Marathon training--this is serious

Even just finishing week one of twenty weeks of marathon training I realize one thing--this is serious.  Of course, I know that.  Intellectually that is patently obvious.  I have to do a lot of preparation for my body to be able to run 26 miles without getting injured.  I have to put in a lot of time.  Run a lot of miles.  Go through at least one more pair of running shoes.  That is clear.

But today, it became clear at a much more visceral level and for two reasons. I have not run 16 miles since Saturday, April 26.  And that was one of only two 16 mile runs I have been on this year.  My body has done quite well hanging our running 10-13 many weekends.  Sometimes even a 15.  Last weekend for my long run a 14.  But this is getting me back to serious distances.  And, the plan that I am following suggested slow at first followed by faster to average at 8:30.  I averaged just about 8:30 but ran fast at first followed by slow.  That is not how to train for a marathon.  The ideal training is to take the beginning easier and then finish strong.  Even in workouts so that I know I can do it when it comes time for the race setting.  So, the first part of the visceral realization was just the sheer effort it takes to run 16 miles.

The second part of this was that I realized quite clearly that I am still not very good at "feeling" a pace--particularly when I am running with someone.  Despite sharing my goal and expectations, I tried not to look at my watch for the first 10 miles and I ended up going way too fast.  Less than ideal.  I live and learn.  I will have to spend more time looking at splits in the early miles of a workout to really get this down.

On my virtual pilgrimage from Baltimore to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, I have just passed into Kansas.  In fact, I am now a bit west of Fort Scott.  The Catholic church in Fort Scott is called Mary Queen of Angels.  The number of churches in honor or Mary in this section of the country along with route I am following is notable.  The image of Queen of Angels makes me think of the truly amazing nature of her relationship with God and Jesus.

Just today, I had my first really long run with someone who is also running Philly and will probably be right there with me when all is said and done.  I told her the extended story about my tattoo.  The tattoo represents a vulnerable male and all the women who have played an important role in his life.  One thing I never thought about before this entry is the role of Mary in my own life.  Mary the spiritual mother.  Mary the Mother of God.  Mary the Queen.  Someone who shared our humanity but who unlike Jesus did not have divinity.  A perfect example, such that I could add Mary to the list of women who are represented in some way by the woman named Irene with St. Sebastian in my tattoo.

And as I think about all of this yesterday's Gospel reading comes to mind.  It was Jesus story about the seed being sown in different places.  And how the only seed that became a strong plant was the seed that fell in  the right place.  And we have the opportunity to help ourselves to be in the right place.  My running helps to put me physically in the right place.  My pondering every day on this virtual pilgrimage helps me to put myself in the right place emotionally and spiritually.  

Celebration of Life & Being Thankful for What I Have

On Sunday morning, I ran an "easy" 10 miles around the neighborhood.  It was a variation on a theme running up Highwood to Lenten to Nicholl to York to Lake to Bellona to York to 39th to University to 40th to Roland to Northern to Charles to Gittings to Lake to Maylane to Parkview to Cedarcroft to Northwood to Woodson and home.  It took me 1:24:15--nice and easy pace.  

That put my total up to 381.5 miles.  This puts me at approximately the corner of Lincoln Ave & Cedar Hill Rd in Lancaster, OH.  I would have been able to see St. Mary's of the Assumption Catholic Church continuing on the theme of Mary and the role that she plays in the church, in my spirituality, and in the pilgrimage.  In terms of my own spirituality, there are any number of ways that she is there--mostly in terms of saying yes to God as an example.

I want to talk briefly about two celebrations of life that I experienced on Saturday after I ran.  One was in the morning.  It was part of the reason that I ran so early on Saturday morning.  We went to the celebration of life for Todd Franklin.  He was so much a part of life at the Maryland State Boychoir that they use the boychoir's center for the arts (also a church) for the celebration of life.  I had described it to my running partner on Saturday morning as a funeral.  That is absolutely not what it was.  Rather, it truly was a celebration of the life of a wonderful man who was father, husband, brother, son, neighbor, coworker, entrepreneur, and joyful.  The entire experience was joyful.  The pastor who led the celebration used the phrase "I am grieving, but I'm not pitiful."  In other words, I can grieve.  But I don't need pity.  And if we truly all believe the part about going to heaven, then we should point to happiness for the person who has passed even though we ourselves might grieve for the loss of a friend or family member.  

Then in the evening we went to a concert held in honor of the man who had been the music director at our church.  That was also a beautiful celebration of the man's life.  The piece performed was Rossini's Little Solemn Mass.

