10,000 meters

In track and field, the longest event run on the track is the 10,000 meters (about 6.2 miles). It's 25 laps around the track, and delivers pain to the runner in a different manner than any of the another events. The next closest event, in terms of distance but maybe not pain, is the 5,000 meters, which is 12.5 laps and requires more leg speed than the 10,000.

The extra 5,000 meters adds a significant barrier to successfully running the 10,000. The barrier is set up as this. From the start of the 10k the runners race along at a fast clip. The clip should not not be fast enough to tire out shortly into the race, but it also needs to be close enough to your fastest so that you don't wind up with too much gas left at the end of the race. So, a 10k runner wants to get into a rhythm up a very fast tempo and "zone out" until late in the race. It is important not to think about how many more laps are left, or how am I going to run another lap this fast 4 laps from now when I can barely do it now. The best strategy, in my opinion, is to treat the race like you are doing 25 quarters (1/4 miles) and each time you finish a lap just think: "I need to run this lap at __ pace." Soon enough, its the bell lap and you just need to kick home with everything you have left.

Of course, this is a very oversimplified version of an actual race. In an actual race there are obstacles: someone pushes you in the back, someone steps on you toe when the gun goes off, you can't get in a pack that is running your pace, people force you to do all the work, and etc. Or, the pack you went out with is running faster than you wanted, which tires you out too early. And probably the most common reason for a bad race is poor mental preparation. You are intimidated by the field; you are not used to running a distance that long on the track; or you mentally exhausted yourself thinking about the race all week. In running, being well prepared mentally can make the difference between first and last. For proof, see my performance at the conference indoor championships my senior year in the 5k, and my performance at the conference outdoor championships my junior year in the 5k.

What makes the 10k so difficult is that the body slowly accumulates stress, and at some point you have to make the decision to give in to all the fatigue that has set in, or go for it, hoping you have what it takes. In the 1500 meters I always felt the opposite. I loved the 1500 meters because you just went as fast as you could until the end. By the time your body was screaming to quit, you could tell it, "shut up, only 200 more meters to go." It's a lot harder to say, "shut up, only two more miles."

If you haven't noticed yet, I could have easily replaced "10k" with "cancer fighting" and the same analysis would be true. Its a long fight that involves constant energy and is constantly draining your bodies vital resources. Not only does the cancer do this, but the chemo and radiation are constantly pounding you. So, its not a fight like the 1500 where the pain sets in and you 2 days to go, it is a fight like the 10k where the pain sets in and you have 4 weeks to go. And every day you just have to tell you body-"just get through this day." Like in the 10k you can't think about "how am I going to do this in 2 weeks when I am getting my chemo again."

I am saying this, not because I am practicing what I am preaching, but I figure the more I try to preach a message, the more likely I will truly convince my mind I am right. Like Steve Prefontaine said, "Its the hardest thing is the world to truly believe in something." He's probably right. Of course, a lot of evil has been done in the world because of "true belief in a cause," but also a lot of good.

I was surprised that this week has already been so tough. I already mentioned the problems on Monday, and on Tuesday, I was told my white blood cell counts were too low. The medical oncologist said 4,000 - 10,000 is desirable and mine were 4,000. As a result, I am much more susceptible to getting sick, which means people need to be very clean while around me. We also need to be on constant watch over my temperature. Anything 101 or above is alarming, and anything over 100 for more than 30 minutes is alarming. Of course, when I was at home on Tuesday night I recorded a temperature of 101.7, and was able to eventually fight it off with Tylenol. One reason for having a high temperature is always that my body is working so hard to fight my inflamed mouth. While I was able to get my temperature down, I wasn't as successful with the food and lost a lost of the calories and food I worked so hard to get. That just makes things very frustrating. You keep thinking, "when am I going to catch a break," but now I think you should be thinking, "what can I do to be more successful." My mom always said something like, "God rewards those who work" (in an attempt to get us to clean house). But in general, its probably better to go out and make good things happen than to wait for them to come around.

So, tomorrow is a new day and I have a 1/4 mile race to run.

I originally started this post to tell what is arguably the most inspirational 10,000 meters race: the 10,000 meter finals at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The race was won by Lasse Viren, who would also win the 5,000 meters that year. However, Viren was not the favorite in the race. There were several outstanding runners, including Mohamed Gammoudi, Emil Puttemans, and the favorite, David Bedford. While most 10k championship meets start off slow, with no one wanting to do all the work of front-running, while the others save energy by drafting, this race started off at an alarming sub 61 second quarter mile by David Bedford, and the runners became very dispersed very quickly. However, a small pack remained attached to Bedford. This blistering pace continued, and about halfway into the race, tragedy struck Viren: Virens feet got tangled with Putteman's and he fell off the track. Gammoudi also fell down. What is amazing is that this would be crushing and mentally jarring to most runners. Not only did you stumble and fall, but you have to expend what seems like an insurmountable amount of energy to catch up with the lead pack that left you in the dust. But, not even for a second did Viren hesitate, he got right up and chased down the lead pack. With 10 laps to go Viren surged to take the lead from Bedford, but Viren found himself continuously challenged by other runners. Several other runners took the lead from him, trying to drop him. At the final lap, it was Puttemans and Viren, and the small Belgian runner proved no match for the tall lanky Finn. Viren crushed Puttemans in the home straight, and did so in a world record time!

You can get down and still do amazing things if you get back up.