Hearing Voices

In the final weeks of training and tapering for the Chicago Marathon, I face another challenge—moving through life at home and work without others detecting my hyper focus.  I call it “showing up” undistracted.

Coming across as a marathon maniac doesn’t look good on me.  If I actually say my unharnessed thoughts about the upcoming marathon, others would lose large chunks of their days and go deep into my netherworld.

So I cover up my actual marathon thoughts with more ordinary, conversational chat and let the voices in my head ramble.  What I’d like to say vs. what I actually say looks like this.

Casual Interest

Inquiry: “Tom, you still running these days?”

Response: “Yeah, still getting out there most days.”

Inner Voice: “If you only knew each run is intentional and has a name like easy, long, tempo, pace, and is part of a plan.  And when I’m not running, I’m recovering, which is training!"

Casual Interested

Inquiry:  “Do you have any races coming up?”

Response:  “As a matter of fact, I’m running the Chicago Marathon next month.”

Inquiry: No response.

Inner Voice:  "Did you hear me?  It’s the Chicago Marathon, baby!  The biggest, baddest day of running of the year for me!  A weekend pilgrimage of marathon frenzy, the honeymoon of my summer and fall training. My Olympics!"

Genuinely Interested

Inquiry:  "That’s great.  How do you hope to run?"

Response:   "Oh, I’d like to run close to fill-in-the-blank with goal time.

Inquiry Follow-up:  “Really?  That’s great.  Good luck.  Hope you have a good time.”

Inner voice:  “Thanks.  If you only knew what’s involved in that.  Means getting into shape after growing another year older.   Means executing a strategy of resting, starting, pacing, and fueling my moving body.  Means managing a vulnerable mind full of thoughts and emotions.  It means returning to the scene of the crime where I bonked some years.

Most Challenging Inquiry of All

Inquiry: “What outfit will you wear?”

Response: “Oh, I’ll wear shorts and a singlet or t-shirt, depending on the temperature.

Inner Voice: “Easy does it, Tom.  She wants to know brands, styles, and colors.  Don’t jump down her throat.  Don't scream 'Guys don’t call them ‘outfits!'”

Truthfully,  I’m grateful for any level of interest from my friends, co-workers, and family.
    
Along the line of inner voices—and aren’t most of our posts our inner voices?—there were many great posts out there this week.

• I always enjoy Da Big Leap, who wrote about introducing his son to running and talks about his own coach’s voice coming out.
• One of the best statements about running was by JustRunGirl who said, "We only race one person."  Pause and think that one over.  Priceless.
• Lana captured thoughts common to many runners, written very well, about about being human and the back-and-forthness of our running.
• Reid at Life Strides provides an update of the first meet for his young cross country team. 

My inner voices are actually fringe benefits of running and anticipating running the marathon.

My ideas on Flickr by Zerohdog

Head in Hands on Flickr by Scootie

Comments

[Database Diva]

Another great post Tom! It is hard to play it cool when you are really walking around in the pre-race haze, with visions of finish times dancing in your head. I'm surprised that this got left out of the FF Guide to Trashing Your Personal Relationships on the FitnessFixation blog. Waxing philosophic about your plans for your upcoming race seems like a sure-fire way to run people off. If we could talk running with our friends and loved ones as much as we want, we wouldn't be blogging, would we? :D

I visited JustRunGirl from a link on your site, and by the time I finished reading about the trip from Colorado to Iowa via Nebraska, I figured out who JustRunGirl is. We know each other, but I didn't know about her blog. I totally get her point about only racing one person, but when the finish line is in sight, the one person stops being me, and becomes whoever is near me.

[The Laminator]

Great post...Captures my thoughts exactly...thanks! Good luck in Chicago!

[Doug]

Well put, Tom. In a few weeks we'll all have this coupled with our friend "Taper Madness." Thats when colleagues and coworkers really need to watch out!

[david]

Great post. I can really relate. I don't know how many times folks have asked about some casual aspect of running and my inner voice is saying..."if only you had a clue as to what is involved."

Good luck as you enter into the taper in the next few weeks. I'll be somewhere with you in the crowd, four weeks from today.

[kara]

Hilarious! Inner thoughts can be demons somedays... Good Luck Tom.
( Inner Voice: Why would anyone want to run 26 miles?)
; )

[Laura Catherine]

Dad,
You are always welcome to share those inner thoughts with me!
Your #1 Fan,
~Laura Catherine

[pat monahan]

I still feel bad when my cousin said he was going to run Ironman Louisville and I didn't make a big enough deal out of it. He finished and eventhough we don't know each other real well, I'm proud of him. I can't wait to hear your race report on Chicago.

[Marcy]

Tom you totally have that crazy look about you (kidding!!) you should have just went with the inner voice response. I can only imagine how crazy one gets during taper madness LOL

[Sandy]

Tom,

You'll do awesome in Chicago; I just know it. It's so hard to taper. Your mind plays not-so-funny tricks on you, and I find that I have a few new aches and pains that I didn't have while training.

Enjoy this time of rest, read a good book, and catch up with friends and family. All of your hard work will pay off on race day!

Sandy

[Nancy]

Tom - Great post, we understand!! Even the details of running and training can easily spill out (without the excitement of an impending big race) and people's eyes start to glaze over if you go too far beyond their cares or comprehension. I think your wife said something about losing an hour of your life if they get you talking!? :D

This is partly why you blog, right? We all get it. I, too, am happy to listen any time!!

That comment from your daughter is precious and I imagine must make you feel awesome!!

[Tiffany]

This is really funny! Thanks for all the uplifting, inspirational, and comical comments on my blog.

Yes, my fling with the Chicago Marathon is pretty hot and heavy now :)

[Colleen]

I think it's funny to watch people's eyes glaze over once I go off on a lengthy tangent about the marathon, so I say let those inner voices out :) Fortunately my boss at work, and my husband are both running the marathon, which means I'm safe to release my inner voices ALL the time.

[Brian]

Great post, and I love the internal dialogue. Ha, it is so true. You want to talk about it so much but if the person is not a runner you would simply bore them and make them think you are crazy.

I think we all have this internal conversation with ourselves when someone brings up running. Always trying to figure out how much to reveal.

[lifestudent]

I'm feeling you. I think once a day I feel like telling people "I am training for the Marathon so back off!". I eat funny, I act funny, I limp a little, I am frequently tired. But nobody gets it. Thats why you run for yourself and not for others - because only runners understand. Nobody else is even on the same planet ;)

[Margo]

Tom -
Thanks for stopping by my blog! Love yours and especially the graphic "People who are busier than you are running right now". Makes me think before opting for skipping my run! Now, I realize that Amy has the graphic on her post - shame on me for rushing thru my reading! Your post above got me excited and nervous for Chicago!

[suzanne]

i love that "coming across as a marathon maniac doesn't look good on me" ... me neither ... that's why i started the blog! to spare my friends ... maybe they would think i was normal if i stopped talking about it ... and everyone who reads the blogs is just a crazy as i am about running, so it works out nicely.

[ShoreTurtle]

That's right on. I do the same thing when people ask.