episode 63: 3:15 Marathon Update and Lesson on Patience

I hope this can keep me in ok shape

“Impatience is your strength and it’s also your weakness,” a friend once said.

I had thought about his comment and decided this observation is accurate to a certain extent.  When I set a worthwhile goal, I’m eager to make it happen, which could be interpreted as impatience. But here is where I disagree. If, however, achieving the goal requires more time and effort than expected, I know I’m willing to exercise patience as well.

I’ve been nursing plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the plantar fascia, the connective tissues on the sole of the foot). I took 2 weeks off from running, healing my feet with common remedies such as rest, ice, stretch, foot domes, golf-ball rolls. Easy test runs (30-40 minutes) the last few days clearly indicated that I’m still not 100%.

Not two months ago, I ran a personal best in a 50km, felt mighty strong during my tempos and was even motivated to do the hated interval workouts. My goal to run a sub-3:15 marathon in December seemed very doable at the time.

I didn’t experience any acute pain, just unusual discomfort and soreness in the mornings and during extended time on foot. With a bigger mission for 2014 and a plan to kick off the project on New Years Day, I’m being extra cautious about this injury. It’s frustrating though, seeing my friends’ photos on trails and training updates. Meanwhile, I can’t even go for a lazy 10k run. 

Earlier this year I read “The Breaks of the Game” by David Halberstam. The book is about the Portland Trailblazers (NBA team) and its hall of famer Bill Walton a year after their 1976-77 championship season. Walton, arguably the most complete center of all time during his peak, suffered a series of foot injuries that derailed his career. Once-in-a-generation ability and commitment for excellence trapped in a fragile body.

My athleticism is in no way comparable with those of professional basketball players, but I do have a strong desire to run faster and farther and to train harder. Right now, my feet just won’t cooperate.

The impatient part of me wants to treat this injury as phantom pain and plow through it. The December marathon is still 2 months away, so still plenty of time to give it a good shot. After all, this is what I’m known for – toughing it out and high pain threshold.

I was chatting with a fellow runner on Twitter, who previously suffered through plantar fasciitis. He said he took nine weeks off running. NINE F#$%ING WEEKS!!! I think many runners will agree with me that it takes more patience and discipline to not run for nine weeks than to run every single day for nine weeks.

Running a new PR is important, but not nearly as important as my 2014 mission and running career. Maybe another week of rest will pay dividends in the long run.

Strangely and fortunately, zero running the past weeks has not dampened my mood. I’m trying my best to maintain a certain fitness level for when I’m ready to get back to running. I’m receiving my daily fix of exercise high via core and leg strength training and high-intensity workouts on stationary bikes. It can never replace running up mountains and breathing in fresh air, but it will have to do for now.

I will make a decision in a couple of weeks on whether I can train for a marathon personal record. 

Less running means more time on hand. With patience being tested, it’s only fitting to try the ultimate patience-intensive activity – fishing.  

First time fishing. Zero Catch.

I don’t care about fishing. In fact, it’s probably against my hyperactive nature and preference to be on the move.  But with my buddy Kei, who loves fishing, newly relocated to Taipei, I purchased the cheapest rod in the store just so we can hang out.

I fished for the first time this weekend. We wandered along the river, checked out multiple spots, tried out different rods and lures and didn’t catch a single fish. Didn’t even come close, but it was surprisingly entertaining. There was something intriguing and calming about checking the lure, line and reel before every cast and concentrating on the little wrist flicks to mimic real worms and fish.  

I kept tangling up the line and Kei would patiently fix it for me, while explaining the intricacies of fishing (most went over my head). He has always been a handy and patient person with a cool, go-with-the-flow attitude. It was interesting to watch him cater to the details of tying the right knots, properly hooking the lure, accurate casts and an array of other little tasks.  

Perhaps the universe is conspiring through a lingering injury and first fishing experience to make me relearn about impatience and patience, my so-called strengths and weaknesses. I can usually summon the brute force needed. Maybe it’s time to add a little thoughtfulness to life’s journey as well. 

You can also follow my running adventures on https://www.facebook.com/pages/3-dudes-on-ultra-mission/271137916280936 or https://twitter.com/williewenli