[analphilosopher] Keith Burgess-Jackson: A Gratifying Day

[analphilosopher at lists.powerblogs.com]

Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson:
A Gratifying Day
http://www.analphilosopher.com/posts/1133654319.shtml


   I=E2ve been bicycling since 1981, when I purchased my first ten-speed
   bike (a Sears Free Spirit), but I=E2ve been running in earnest only
   since September 1996, when I began training for my first marathon (at
   the age of 39). I quickly became addicted to running, which is far
   more elemental and far more difficult than bicycling. During the next
   seven and a half years, I ran eleven marathons and dozens of shorter
   races (from two miles to 30 kilometers). My mantel is covered with
   trophies and I have many medals hanging from a nail in my study. All
   the while, I continued bicycling, and a few years ago I began to play
   softball with my UTA Liberal Arts colleagues, having taken a 20-year
   hiatus from the sport. I=E2m far from a natural athlete, but I=E2m an
   athlete. I=E2ve always found that sport provides a nice complement to
   scholarship. I want my body to be as developed as my mind.

   My most recent marathon was in December 2003. The aches and pains I
   had begun to experience on long runs made marathon training=E2and the
   marathons themselves=E2dreadful. My body was telling me in no uncertain
   terms to ease up. Like any self-respecting man, I ignored it. But the
   2003 marathon was so hard that, while doing it, I decided to retire
   from the distance. I had no significant aches or pains on runs of 15
   miles or less, so I decided to specialize in half marathons (13.1
   miles) and 10K (6.2-mile) races. That would give me a reason to
   continue training at a high level, which is important to my mental and
   physical health.

   Then weird things began to happen. In 2004, I hurt my back about three
   times. Each time, it started off as an ache in the right pelvis (the
   sacroiliac joint) and spread to the right hip. It got so bad that I
   went to Arlington Memorial Hospital one Sunday morning at five
   o=E2clock. I later saw other doctors, including a specialist, who took
   X-rays and an MRI scan. All the doctors said it was inflammation. That
   doesn=E2t sound like much, but it laid me low. For weeks on end, during
   these bouts of pain, I had to walk bent over, like an old man. I hate
   taking medication, but for days on end I had to take ibuprofen just to
   function. In short, I was miserable. I went seven weeks without
   running at one point in 2004.

   Needless to say, I did no races while this was going on. In fact, I
   did no races at all in 2004, although I did more than 20 bike rallies.
   (Riding doesn=E2t bother me, perhaps because I=E2m bent over.) Early in
   2005, I realized that I hadn=E2t been getting enough protein. I began to
   keep track of my protein intake so as to get at least 63 grams a day.
   I began to feel better. My back and hip pain went away and I felt
   young again. I assumed it was the protein, because nothing else in my
   life had changed. (This is an application of John Stuart Mill=E2s method
   of difference, which is one of his five methods of experimental
   inquiry.) As fall approached, I decided to train for another marathon.
   On 10 October, as part of this training, I ran 13.2 miles on my
   neighborhood route. I felt fine. But the moment I stopped running, I
   felt the pain in my SI joint again. That=E2s always the first sign. I
   continued running, however, since the pain wasn=E2t severe, and was
   starting to get my speed back when the pain got worse. On 4 November,
   I ran 4.3 miles. On 5 November, I ran 3.1 miles. On 6 November, I rode
   my bike 66 miles. That night, I could barely sleep because of the
   pain.

   I had overdone it. My body was telling me to stop, and this time I
   complied. The only aerobic exercise I had between 6 November and 27
   November=E2a period of three weeks=E2was a 60-mile bike ride in Denton
   (the annual Turkey Roll). This past Sunday, going crazy for lack of
   exercise, I decided to find out what effect (if any) running had on my
   pain, which was incessant but diminishing. I ran two miles. No
   setback. The next day I ran 3.1 miles. No setback. Two days later, I
   ran 4.3 miles. No setback. Two days later (yesterday), I ran two
   miles. No setback. Today, throwing caution to the wind, I did a 10K
   race in Arlington at the annual Arlington Winter Run (hosted by my
   university).

   It was incredible. Although my back ached at the start when I bent
   over, I had no discomfort during the race. My goal was a mile pace of
   7:45, which is well off my personal record in the 10K distance of
   6:32.10. I chatted with friends during the first mile. To my surprise,
   I did the first mile in 7:30. I was barely breathing hard. The second
   mile came and went in 7:19. My friend Larry Pao was a few yards ahead
   of me, so I used him as a pacer. I did the third mile in 7:23, which
   gave me a cumulative mile pace of 7:24. Although this was faster than
   I had expected, I wasn=E2t about to throw it away in the second half, so
   I kept the intensity up. But the lack of training was starting to
   affect me. I did the fourth mile in 7:30. =E2A little over two miles to
   go,=E2 I told myself. By this point I had caught Larry. We alternated
   our position so as to shield ourselves from the wind, which was stiff.
   Larry had done the two-mile race just before the 10K and was using the
   10K race as a training run. I did the fifth mile in 7:30, which gave
   me a mile pace of 7:26.4. No way was I going to fall below 7:30,
   although I was close to going anaerobic. Larry kept telling me to keep
   him honest. I had no idea what that meant, but I knew it was designed
   to encourage me. Finally, with half a mile to go, I told Larry to
   =E2take me home.=E2 I wanted to finish strong (as always). I did the six=
th
   mile in 7:18 and the final 2.14 miles at a pace of 6:24.47. My overall
   pace was 7:22.91 (elapsed time =3D 45:52.28), which is better than the
   7:23.55 I had two years ago in this race, when I was in great shape.
   Thanks, Larry!

   I realize that 7:22.91 is nothing special. Indeed, it=E2s well off my
   own personal record at this distance. But with all that=E2s happened to
   me in the past two years, I=E2m delighted. I can=E2t be sure that I won=
=E2t
   wake up tomorrow in pain. All I know is that I felt good during the
   run and that I feel good now (having napped for almost two hours).
   Assuming I didn=E2t hurt myself this morning, I=E2ll continue to do 5K a=
nd
   10K races for the rest of the winter and spring, with lots of training
   runs of up to 6.6 miles in between. Bicycling begins in earnest in
   late March or early April, and we=E2ll be back to playing softball
   shortly thereafter. I=E2m like a shark. If I stop moving, I die.

   Addendum: I spoke to a woman at the start. She had a black dog on a
   leash. I asked her how the dog (a three year old) likes to run and she
   said the dog loves it. She said the dog has done a 20-mile run with
   her. I was flabbergasted. You guessed it: The dog beat me. But not by
   much! I joked in the first mile that, while I don=E2t mind being beaten
   by a dog, I would never allow myself to be beaten by a cat.