Generally, I really don’t hang out with runners. Better yet, let me explain that better… I don’t hang out with runners like me, and by that I mean obsessive folks who have to complete certain workouts every day and certain mileage, etc. every week.
I hang with people who run, but not folks who base all of their training and workouts on specific times in a particular race.
People like me are weird.
Be that as it is, whenever I talk to “competitive” runners about training, race and workout times and that kind of stuff, inevitably the conversation always ends the same way: “Sounds like you’re pretty strong. You’re going to do well in (insert name of race here) if you get good weather.”
The regular runners I hang out with never talk about the weather. It’s like it doesn’t exist in the realm of running in heir viewpoint. Oh sure, they know about the weather and the change of seasons and all of that, but the idea of how it effects racing and running is lost on them. If it’s raining or if it’s too cold, they just stay in and save the workout for another day or go to the gym and run on a treadmill.
The conversation about training with my friends usually culminates with a: “Wow, you run a lot.”
Frankly, I prefer to have my ego stroked and not to worry about the weather.
But the weather is an issue for folks who train for late autumn races in the Northeast. It appeared to be an issue at this year’s Chicago Marathon, too, where the times on the lightning quick course were just a tad slower than normal. Yeah, lots of people ran well at Chicago – 44 American men qualified for the Olympic Trials in the race – but think what they could have done if the wind and temperatures had been more seasonal.
It definitely makes it frustrating when a person trains hard during the heat and humidity of the summer only to have his race messed up by windy conditions and cold air. For people like me, who need every advantage they can get just to run a respectable time, the weather is that much more of a factor.
That’s why I’m hoping the spate of coolish temps and high, driving winds is just one of those crazy snaps in the system. Hopefully, the weather is getting the rain and wind out of its system now so it will be 55 degrees with no wind and overcast skies on Nov. 12 in Harrisburg, Pa. Yeah, I expect some wind since part of the race course rolls past the mighty Susquehanna River on the way around City Island, but as long as it’s manageable…
Today the wind was manageable simply because I’m used to it now. The steady 25-m.p.h. gusts had little effect except for a few areas where there were no trees, houses or building to block the air. Better yet, the mid-40 degree wind chills were kind of refreshing. When the wind was pushing me off the road or blowing directly into my face, the crisp, nip air was perfect. It made me remember that hot and humidity stretch in late July and early August when I had to do all of my running at night.
Today I knifed through the wind like a low 2-iron shot for my typical, easy Sunday for a steady and solid 11½ miles in 1:16:41. Though I ran the first 8-plus miles faster than 6:30 per mile pace, I didn’t worry about anything other than enjoying the run. I even took my iPod with me, which is something I do when I don’t care about my focus.
Either way, it wasn’t a bad way to spend an hour on a Sunday.
Running nugget
Catherine Ndereba, or as she is better known, "Catherine the Great," is in New York City for next Sunday's marathon. The Times caught up with her at an appearance at a school, where the Kenyan who often trained in nearby Valley Forge, entertained the kids.
How good is the NYC Marathon going to be this year? Catherine the Great vs. Deena Kastor in the women's race and the deep American field with Baldini and Tergat in the men's race...
Wow!