Recreation Through Endurance

I've been kinda obsessed with Into The Wild lately. Chris McCandless's story is something you're either going to not understand at all or relate to on a very personal level. Even if you can't relate to it, I think it's still interesting and the movie makes it touching and human.

I've found a site with lots of additions including impromptu interviews and pictures that's add some insight.

I also grabbed the soundtrack by Eddie Vedder. It's his first solo effort and very good and fitting with the storyline.

Next is to read Krakauer's Into Thin Air.

There's a picture of me (I'll put it up if I can figure out a way to get it off the floppy disk) in corduroy pants, a plain white t-shirt, and an unbuttoned blue shirt. I'm barefoot standing on a driftwood tree stump with my long hair getting kicked up by the winds that constantly blow off the water. You can see the beach and the Pacific Ocean in front of my outstretched arms. You can't see the redwood forests of northern California behind me. The picture was taken by my friend Bryan, who drove with me from LA to Seattle on the Pacific Coast Highway where we explored America, the west, and ourselves.

That trip was driven by an itch to get out. I had moved away from my loving family and a small city I never felt home in less than a year before to a big city that overwhelmed me as much as I embraced it. I felt free on those roads, on the cliffs, overlooking the ocean.

This summer, the book Into The Wild was recommended and lent to me. Jon Krakauer, the author, retraced the steps of Chris McCandless after he was found dead of starvation in a abandoned bus deep in the Alaska wilderness. Krakauer's initial story ran in Outside Magazine and was so popular he expanded it into the book. Sean Penn loved the book and after the family was ready to have the story retold, made it into a movie starring Emile Hirsch.

The book and the movie tell the same story but from somewhat different perspectives. The book focuses on the search for the trail of evidence he left and reconstructing his story. The movie focused on his feelings, motivations, relationship with his family, and the influence he had on those he met. Plus, lots of great scenery and music.



This book and movie reminded me of how I felt standing on piece of driftwood. Free. Alive. Alone. Feelings that can help you come to terms with your soul, but dangerous also. A person has to be careful how they try to fill that emptiness with adventure.

Several years ago, I made mention that I'd rather work on Thanksgiving because spending holidays alone at home sucks. One particular coworker understood, perhaps because he's been there, perhaps not, and invited me to spend that thursday with his family. At the time, I didn't know the guy well and had never met any of his family. I was hesitant and said I'd let him know. I thought about how out of place I would feel. I thought about how my parents spent holidays with friends because family was so far away. After a lot of reluctance, I accepted and brought a bottle of wine because he said they'd taken care of everything else already.

The day was very nice. We watched football and played with RC cars and ate a traditional dinner and drank wine. His little girl showed me pictures of their kitten. It reminded me of how thanksgiving should be.

Later in the afternoon, my coworker had to get ready to work the night shift and I felt like that may be the time for me to go even though I'd come to feel comfortable with his family. As he was getting ready, I saw him make plates of leftovers to take to the guys that did have to work that day or night. Guys, like myself that were recent transfers without families of their own to spend Thanksgiving with.

Though I couldn't spend this holiday with my family that I've spent so many Thanksgivings with, I did spend it riding bikes, watching football, and cooking with the woman I'm going to have a family with.

What am I giving thanks for? People that do simple things that mean so more than they know and hoping someday I can return the favor for someone that may not know they need it.

At the Tidewater Challenge, I was talking to someone that also did the SM100 this year and mentioned that I wasn't doing the race because I was focusing on OBX. He asked "What's harder? The SM100 or a marathon?" Interesting question that I hadn't though about. I ended up saying they're both tough, but probably the SM100 because it's longer and burns more energy.

The weekend was a blast. We had 4 couples in a beach house for several nights, ate great food, and did a lot of hanging out. It's almost too bad there has to be a race to get people together like that.

Sunday, my good friend Chris's fiance Liz lined up with me in the 8-10 minute wave. I was shivering in my tank top (oh, I forgot, I'm a runner, it's a "singlet") when the gun went off. I was just about warmed up at mile 3 when Liz and I separated, not to see her again until the finish line. I ran with others, I ran my myself, I ran with my own Liz riding her bike next to me handing off Clif bars as needed.

The best part of the whole race was miles 9-12 or so. Rolling dirt roads and some doubletrack that was so similar to the Pocahontas fireroads I'd trained on. The worst was miles 18-21 on the highway after my knees started hurting. I was holding good, solid 8:30 miles, which was right on target when my knees started aching, possibly related to a shoe fiasco I'd rather not talk about. If you haven't run a marathon, think how far you're run, then multiply it by whatever to get 18. Then think about doing 8 more miles.

