"Each step forward has a sacred meaning of its own"   Sri Chinmoy

HUMILITY 2 Mile Virtual Race - December 6th, 2020

Humility is not
Mind-hesitation.
Humility is
Wisdom-perfection.

Sri Chinmoy

Having each weekly virtual race named after a spiritual quality seems to have been a stroke of genius - respect to Devashishu for coming up with this wily plan. Seeing as we want to make each run as much like one of our regular (not virtual) races as possible, we always want to start with a brief silence and a prayer or poem, so rather than repeat our favourites this race series has inspired us to search the Sri Chinmoy Library for new aphorisms to learn ready for race day. Mind you, when it comes to the end of the series, and the race named after Self-Transcendence, we will probably not need to look any further than the backs of our race tee shirts.

It was freezing on this December morning - the weather forecast said it was 2 degrees but there was frost in places on the course and when I warmed up by the dead-end road next to the brook, I could see a sheet of ice across the standing water that forms an accidental duck-pond on a vacant unit of the business park.

I'd had a good result the week before by not checking my watch, so I decided to run the first mile "blind" and just assume I was running the right pace based on feel - or PRE as some coaches call it (perceived rate of exertion). Well that's a gamble as we all know how variable "perception" can be, whether you're at the doors of it or firmly within its limits.

Although we'd sussed that the pavement was the frosty part of the loop and the road looked pretty safe, I was unsure of how much purchase I would get even on the straights and that led to me starting off with short and rapid strides - the chill in the air was also making me start briskly as it always does. Suswara was right up with me for quite a long way and when did eventually glance at the GPS on the approach to the 7th bend - timing it perfectly to see 1.00 on the remaining distance - I was on a pace of 5.52 and could still hear his footfalls not far behind. I guessed he was on for around a 6.00 mile.

I kept wide on all the bends to avoid slipping and this meant I was out in the middle of the road on Gypsy Patch Lane, which is fine as the road is still blocked off while they finish installing "the largest object moved into place by a crane in Europe" ie. the new railway bridge. On the one hand I hope they get a move on and finish it soon so I can run my 4-mile lap through the tunnel, but on the other hand it is great having a traffic-free race course.

Lurching gracelessly into lap two I realised I was still breathing once per 2 strides and I kept that up until there was about 1km to go - then I found myself slowing and recognised a thirst for oxygen that meant I had to step up the rhythm and run into that now-familiar zone of discomfort, exhaustion and dilated time. I didn't switch right up to one-breath-per-stride, the fully out of breath mode, until the home straight, but the intense finish brought me a time of 11.42, just one second slower than the week before despite the freezing conditions and slightly slippery course. Happy with that. In a humble way of course, I hasten to add :). I know I've worked much harder in a race and ended up with a  slower time on many occasions, and that all you can do is prepare yourself as best you can and offer yourself in the race as fully as you can, and then see what the Supreme hands out in the form of a result.

Suswara was also a few seconds down on our SB week and his first mile had been a handy 6.03. We were both finished on the line, but recovery from the 2 milers is getting quicker and we are getting enough breath back to chat much sooner than we were a few weeks back. I'll take that as a sign of progress.

 

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