Patience. Patience. There's Plenty Of Time To Run Faster Later

Patience.  The essential ingredient to bake up anything important.

I needed it recently waiting for a sinus infection to fully pass, that I knew was coming, and in fact, once it started to attack, I basically yelled “bring it on” as I ran a 20 miler during its onset, realizing I”d be sideline afterwards. But, at least it would be with a 20 miler under my belt and what better time to get leg rest. 

Still, I had to wait while the 750 MG of Amoxicillin went to war on the infection. It triumphed as always, but there was collateral damage. My stomach lining felt like it was bleeding, even on runs, and (to quote The White Stripes)  “The stains coming from my blood said go back home.”  But I ran through, cause I was patient with the pain and discomfort that I knew would pass.

Patience – today I’m  waiting for Running Fit to open to see if my shoes are in. The Nike Pegasus 29 were released in July, and I visited the store on Friday. They didn’t have my size, so they had to be shipped from another store.  They said Monday, and in all my patience I hope to be at the store three minutes after they arrive.

Patience, in a way, is key to running an effective marathon.

When the race starts, the excitement of being in the chute with thousands of runners, listening to the anthem, weeks of marathoning mojo building in your legs after a three week taper.  Everything in you wants to tap into that sweet source and whhhoooosshhh through the first miles, which are so soft, swift, and easy. (It’s like butter.)  Yes you have to  wait and wait and preserve energy and hold off on the speed, running the first ten to 13 miles with your head. The urge is to push push push with the runners flying by you, a bunch of Wraskly Wabbits, but you have to let them go. Run your own race.  Be patience.  Many of these rabbits you’ll pick off at the end if you run it right.  The walked wounded will be waiting for you while you slowly build up to your Beast Mode.  Beast Mode at mile 14 is a whole different delicious buzz than is the 1^st mile rush. And you'll eat those rabbits, lick your chops, and finish in beast mode rather than zombie mode.

“There’s plenty of time to run faster later. Plenty of time to run faster later” I tell myself this always in the beginning of marathon to slow myself during the first miles. Sometimes I even listen.

Patience is waiting for a rough spot to pass during the latter miles, telling yourself that just because you feel terrible at a given moment that you’ll run through it, that the nag or pain in your leg may fade, that the Gu may kick in, that seeing your family cheering for you will make everything seem fresh and new again, the air ahead is filled with greater oxygen, seeing another mile marker pass may give you new energy, that this wave of hurt will pass but you have to face it, to endure the momentary pain knowing that you'll rise above.

Muhammad Ali called it “Rope-A-Dope”- hanging on while you were getting pummeled because you would soon fight back with force.

 Or, to quote The Verve (who are they?) 

“Tie yourself to the Mast my friend, and the Storm will end.” 

Or, you “Hold On” just like Wilson Phillips and those Bridesmaids:

“I know that there is pain. But you hold on for one more day and
Break free the chains.”

(Yes, I’m trying to be funny. I see that smirk.)

 Patience is waiting in line for an hour for a roller coaster, which seems tremendously long yet when you finally get to strap yourself in, ride the ride and get off with that childhood glow, you fully forgot the long, slow line but only remember the ride.

Patience for runners comes in all sorts of forms – waiting for an injury to heal, waiting to get faster, waiting to recover.

But, I’m thinking,  is patience the right word.? I’m using Patience in the sense of enduring things, just waiting things out, tolerating, fighting through time until something we really want is going to happen on the other side.  This seems not right since it takes one out of the moment, like it’s the next moments that really matter, and right now doesn’t.

If patience is being at peace and in peace in the moment, whatever that is, I do get that but in fleeting and choppy bits. But if patience is able to endure most anything in order to find some redemption in the suffering? Well, that’s something I take in heavy doses. 

I’m gonna have to leave it at that and be patient and wait for the answer to come to me. “The less I seek my source for some definitive- The closer I am to fine.”

 Off to the shoe store.

The Jade Rabbit on Amazon

STRAY on Amazon