Around mile 20, you can tell yourself you only have a 10k left. You can be proud of the accomplishment you're achieving. You can see the finish in your mind. At 22, I'd found a form where my knees didn't hurt and that almost got me over the "point of elevation" on the bridge to Manteo. I was walking some, but mostly just running slow. Apparently, very slow as I was being passed by everyone except huge half-marathoner that I gave a fist-bump to as I shuffled by.

Just before mile 26, I saw Chris who had finished 40 minutes before me and cheered me on. I rounded the last corner, saw the 26 mile mark and stopped to walk. Strategy! Walk from 25.9 to 26, then run from 26 to 26.2! Which I did.

After the SM100, I banged the gong, I grabbed a pint glass and drank a beer, I walked around and asked others about their races. After OBX, I slouched in a chair, covered my face with a towel, and hated the guy next to me asking if it hurt. Letting pain drain from the body is as miserable as it is rewarding. Now I know what my answer should have been.

Race Pictures

First off, sorry for the absence. Residual computer problems that may or may not have been in my control caused some downtime. I know what you're thinking... "Jared, I though Macs rocked...?" Yes, they do, but that's no substitute for bad judgement. I still want to write about OBX, but that'll come, I promise. I still have a computer to finish setting up and a bike to build.

When Liz and I were in Tahoe, I mentioned that I was slightly disappointed that more Richmonders weren't representing the Xterra circuit. Andy Thompson of the Richmond Times-Dispatch explains why: here.

Here's the email I got from the Marathon. Story to come in the next couple days:

Congratulations Jared Stangl on finishing the 2nd Annual OBX Marathon on November 11, 2007. For your records, the weather was Mostly sunny, low 44 high 53 degrees F, NW wind 8 mph 18 mph gusts.

There were 73 finishers in the Male 25 to 29 age group and 948 finishers in the Marathon Division.

Your overall finish place was 346, your age group finish place was 35 and your gender finish place was 259.
Your time was 4:07:41.50 giving you an overall pace of 9:27 per mile.

Your 10 Mile split time was 1:23:55.60, Giving you a pace of 8:24 per mile, Overall place 250, Gender place 197
Your 20 Mile split time was 2:56:00.85, Giving you a pace of 9:13 per mile, Overall place 258, Gender place 203
Your Finish split time was 4:07:41.50, Giving you a pace of 11:34 per mile, Overall place 346, Gender place 259

You can find full results on www.obxmarathon.org. Please e-mail us at team@kalerunning.com for results inquiries. Pictures from the OBX Marathon weeekend will be available at http://www.TriDuo.com/obxmarathon at the end of the week. TriDuo.com is offering a special on digital images until November 15th at 3pm. We hope to see you again next year.

Team Kale

Two years ago, I ran my first, and so far only, marathon. I trained specifically and strategically, getting in the long run and the base runs. On one particular long run I bonked so hard the last mile took me well over 30 minutes. I would walk a hundred yards or two then lay down for several minutes before getting up again and walking some more. When I got home my skin was covered in salt, my legs were twitching, and I couldn't eat or drink or sleep, just lay on the couch.

After the taper, I ran the marathon including walking most of the last couple miles, but sprinting the last few hundred yards watching the finish line get closer through the tears of pain rolling down my cheeks. My finishing time was 3:59:55, just 5 seconds under my goal time. A few days after the race I decided to maintain that fitness I'd worked so hard to achieve so I could either do more marathons or at least have it available by running at least one 20-miler each month. I never did do any 20-milers.

The year, I built a good endurance base, which saw me through seven races over 3 hours. If I am ever going to be able to capitalize on my fitness, this would be the year to do it. Maybe I had, but crossing the finish line after screaming down a mountain on a plush ride isn't the same as dragging my 200+ body with my own feet.

How will I do on Sunday? My running hasn't been very strategic or programmed, though I'm more in tuned with my body's needs. I have greater endurance than two years ago, but didn't get in those long runs like I should have. I would hope I can break the 4-hour boundary again. I imagine I'll be crushed if I don't. 3:45 would be quite nice, but no guarantees other than finishing. Maybe this will be my test of whether I can capitalize on my investment.

One, two, three hours on the road, on the trail. Moving past the trees or buildings or fields alone. What does a runner think about? Every long distance runner's been asked this question and most don't have an answer. Some say it clears their mind, while others sort things out. Vague, but honest perhaps. What do they think about while they're out there for so long with nothing to think about?

Changing. Climbing. Continuing. Moving on to go further. Can one really think about doing the same thing over and over and over as a way of progressing? A person can't think like that for hours without losing drive. Why are they out there and what impels them?

In the middle of a long run, I've found myself at peace, in a rhythm, feeling the days continue. Sensing both life's sweetness and also how short it is. My mind drifts away from the feeling of my legs carrying my body to other thoughts. What thoughts? That's my secret, but I'll tell you it clears my mind.