Sunday, August 8, 2010

August 2-8: 115 MPW, Jim Hage, and "Lose Yourself"

Mon: AM: 5.5 miles, PM: 10.5 miles
Tues: PM: 15 miles
Wed: AM: 7 miles, PM: 8 miles
Thurs: AM: 12 miles, PM: 6 miles
Fri: PM: 18 miles
Sat: AM: 10 miles, PM: 5 miles
Sun: AM: 3 miles, PM: 15 miles

TOTAL: 115 miles

Interesting statistic: For the past 14 weeks, I have averaged 79 miles per week. For the past 11 weeks, I have averaged 85 miles per week. I have run 1105 miles in the past 14 weeks(more than half this year's total so far). I am already at 2119 miles for the year. In 2009 my yearly TOTAL was 2376. I just did half of that in just over 3 months. I could very well be 3500-4000 by the end of this year. Just running up to 80 miles in one week last year was a lot. Now, I am averaging that. Incredible how the body adapts.

I met Jim Hage last week in the store. I had helped him before and found out who he was when he said he was 52 and placed a high 80th at the Rockville Twilight 8K. I talked to him a bit about marathon training and his glory days. Jim was 8th in the 1992 Olympic Marathon Trials(the year Steve Taylor was 6th) at the age of 34 and has run a PR of 2:15. He gave me much encouragement that even I could run that fast one day if I stick with the training. I told him I was 27 and he said I have years ahead to fulfill my potential. Hearing this from one of the best runners in the country at one time is so encouraging! It makes you think beyond what you can currently see. That anything, anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

During some of these tiring runs this week, I found myself humming eminem's "Lose Yourself." It helped me push through some days where I just wanted to sleep instead of run.

"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted
-One moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready to drop bombs,but he keeps on forgettin what he wrote down,the whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out
He's choking now, everybody's joking now
The clock's run out, time's up over, bloah!
Snap back to reality, Oh there goes gravity
Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked
He's so mad, but he won't give up that
Easy, no
He won't have it ,
he knows his whole back's to these ropes
It don't matter, he's dope
He knows that, but he's broke
He's so stagnant that he knows
When he goes back to his mobile home,
that's when it'sBack to the lab again yo
This this whole rhapsody
He better go capture this moment and hope it don't pass him

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo
The soul's escaping, through this hole that it's gaping
This world is mine for the taking
Make me king, as we move toward a, new world order
A normal life is boring, but superstardom's close to post mortem
It only grows harder, only grows hotter
He blows us all over these hoes is all on him
Coast to coast shows, he's know as the globetrotter
Lonely roads, God only knows
He's grown farther from home, he's no father
He goes home and barely knows his own daughter
But hold your nose 'cause here goes the cold water
His hoes don't want him no more, he's cold product
They moved on to the next schmoe who flows
He nose dove and sold nada
So the soap opera is told and unfolds
I suppose it's old partner but the beat goes on
Da da dum da dum da da..."

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