Doing What's Natural

I've realized a few weeks ago that something needed to change. I've been pursuing rock climbing (with a fervent passion at times) over the past 7 years. Ever since I finished the swim season of my senior year of college, I've done rock climbing pretty full on. It's an interesting sport if you think about it. There's no field of competition. You go to a place and climb up the wall. Some walls are short, some are big. The goal is generally to get to the top. So what's the point, right? I think it's only something that can be understood once you've tried rock climbing. A few points to think about though: conquering fears, artistic feeling, good for the body, can't do it alone.

So back to my point. I've rock climbed off and on for about 7 years, mostly "on" for the last 3. My mentality has always been about training for climbing, trying to get stronger, better. I find that I have more fun if I am. It gives me purpose when my life's purpose is lacking a bit. But living here in Gangneung has provided a bit of a challenge for me. Since we moved here last February, I've had difficulty training on a regular basis. There is an artificial wall in the city that we have been going to (in the prime of our focus) twice a week, and then climbing on the weekends. But time has shown that I'm not getting any better. There are lots of reasons, but the main one is that I lack the motivation. And in a sport where there is no competitive edge, the motivation must come from internally.

I'm switching gears for the next couple of months. As of 2 weeks ago, I have been training for the Chuncheon Marathon. This will be my first ever full marathon. I had a near encounter back in college when i whimsically decided to join my girlfriend, sister, and friend on their half marathon race, only to be coerced while running by the friend who was running the full 26.2 miles to join her. I made it about 19 miles before my body locked up into the tightest cramping I have ever experienced. And believe me, it was a full-body-cramp! I stretched and walked for the next mile, but as soon as I started to run, my body would lock up again. So when I saw my brother-in-law's Bronco parked at the roadside, I was elated and ready to quit. After all, I was surprised I had even made it that far. And I wasn't allowed to cross the finish line anyway since I wasn't registered. All of this was good quitting motivation at the time, so I did.

Well, that's the last memory I have of any marathon or training for a marathon. It wasn't pretty, and I really don't want to have to experience the full body cramp again. So this will be my first time to actually train on a regular basis. I can't say that I've ever done that before, and so far, I'm really enjoying most of it. It's refreshing to get up early and be on the road by 7:30am like I did this morning. There's a peace and a freshness about the air. And the rest of the day, you can say, "At least I accomplished that run this morning." It just makes you feel good.

This week's long run was 8 miles. I did it pretty slow, not knowing what to expect from my body after mile 6. It tightened up a little, but overall, I was in good shape. My goal is to increase my mileage by 2-3 miles per week in my long runs, while trying to maintain a certain number of total miles for the week. I've researched the Runner's World web page for helpful running, cross training, and injury prevention tips. I can't say it's motivation is much different. I'm not really doing this for anyone but myself. I don't expect to get a medal (though my prideful side would love to). It could be because I've always been involved in some kind of sport for as long as I can remember. I like setting goals, putting in the work, and seeing achievement on the other side. There is a rewarding feeling that comes with the accomplishment.

If any of you reading this have run your own marathon and would like to give helpful tips, feel free to comment. I appreciate any support and you can look for pictures after October 25th.