What did I learn by running 7 half-marathons in 7 days?

 

We, runners, are often perceived as “somewhat-crazy people” by non-runners. I know that because I used to be a not-so-regular-runner and never understood what is the fun of running miles after miles, day after day? When I finally got hooked into running a few years back, I understood that it’s not really the act of running that attracts runners, but it’s the flow and the zen state, which is so compelling and serene that running becomes a way of life.

In this post, I want to talk about a little running project I did a few weeks ago. In this pandemic-struck world, everyone is stressed and anxious, but at least in Seattle area, we did not have a situation so bad that local authorities had to ban people from walking or running outside (like many parts of the world that I have read in news). To break the monotony of working from home amidst the lock down period, I decided to run 7 half-marathons in 7 days (at least 13.1 miles per day – totaling more than 91+ miles in a week). Another aspect of this project was to run/explore new routes around my town and neighboring areas. I wanted to explore new places to run, experience new sights and mainly, not bogged down and depressed by this very stressful pandemic situation.

But as I ran every day, I learned new things about running and myself –  than what I originally thought it would take or it would teach me. Here are a few things that happened and what I learned from this experience

1. Running for a goal is fun, but it’s even better without a goal

Last few months, I have been training hard for my “A” races – Zion 100k, Tunnel marathon, Tahoe Rim 100 Miles and Leadville 100 Miles. But with the start of the pandemics, all these races are in jeopardy – most of them are already cancelled. I was sad and frustrated initially, but I knew that it’s the right choice for these race organizers to cancel the races. Safety and public health should be top priority. But for many of the runners like me, races are the goals that motivate us – we set up training schedule and try to stick to that.

This sudden change made me feel that there is nothing to look ahead for, but when I started this little project of running a half marathon every day for a week, I realize again why I run. It’s not for the races, it’s not for the PRs (personal records) – it’s really for the freedom of being a human – being able to run through the space and time, feel the wind in your face, and feel alive. I felt that in my heart this time – I found the true inspiration deep inside me.

2. With true inspiration, comes the real joy and it’s infectious

Inspiration is a relative term. When you see someone is inspired by something, you may not always understand it, because you don’t know what it means to that person. But it’s infectious – you know that you can also be inspired by something. I have friends and acquaintances in my running and mountaineering circle, who I always admire and I have always wondered how do they do so much – how can they be so inspired to go out and do all these hard things – often all by themselves, often with a lot of suffering and mostly with a smiling face.

Now I get it. It’s not the mountains or trails or roads – it’s the journey that we make inside us to go somewhere. People in every aspect of life – be it business or finance, sports or arts – are doing excellent things, only when they are truly inspired by the passion, not for the fame or money. Those are just side effects.

3. There are more beautiful miles in your neighborhood than you think

Now, I admit that I live in Pacific Northwest, which is a beautiful place. But I did not know all the little heavens that exist near my house – all within 13.1 miles. Every day in that week, I planned to run new routes – roads and parks and trails that I never been and areas that looked interesting.

One day – I ran on a beach – from Edmonds to Meadowdale on mostly pebbles and sand. Another day – I ran from Puget sound to Lake Washington and back. Another evening – I decided to run to a golf course and found a trail that runs all along the course with beautiful views. Another day – I connected multiple natural areas and forests by running alternately on trails and road.

It was eye opening – how far running takes you. I could go many of these places driving or hike some of these trails, but running connects you where you live to where you play in a more authentic way.

4. Human body and mind is more adaptable than we think

I have never ran 90+ miles in a week in training before. Though I have done things like Wonderland trail 93 miles in 3 days – but this was different. Getting out of the house every afternoon for a 2 hours run (yes, I ran these pretty slow to not injure myself) for 13-15 miles take some grit and a lot of patience and a bunch of positive energy. But it’s also a rhythm – when you establish it, it feels like a habit. I was still worried a bit whether running so much in a week may be detrimental to my body. I found that I was wrong. When you let your body and mind adapt – slowly and smoothly – you can ease into a new high with confidence.

What I also learned that, mind is everything. It drives the body. The body needs to be ready and strong, but without a fresh, energetic mind, it’s not much of an use. To keep my mind fresh, I often carried my little camera, took some photos, often stopped and enjoyed the view or simply enjoyed the light breeze that soothed my soul during a long run.

5. Training tip – Aerobic base building is never a bad idea

This final point is more for running nerds. What we call “base building” is really running at a slow speed for a long time – which creates the base – our ability to burn fat as the main source of energy (instead of glucose) and enable us to go forever. It also build great running economy (helping our body to run in the most efficient manner).

As my races/goals suddenly evaporated due to Covid-19, this running project let me re-set my training calendar to put a good base building period in April. This 7 half-marathon in a week  at a slow speed added a lot to that base. I felt great – had a lot of energy the following week. In fact, it had such a refreshing effect that, I went out and ran a 33-miles self-supported ultra from a week after I finished this project. I may write about it in another post.

Disclaimer: All of these runs were done with full social distancing in mind. With mostly empty roads and by timing the runs at a time (late evening), I managed to stay away from all other walkers and runners. Please always practice social distancing and keep everyone safe.