The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-414 – Matt Part 2 – The Ironman
(Audio: link) audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4414.mp3]
Link epi4414.mp3
MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks – http://www.marathonbq.com/qualify-for-the-boston-marathon-in-14-weeks/
Hello and welcome to episode 4-414 of the RunRunLive Podcast. I’m trying to get this one out early this week because this weekend is the Leadville 100 Trail race – “The race across the sky”. I’ll be flying out Thursday night to pace Eric over the weekend.
Truly, this has all the earmarks of an adventure (with a capital A). This is the thing I really dig about longer endurance events. Whether a marathon, multi-day relay or and ultra, you really have no idea what’s going to happen when you toe the line.
There os that middle road, the one you are planning for, or more appropriately guessing at, that travels a clean but relatively uninteresting path, where everything stays within expectations. That middle road where nothing weird or memorable happens. You just run your miles and bask in the warm glow of an expected job well done. You trained. You showed up. You ran. You finished. You wipe your hands, note the effort in your log, check the box and move on.
That is the less interesting path without much adventure.
But there is always a chance, I’d say better than 50/50 that something goes sideways.
There are those glowing, multi-colored traces that arc off of the main path at crazy angles into the unknown. This is where the good stuff happens.
Adventure is when you show up for a 12-person relay and there are only 8 runners. Adventure is when you start throwing up 75 miles in. Adventure is when you roll that ankle or crash your bike in the early miles. Adventure is when that storm blows in with its driving wind and hail.
Adventure steps in and tears up your well-made plans. Adventure wipes the slate and resets the score. It strips you of your smug comfort and your middle of the road expectations.
But, my friends, adventure is not catastrophe. Adventure is not some evil, beady-eyed thug stepping out of a side alley to blacken your eyes and steal your money.
No, my friends, adventure is an opportunity. Adventure strips away our silly human thoughts of predetermination and let’s us draw on deeper pools of resource and strength that we didn’t know we had. Adventure, you see, leads to fulfillment.
Adventure is where the “Epic” lies. Adventure to the shores of new worlds, and to the walls of Troy. Adventure is a tool to flush out the human spirit. We, endurance athletes, we hardy few, we celebrate Adventure.
“You are better than you think you are, and can do more than you think you can.” – Ken Chlouber
On with the show!
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Section one – Form series Chapter Three – https://runrunlive.com/form-series-chapter-3
Voices of reason – the conversation
Matt Schorer
Matt is father, husband and triathlete from upstate NY who recently made the successful move to reclaim his health.
Matt is currently training for the Lake Placid IronMan in Late June of this year.
https://www.facebook.com/fatguytotriguy/
https://www.facebook.com/matt.schorer.71/about
https://www.facebook.com/dailyfitbook/
Section two – Thoughts on Seneca’s Letters– https://runrunlive.com/about-senecas-letters
Outro
Well, my friends, you fixed your form and fixed your sites on the new horizon, which, by the way, was the name of a NASA probe that made a flyby of poor old demoted king of the kuiper belt but no longer a planet Pluto, and then, even more astoundingly cool, Ultima Thule which turned out to be two big chunks of accreted dust bunnies from the birth of the solar system 4 billion years ago, to the end of the RunRunLive Podcast episode 4-414, which is in some small way astounding in itself.
For me the weirdness that is my life continues. I try to not struggle against the current so much. I try the choose, as much as I cah the rocks to bump against on the way.
I will be pacing Eric this weekend at Leadville. And, don’t anyone tell him, but I’m terrified. My training has been shyte (it’s not really bad language if I use a non-U.S. dialect). I’ve still got that damn rattle in my lungs from whatever that airplane cold was, I’m thinking consumption, or maybe grippe, or apoplexy – but I’m no doctor. And I have the great personal responsibility to guide a dear friend through 38 miles of dusty Colorado trail, at night, over a pass that tops out at 12,600 feet.
I may die. I would rather die than not support a friend who needs me. People often over estimate my ability, but, thankfully they also underestimate my insanity – so it balances out.
Assuming I survive this adventure I am actually registered for a series of hard races, that I’m also not prepared for.
Screw it. Why change my approach now and do the smart thing? That might work but it’s a boring narrative.
I’m going to call this a training run. A nice long hike in the woods. Good for building strength and base aerobic fitness, right?
Then in a couple weeks I’ll run the Wapack trail race and that’s another nice strength builder. Which is stupid because a week after that I’m signed up for a marathon to see if I can’t get a qualification time before the Boston registration window closes.
Ya never know. It’s happened before. Remember when I rolled out of that 6-hour Spartan race in 2017 and requalified at Portland? Or when I turned my training for an Olympic tri into a qualifier at Baystate in 2018? It happens. I have a history of doing better when I’m not focused.
I’m also signed up for the Baystate Marathon in October which would give me 6-7 weeks of training to make another good show.
I still have some tendonitis in my ass. My knee is still crunchy from crashing in June. The machete injury healed fully, so at least I have that going for me. Maybe the $1,000 emergency room visit was worth it. Although my wife is of the opinion that I should have gone to the Redi-clinic or stitched it up myself. And I may be patient zero for some new form of zombie plague that starts as a juicy night cough you can’t shake.
So – everything is status quo over here at the RunRunLive HQ.
And honestly I’m happy to be alive.
But, I can hear you scream, “Chris, no one cares a wit about your constant stream of whinging about running. What about the puppy?”
As we speak Ollie the border collie is what? 10-11 weeks old? He’s growing like a weed. He bites everything and everybody. If it exists it goes in the mouth. He’s sleeping through the night mostly in his crate, but usually sleep in the couch in the vicinity and that calms him down. He’s a random poop and pee machine, but we’re working on it. He is teaching us patience.
I’ve realized how much older I am since I last had a puppy or a baby in the house. They have two speeds – all ahead full and sleep.
He likes to destroy Yvonne’s perennials. He like to chew on rocks. He likes to steal my socks. The other day I walked out to my garden with him. I picked a pile of produce. Tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers. He stole one of my cucumbers and gleefully kept it away from me as I grumbled and fumed and chased. He capered away with a sparkle in his eye.
I ended up freezing that cucumber so he could use it as a chew toy.
He’s probably a month ahead of where Buddy was at this age. Buddy was the runt of the litter, a sad little dog that grew into his wonder. Ollie is the class clown, full of energy, bravado and clever impishness.
Does he run? Yes, he does. He’s traversed the mile-ish trail with me at a trot a couple times now. He’s not quite sure what we’re doing but he hangs with me and has plenty of juice left over at the end.
At the end of the day I’m happy to have this little, warm ball of fur weaving around my legs and trying to knock me down so he can bite my face. I need that. I miss that.
And I’ll see you out there.
MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks – http://www.marathonbq.com/qualify-for-the-boston-marathon-in-14-weeks/
https://runrunlive.com/my-books
Rachel -> http://www.nextlevelnutrition.fitness/contact-appointment/
Coach Jeff -> https://dailyfitbook.com/