Lay-Away

Crowded on the N train with the lucky ones heading out for a race got me to thinking about my upcoming first marathon. This sea of bobbing bibs were moments away from finally toeing the line, thereby putting long months of miles and workouts to the test. My own training started in February and will culminate in 26.2 miles of hurt on June 26. Winter into summer. For most runners training for a big race the schedule spans a season or two, which is very much like Lay-Away. In case you don't know about this pre credit card bonanza buying scheme here's the gist. You put 10-15% down on one or more items, and then pay a minimum amount every month until the items are paid off, thus the items have been laid-away. Its the never been owned version of being in hock. When I was growing-up lay-away was the modus-operandi for getting the 'back to school' wardrobe each fall. It was also the usual way of getting the big ticket Christmas items.

The beauty of Lay-Away is that it allows for folks to get something they want, but only when they can afford it. Putting a little away until the items are yours, like banking miles while building your base. The problem with lay-away in regard to clothing, is that the wardrobe is always "so last year". That was said to me once, I hope that girl is now fat and sedentary. Things can change over a season, especially the summer. What looked good against the pasty skin tone of spring may not look good against the bronzed skin from a summer of sun. And that graphic tee reading 'Meet the Dweebs', was probably better left in the prison of lay-away. Why-o-why, did I ever parole that t-shirt? Maybe that girl had a point.

Training is just like the lay-away plan. The race itself is purchased in full, but the goal set for that race is put on law-away, with payment being made daily over long months of suspended anticipation. The miles get longer as less layers of clothing are needed. And over those months the race is always on your mind, being fast forwarded and rewound, looked at from every angle. My long runs are accompanied by a sports commentator journalling the Cinderella story of a first time, 9:19 per mile marathoner reaching down deep and somehow shaving off enough time to qualify for Boston. I don't hear the voice in stereo so I'm not yet concerned about psychosis. The race will never look that good on me, so in that way its like the 'Meet the Dweebs' t-shirt sitting in lay-away, but its the goal of a sub-four marathon that I'm paying off, not a BQ'er. I still have some big installments to make. This week will be my highest mileage total to date with 4, 9, 5, and an 18 mile long run. My highest total will be a 40 mile week, with a 20 mile long run. And just like those middle-school days of lay-away when I pondered over the summer what outfit would best start off the new year, I now wonder if I should go with the Nike short-shorts paired with the gray Lulu Lemon tech-shirt, or my Hellgate Road Runners singlet. I'll pack both just to be safe.

Testing myself against 26.2 will be worth the effort of preparing regardless of my finishing time. Fortunately, a race is never "so last year", and finishing a marathon never goes out of style. Except in Pearl Izumi print ads.