I took Latin in high school for 4 years and by the end, I was fed up. The AP Latin curriculum was entirely translating the Aeneid, a poem about Aeneas escaping the fall of Troy to Italy. I quickly realized how poor my translating ability was during this class, but I will always remember one line from that course: “Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit” from Book 1, line 203. Translation*: “Perhaps it will be pleasing to remember even these things at some time”
*The translation is widely debated and I am far from a Latin expert so I will skip to the point. If Kellye or Magistra Marcus is reading this, I am deeply sorry for glossing over the background details 🙂
There are over 9,800 lines within 12 books of the Aeneid and this is the one that stands out the most. Because it applies to so much of life, especially to running and marathon training.
When COVID hit and changed the direction of everyone’s lives, I took an aggressive approach to marathon training. I got a coach, I focused on targeted marathon paces, and it all paid off in March 2021 – a 2:47:58 (6:25/mile) at the Woodlands Marathon. It was a 10-minute PR and 17 minutes faster than 2021. And finally going to the Boston Marathon!
At a time when so many people were unsure, afraid, and cautious, I went out and trained my ass off. I couldn’t have been more proud of myself for overcoming the challenges during COVID.
However, this confidence and passion to pursue “more” or “faster” were very detrimental. I wanted to prove the Woodlands Marathon race wasn’t a fluke. So I attacked summer training hard in preparation for the Berlin Marathon in September (6 months after the Woodlands)
The Berlin Marathon has produced 11 world record times in the marathon. Berlin was known to be the fastest in the world. It all went to my head. I put so much pressure on myself during training and the race. I went into the race aiming for a 2:45 but crossed the finish line with a 2:54.
I was defeated and I was at a loss for words. 1 year later, I’m able to look back at the training and the race. Instead of the sorrows, I look back fondly remembering the lessons learned. I haven’t run a PR or a faster time since but I am better today because of Berlin and here’s why:
- I can’t control what is outside of my control, but I can control what is controllable: this seems obvious but I should have adjusted my race strategy based on the weather forecast. Race day temperatures ranged from 63F to 80F (uncontrollable). The winning time was one of the slowest times in 20 years for perspective. I raced for a PR and faded at the finish instead of racing more conservatively to save energy for another marathon (controllable). Chicago and Boston’s marathons were 2 weeks later.
- Caring too much about what others think/seeking validation from others: I run to continuously improve but I would be lying if people’s perceptions didn’t affect me. It’s not a “look at me because I’m awesome” egocentric mindset (I hope that’s not the case), but hearing “great job on the workout” meant so much to me. It was also an opportunity to understand if I’m overtraining and get other feedback. The positive encouragement kept me motivated. It’s why team sports are so attractive – having your teammates and friends’ support is unmatched. As supportive as the running community was, there were moments where training got in my own head:
- No one else from my running group was training for Berlin or an early fall marathon. So I was doing most of my training solo (shoutout to Matt Campbell for all the workouts then and now!). I didn’t realize how much I benefited from the group running until I started chasing a sub-2:45 pace.
- I tried my best to incorporate marathon speed in the hot summer which many were not doing (since most were waiting for late fall or winter races). This meant a lot of solo marathon pace runs or other add-ons most people weren’t doing. The tempo efforts are challenging physically, but I underestimated the mental toll. But this is something I needed to overcome.
- Learning to stay consistent and disciplined in the absence of motivation is crucial during training. Missing a workout or missing runs will only create more setbacks.
In short, the 2021 Berlin Marathon was not the result I wanted but it was the race I needed. The marathon is a rewarding experience and it is also a humbling one.
In less than a month I will travel to Chiang Mai to represent Cambodia in the World Trail and Mountain Championships. In 15 weeks I am racing the Houston Half as my goal race. Two very different races but similar approaches – I will train deliberately and consistently regardless of time goals. I will let the training dictate my racing and learn to let go of what is outside of my control.
