The Long Miles Still Hit Right!
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The Long Miles Still Hit Right!
John Paul Derryberry
Another summer of ramping up the long miles I run. I posted the first 35-mile week of the summer over the last seven days. Another summer of dragging my tired bones out the door at 5:30 to stay in shape, keep my heart healthy and possibly run another marathon this fall. Most days, I'm slower than I used to be. It took a long time to get used to the fact I had transitioned to a different pace of running. There are days when I still can kick it into high gear and run like I did ten years ago. It's just that there are more days of slower John than faster John now.
A little limp here, a hitch in the step after a long run there, shin splints occur more often, and many days where the first two miles feel great, only for mile 3 to remind me I'm not going fast today. Today's Sunday run was a throwback. I felt great the entire time. I ran faster as the run went along, and I almost crossed 7 miles in an hour. For comparison, I could occasionally pull off 8 miles in an hour at my best. I don't know if those days will ever return, but 7 in an hour is possible. I'm enjoying the long miles even more than ever before.
They have become a meditative journey about understanding I'm at the tipping point of life. I have more behind me than I do ahead of me. Over the past couple of years, I often think about what has occurred in my life just as much as I have ahead in life. A natural transition for all humans. Part of my story is now written in stone, and the long runs have allowed me to come to grips with that. They also allow me to sharpen myself in what still lies ahead. Because I'm really excited about what is in front of me. The long runs still hit right, just different from the fast runs, where I ran as fast as I could at all times from the past.
In some ways, they are healthier for my body and on my mind. Going all out all the time leaves the mind and body stripped of needed rest, resources, and balance that it takes to move through life. Some days, I throw in a long walk over a run. 32-year-old John would throw up a little in his mouth at that notion. But John's 42-year-old hips, knees, and ankles now appreciate the break from the pounding. But slowing down does not mean giving up. I'm on pace to run more miles than ever this year because of my improved attitude about running at a slower pace and getting a different feeling from them.
What is hitting right is settling into realizing life is good. And with that, the need to loudly prove to the world you are here wanes. What replaces the feelings is the feeling of doing things the right way. Being the right kind of husband, dad, friend, boss, storyteller, and human is allowed to be thoughts that run the brain. For that to happen, the intensity of running fast had to give way to the long game of building everything toward one run where you let loose. Something about building things the right way has permitted my processes over the last 5 years. I'm glad it did cause it has much more hitting right than just the long runs.