a race between you and the other people running in it. It is a race between you and you. It is a battle of wills.

I am not even so sure the actual race is the real battle and competition. I think it might even be the training itself where the competition is either won or lost. But either way, I do not care how I place compared to the other guys running it, and I know I will not finish number 1 or even close to it.

The race is against myself. Can I push myself to do something that is against my nature, that takes a lot of work to accomplish, that is very difficult. It is a battle of wills, and if I can train, if I can run the marathon, I have won. No matter what place I come in.

I told that to somebody and he told me he has a different answer. He believes the competition is between you and the pavement. Will you keep "slapping" the pavement and conquer it, or will the pavement do you in and take you down - either in an injury (God forbid) or just in wearing you down until you give up. That is the competition.

I thought about it and there is a profundity in that as well, but I still like my answer better. I still think it is me against me.

Like last night when I did not want to run. It was a small battle, in the scheme of things, but I won it. I willed myself to do it. I am sure there will be plenty of such situations over the next few months of training, especially as it gets cold and wintry and the runs get uncomfortable like that.

A marathon, and life, is one big battle that is made up of a lot of little battles. If you can will yourself to win the little battles and stay in the long term race, you have won the big battle.

For example, I had another battle tonight as well. Not just the should I run or should I stay home and watch the exit polls of the Kadima primaries on the Internet. While I was running. I was doing a very serious uphill. A real killer of a hill. And I was tired and worn out and unmotivated. I thought to myself maybe I should stop for a bit. Maybe I should walk a bit. What's the difference? Nobody will see, nobody will know that I stopped to catch my breath. I will still run the 11km.

Then I thought to myself, who cares of nobody sees. If I stop just beause nobody sees, I am nto fooling anybody else. Nobody else cares. I am only fooling myself thinking I can run the 11km when I really could not.

Lots of little battles. The marathon is a race between me and me. The question is which me is going to win.

sticking to your plan

First the technical details of the run. Todays run was considered a medium/long run. For us Novice Marathoners that weighs in at 11km (don't worry - this Friday is still going to be 15km). The thing is we were supposed to run 4km of it at half marathon pace.

I have no idea what half marathon pace is, but I assume it is a bit faster than normal training pace. So the first 3km of my run I ran at a faster pace. I ran it at about 5:50/km. Overall I ran the 11km a bit slower than my average. My average pace tonight was 7:14/km. I was tired and unmotivated, so I ran slower...

I intended to run early this morning (Wednesday), but it did not work out because I had to go in to work early. So I ran Wednesday night instead. Let me tell you, when you wake up early and run, it increases your energy for the whole day. When you wake up early and do not run, you get tired very early.

So I was pretty tired. And I was not motivated tonight. I was thinking to myself I am too tired to run, maybe in the morning instead, maybe I'll just skip this one - no big deal, etc. Then I decided I have a plan and I have to stick with it. You skip one run, maybe it is not a big deal. Then you start skipping more runs and all of the sudden you are way behind in the training. It took a lot of will power to get myself going when not so motivated, and especially to run a difficult route, but I did it.

If you have a plan, a long term plan, there will be ups and downs. There will be times when it is easy and fun, and there will be times where you will not want to do it - it will be hard, tiring and not fun. You have to stick to your plan in order to hit the finish line and meet your goal, even during the tougher days.

a matter of perspective

I had to got to my shiur last night, but did not have access to my car. My wife needed it.

A few weeks ago, I would have been willing to walk the two blocks, but I would have groaned a bit or just not liked it.

But last night I right away said no problem, I can walk the two blocks to shul. Heck, if I am running about 45km a week, and 10-11 every other day, I can walk two blocks and have no right to be lazy about it!

It is all a matter of perspective.

pushing your limits

We run all week, but only on Fridays do we run a really long run, increasing our distance.

Using this weeks schedule for example, on Friday we ran 13km. Saturday-night/Sunday we ran 10km, Monday night we will run 11km (working more on speed), Wednesday 11km again, then Friday we are scheduled to run 15km.

I would have thought that all week long we are slightly increasing the distance and achieving 15km by Friday. But that is not the case. I do not really understand how it works, but it seems we are solidifying our base at 11km all week, strengthening our bodies to have that as our standard, and the on Friday pushing ourselves to increase that.

Then next week we stabilize our base at the 11-12 range and then move up on Friday to 17km (then the week long runs are no longer even close to the Friday runs.

So I do not understand how the weekday runs prepare us for the increase in distance on the Friday runs.

I guess the real push is from Friday to Friday, with the weekday runs just keeping our base, and improving our speed.

Once you have run 11km, your next barrier is higher. You don't need to keep slowly incrementing upwards - just push yourself a little bit and you can make the jump.

There must be some mussar in that. Keep pushing yourself past your last limit. Strengthen your base, but always push your limits.

"Rabbi"?

Why do I use the title Rabbi in the name of the blog?

Yet another good question. I don't use it anywhere else, so why here?

The answer is so simple, it is funny. The first day I went out running, the thought came to me, during the run, to sart a blog to keep track of my progress.

So while I am running, I am thinking what I would like to write in it, the content, the style, etc. Then I start thinking of names. I come up with 4 or 5 very basic names - nothing special. Things like "Marathon Training" and Running a Marathon".

Sure enough, I get home and start the new blog, and when registering the name I had chosen, I found out they were all taken (even though none of them had been actually blogging anything new in a few years). I did nt have energy to star thinking of a new name, and the thought struck me that Rabbis running a marathon always piques peoples interest, so I just tacked on the Rabbo to the beginning of the title, and walla! I had my blog title.

The only problem is that having the word "Rabbi" in the title kind of obligates me to was rabbinic every now and then. So pardon any future mussar shmuesses or hashkafic thoughts gleaned from running...

Kol tuv!

A few random thoughts after last nights run...

First of all I apologize for the many typos in the my post-run post. I was really dead, and just did not notice them

Because I was so dead, I also forgot to include a few random thoughts and observations... so here goes now:

1. The experienced runners were "complaining" how much harder the run was because of humidity. They were talking about the whole summer having been much more humid and hot than usual, thus creating a much more difficult environment for running. Me not knowing any better felt good about that. if I could run in this heat, in which even the professional runners consider it difficult, when it starts cooling down it will get much easier!
2. Group running is very different than individual running. It is kind of like the difference between learning in a shiur or with a chavrusa versus learning on your own. To do it on your own, to do it well and consistently, you have to really be motivated and energetic. When you do it in a group, you are motivated and pushed by those doing it with you.
3. Don't eat dinner right before a run!
4. Aside from the 67% (or so) increase in my running last night over my previous sessions, I realized that was only the actual distance increase. In addition, I ran much more of the time than I had done previously, and at a faster pace (at least for part of the time). So, while I cannot measure how much, I did increas my performance much more than by the 67% I previously wrote!