Transcendent reflection It’s been a week since I ran the Kingston Self Transcendence 12 Hour. It was a remarkable experience, and one that I’ve been thinking about a lot. Though some specific learnings come to mind (train better, walk better, be more gutsy), it’s the ‘softer’ lessons that have more meaning. In some ways, I feel like I’m a different person since running the 12 Hour. Still not quite sure what the difference is, but I’ve begun to get a sense of it. First, I’m surprised that it’s not a sense of accomplishment that stands out above all else. Sure, running for 12 hours and 71K is a big deal – I’ve never done either of those before. But what’s significant is that I feel more complete than I did before.
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Second, I’m happier. Not that I didn’t feel happy before last Saturday. I have a very good life, with little stress and lots of joy in it. But, since running the 12 Hour, I’ve been generally more at peace, more optimistic, and more calm. Something changed because of last Saturday, that’s for sure. Third, I feel stronger. Not only physically (I’ve been running well all week), but psychologically and emotionally. I’m facing the world differently, and am a better person for that. mentally, but especially mentally – at the end of long races. I really lost both focus and pace in the last couple of hours of this race, and simply didn’t dig deep enough to tough it up. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if this is what “self transcendence” is all about – the ability to let go of the tiredness, the pain, and the negativity, and go beyond that. I need to work a whole lot more on that aspect of my running. Walking: I started walking too late in the race, and therefore ended up walking too much towards the end of it. I need to discipline myself to start walking earlier, to power walk when I do it, and to keep my walk breaks to a reasonable time and distance. I watched other folks doing it, and was impressed at how they integrated their walking breaks
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into their patterns of strong and steady running.
What Next? I’m going to run the Kingston Self Transcendence 12 Hour next year. Part of me wants to say I’ll give the 24 Hour event a try. But, to be honest, the thought just scares me breathless. When I walked away from the 12 Hour on Saturday night, tired but happy, I looked back over my shoulder at the people who were still running round and round that track, and would continue doing so through the night and into the morning. I’m not sure if I have the gumption for that.
The outcome? Well, you may not be surprised to hear that I’m considering running the Self Transcendent 24 Hour next year. Something’s going on here, and I want more of it.
But I will run the 12 Hour, and I’ll run farther next year than I did this year. Maybe I’ll even transcend myself.
Autum n/W inter 2014
Barefoot Running Magazine
Photos by Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and Chloe Duschene