"The marathon is less a physical event than a spiritual encounter. In infinite wisdom, God built into us a 32 km racing limit, a limit imposed by inadequate sources of the marathoner's prime racing fuel -- carbohydrates. But we, in our infinite wisdom, decreed that the standard marathon be raced over 42 km...So it is in that physical no-man's-land, which begins after the 32 km mark, that is the irresistible appeal of the marathon lies. It is at this stage, as the limits to human running endurance are approached, that the marathon ceases to be a physical event...It is there that you learn something about yourself and your view of life." (Tim Noakes, The Lore of Running, p596)Caveat about fuel: Because of this "eat to run" mentality, we runners are notorious for getting carbs in whatever form. As we learn more about trans fats and high fructose corn syrup, I'm trying to be a little more discerning. (Though on a recent run in Charlotte, I did refuel with a York Peppermint Patty and a yellow Gatorade. 'Cause I had two sweat-soaked dollar bills on my person, and a wrong turn had turned 10 miles into 12.)
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Did my tempo work on the treadmill today. Both Jesse's and my heart-rate monitors are on the blink, so I have a hard time gauging my pace for tempo runs ("comfortably hard" pace, a little slower than 10K race pace). It's a weird pace, one I never feel like I can sustain for as long as I actually do. Getting 8" or so of snow tomorrow, so Thurs will be another indoor day. :-(
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