Well, compression
socks, patella bands, worn-in shoes, and a stride honed so that it is the mind
that is being served, the body more or less taking care of itself.
On Wednesday
(March 6) I’m planning the eighteen miler, my longest run so far in this
100-day training regime I’ve committed myself to before the Sunday, May 5,
running of the Pittsburgh Marathon.
I’ve been doing
hills – well, slopes in Park Slope, Brooklyn – and simulating short races to
boost endurance. What cross training I’m doing is focused on core. I find – and
each person is different – that the exercises I do that emphasize core and heel
and calf help me to sustain my gait on long runs without undue muscle strain.
How did I get here?
Trial and error. And, man, that road is paved with pain and injury.
So on Wednesday,
it will be up and over the Brooklyn Bridge and off to, well, maybe West 72nd
Street before I return home to Park Slope, Brooklyn.
I can’t wait to
see what seeps into my mind that day. And be grateful that that is what will
matter as I make my way along, more than two-thirds toward by 26.2 mile goal, a
three-hour run, at minimum.
Next: Running for Your Life: Jamaican Mood
