A new journey

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Steve Wagner

This afternoon, I met up with an area runner who is training for the Brainerd marathon in April and we cruised through 9 miles on the indoor track Bemidji State University.

Thankfully, I had my Garmin footpod with, and since I calibrated it the last time I was over at the track, neither of us had to count laps. It turned into a great afternoon workout, and I feel refreshed and rejuvenated afterward. And it went by so fast as we chatted about running and life that I was surprised when the 9 miles were over – what a great way to spend the day. Any concern about the dog bite on my leg from the previous day was quickly forgotten.

And I’m also feeling inspired as a friend, Rick Wagar, posted a request on his Facebook for friends to suggest music for his 135-mile Arrowhead trail race next week. Last year, I suggested he listen to Led Zeppelin. This year, Rick (you can read his blog here) asked for people to suggest specific songs and provide a reason why that song is special to the person who recommended it.

It’s a great idea, and one that makes it very personal to both Rick and the person suggesting the music. Here’s what I suggested:

“Before each of my marathons, I’ve always listened to “Bad” from U2. I always feel inspired and hopeful listening to that song. It’s like the promise of a new day, a reminder that anything is possible. It gives me chills listening to it as I think about the epic journey ahead. Hope it does the same for you.”

In the hours and minutes leading up to each of my 13 marathons, that song has always been my centering force. Each race is an experience, not to be taken lightly or for granted, and the music and lyrics ring true to me.

And they will help carry me through the next several months, which will bring several challenges, including some long winter runs, some tough trail races and plans to run an ultramarathon or 2 – all before the next marathon.

Last year, I ran 3 marathons in 29 days, and I’m seriously contemplating it again. At the same time, I’m also thinking about a single marathon, and a hard training cycle in pursuit of a breakthrough time.

Thanks for the inspiration Rick, and best of luck in your journey!

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The polar experience

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Steve Wagner

It’s been an interesting few days for me here in Bemidji.

After furnace troubles and a dead battery in my vehicle, I was looking forward to Saturday’s 5K Polar Challenge and logging some miles beforehand.

Out on a warm up run, I headed west on 10th Street Northwest to the Buffalo Hill trail before heading north. As I ran, I greeted a woman out walking her dogs, both of whom were on a leash. And even though I moved to the center of the street, I was still surprised when one of the dogs became aggressive and lunged at me.

And bit me. A surprise since I greeted both the woman and her dog, who just seemed excited and tempted to run along. Since I was in the middle of the street, and the woman standing on the side holding the leash, I didn’t think there was enough room for the dog to actually touch me, let alone put a 4-inch gash into my thigh.

It was a bit startling, and I knew her teeth made it through my running pants. But with 2 other layers underneath, I figured the chance of breaking skin wasn’t very likely. I didn’t even break stride and just kept on going. About a half mile later, I felt a burning sensation where the dog attacked me.

Still, I finished the warm up, and arrived at the race with a few minutes to spare.

The Polar Challenge, which had an awesome turnout, was a blast, and considering I ran a marathon 6 days earlier, I was happy with a solid effort on slippery roads. Afterward, I chatted with a couple runners, including a West Fargo runner visiting family in the Bemidji area. More often than not, particularly at the shorter local races, it’s these conversations that make it worthwhile to show up and run.

After returning home, I finally checked the dog bite – surprised to find a huge gash on my leg. After calling Ask-A-Nurse and chatting with police, I headed into the hospital for shots (ended up they gave me 3 different ones). The nurse kept telling me it would hurt, so I finally said to just stick it in and that I doubt it could hurt much. I was tired of sitting around for 3 hours, particularly since I was the only one at the emergency room. Even the needle, injected into the wound and wiggled around to get the disinfectant inside, seemed barely noticeable.

The doctor told me that I’d have have a series of 5 rabies shots if I couldn’t find out if the dog was vaccinated. Police officers told me and hospital staff that they’d have a difficult time tracking down the woman, which I found hard to believe. It can’t be that difficult, I figured, so after an afternoon in the hospital, I drove back to the neighborhood. Within 5 minutes, I found the dog owner and met the dog that bit me. Thankfully, she has updated vaccinations, so I won’t have to go through any more shots.

Overall, an interesting end to an interesting week, but today I’m looking forward to meeting up with a runner for 9 miles as he’s starting training for a marathon. It will be fun to meet yet another runner in the area, and keep my mileage up as I look forward to piling on mileage for upcoming races.

Click here for results from the 5K Polar Challenge.

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Nowhere near dead

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Steve Wagner

Since Sunday’s marathon, I’ve wrapped my head around the race a little more and have come to realize that initial thoughts aren’t always the last thoughts.

With an official time of 3:28:57, there were some factors affecting the outcome. Travel, sleep, nutrition and hydration, training and attitude all played key roles in a time that was nearly 11 minutes slower than my time at Grandma’s Marathon last June.

Going into the race, I shrugged it off as a training run. During it, I made a couple of stops, something I’d normally never do. Even my early pit stop, aiming to make myself more comfortable for the next 25 miles, was a decisive moment in the marathon.

That early stop focused on comfort and enjoying the race, rather than aiming to nail a faster time. And when it was over, while I found my feet blistered, I didn’t feel like I had run a marathon.

Six months ago, when running in Duluth, I found myself pushing myself through discomfort, aiming to straddle the red line of racing to get my best time. This time, with doubts about my training and fitness, my goal was to set myself up for a great spring of running and fitness building. But I question if that was the best approach.

The next morning, before catching my flight back to Fargo, I headed out for a short run. Before my first strides, my legs felt no worse for the wear from the marathon. During the short 3 miles, my legs were a little sluggish, but nowhere near dead. And that should be a good indication that there was more to give during the marathon.

It was a good learning experience. I had fun, but should have found the marathon more taxing on my legs and body. And while I wasn’t in racing shape, now I know there is more in reserve to make the next marathon better – and faster.

Also, I’ve been updating the list of regional races posted on the blog. Dozens have been added over the past few weeks, including a few more dates and links today. Click here to see a lengthy list of races in 2012.

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