In both cases, great things were said about the men who passed.  The two events made me think of the last funeral I'd been to--the one I'd played at back in the fall.  And the viewing I was at recently.  Four relatively recent celebrations of life.

What is interesting is that a friend posted on social media a piece about six habits of grateful people.  One of them was thinking about death--at least occasionally.  This is an interesting perspective.  But it makes a lot of sense. When I attended and played at the funeral mass at St. Pius X a couple months ago I spent a long time reflecting on Greg's life, my life, and what my own celebration of life might hold some day.  Looking at that makes me think about all that I have.  All that I am blessed with.  All that I would leave behind if something would happen.  All who would miss me if I were gone.  All that I have experienced so far.  And I realize just how lucky I am.  And I realize how important it is to be thankful for what I have.   

So, as I think about how lucky I am to call a sub-8:30 pace an easy run, and I think about how lucky I am to be healthy and happy, and I think about how lucky I am to have been able to celebrate the incredible lives of several friends, it just makes me want to celebrate life ever more.  

Inspiration from 1:30:39

It has been a while since I have used a race time or a bib number to look for inspiration.  Of course, it has been a while since I've raced.  (Last two were in November and I did not race a lot last fall.)  However, the most recent half marathon distance (Saturday) that I spent quite a bit of time describing in detail yesterday being my best ever led me to think again about finding something inspirational and writing about something about it.  I have found something that fits so well, particularly since yesterday my blog was not just about the running of the half marathon but the fact that it was only after multiple attempts of people to tell me something about my running that I finally listened and had a joyful result.

Since it has been so long since I've done this, I will point out that my habit since the 2010 Baltimore Marathon has been to find a Bible or other inspirational verse that is related to the time that I ran or the number I was wearing.  In this case, since I wasn't racing and wasn't wearing a number, I can go from my time.  What my time led me to was Luke 1:30-39.  (It would have been slightly easier if I ran a 1:30:38 but even verse 39 is useful.)  Here is the reading from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops website:
 

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,* and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”*
And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived* a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,

Why is this so meaningful to me after a discussion about a lesson learned?  Well, it does not get the very start of when the angel first appeared to Mary, this is the story of someone presented with something amazing that led to joy (at least at first) and accepting it the first time.  Mary did not need more than one time to accept the news.  Mary accepted fully what was told to her and said simply "May it be done to me according to your word."  Then, in verse 39, she went out and began the "implementation" by going to visit her cousin Elizabeth.

 

There are more times in life than just aiming for negative splits in which listening the first time (or doing something after being asked the first time) would serve me well.  Now that I have seen how useful it can be to do what is suggested/asked, perhaps I should take that forward with me for my religion and my way of living in general, take inspiration from the example of Mary, and not wait so long to take advice that is well intentioned from people who know better than me and who are probably right.  

Women in Luke's Gospel and in Spirituality in General

Just a quick thought--today at mass, Fr. Sam Lupico mentioned the women of St. Luke's Gospel.  He listed off a few and commented on the role they played in Jesus's life.  With a quick online search, it does not take long at all to find many entries in which people have written about the importance of women in St. Luke's Gospel.

It is interesting to me as I think about the importance of women in my own spiritual development:

• My mother was a larger influence on my spiritual growth as a child.  Not that I didn't admire my father and my father is now a cantor which brings him into the mass in an entirely different way than my mother who attends but does not lead singing, but in my formative years it was m mother.
• My mother encouraged me to join the Newman Catholic Student Association.
• There was a woman prominent in the campus ministry at Penn State.
• Much of the leadership during my years there was young women.
• We had a very active sister in our parish at the University of Michigan.
• Of the leaders of our pre-Cana training before we got married, I could relate to the woman (who was a more senior grad student) than I could to her husband
• While my tattoo is of St. Sebastian, he is accompanied by Irene who played an important part in the story
• Nearly all the youth/children's ministry leadership at St. Pius has been female
• Our pastoral life director is female

Now, I am not Jesus.  And none of the women with whom I have the experience to relate to over the years would compare themselves with Elizabeth, Mary, Mary Magdalene, etc.

But, I do recognize the importance of women in my spiritual life.  It is interesting that as I have to raise my own kids, I am the father taking an active spiritual role in the life of three sons.  We will see how they turn out.  And when they grapple with the Bible and with their own spirituality some day, will they see themselves in the same context that I do or will they see themselves and interpret their spiritual growth through a completely different lens?

I don't know, but I suspect it will shape how they think of their spirituality as they grow and how they end up living their faith as they grow and become adults.  It is interesting to wonder how much different my day to day adult mid-life spiritual experiences woud be if I'd had a different set of influences as a child and in my young adulthood.  The context matters immensely.