Making Adjustments

Nearly all of my running friends can't stop talking about the forecasted temps for this Saturday's Fargo Marathon. If the predicted temps hold true, it will be a difficult day for runners hoping to have a personal best as the conditions may not allow.

In 2007 I had my sights on a fast Twin Cites Marathon. When the starting gun sounded, it was 72 degrees and 87% humidity. Not good. I was optimistic that the humidity would burn off so I held my pace. I could tell within 2 miles that my body was saying this was not going to happen. I saw some clouds and thought maybe it would rain and cool things down. I maintained my pace. 9 o'clock and it was 74 and 82%. About the same. Holding on. At the halfway point it was 76 degrees and 80% humidity. I finally admitted to myself what I knew at mile 2. I had to slow down. Like most runners, the weather added about 30 minutes to my finish time. That is for those who finished. A lot either ended up in the medical tent or carted off to the hospital. My nephew ran the 10 mile event that same morning and when he staggered across the finish line, he said he felt as though he was being beamed aboard the Star Ship Enterprise. After hearing all the stories about how many people needed attention and couldn't finish, I felt fortunate that I had kept myself healthy and a little embarrassed that I was pouting about not being able to run my fastest time ever.

The memories of that most difficult event won't soon go away. Ever since then, I think I have taken a much different approach. No one event will be the "be all, end all" as there will always be another event. I'm in this for the long haul, so I refuse to put a lot of weight on one single event. In some of the longer events I run, most of which are being run on difficult terrain, you need to constantly make adjustments as you go. You learn to take only what the trail will give you. Misjudgements usually put you on your face. If it does, you learn your lesson, adjust to the conditions and move on. The key is making the adjustments before you end up on your face.

So on Saturday, take what the weather will give you and do what you have to do to keep yourself out of the medical tent or the back of an ambulance. There will be another race day. This is such a wonderful event for this community. The volunteers and spectators who have braved the ugly weather for these past years deserve a year of warm temps and sunshine. Make your adjustments accordingly and if a personal best is not in the cards for you, just enjoy the day.