A Day of Rest

The 1981 film Chariots of Fire chronicles and contrasts the lives and viewpoints of two English runners, Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, as they prepared for the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Liddell was the winner of the men's 400 meters at those games.  A devout Christian, Liddell refused to run in a heat held on Sunday (the Christian Sabbath) and was forced to withdraw from the 100-meter race, his best event.  Liddell had also been selected to run as a member of the 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams at the Olympics but also declined these spots as their heats, too, were to be run on a Sunday.

The schedule had been published several months earlier, and his decision was made well before the Games.  Liddell spent the intervening months training for the 400 meters.  When the day of the Olympic 400 meters race came, Liddell went to the starting blocks where an American Olympic Team masseur slipped a piece of paper into his hand with a quotation from 1 Samuel 2:30: "Those who honor me I will honor." 

Inspired by the Biblical message, Liddell raced the whole of the first 200 meters to be well clear of the other competitors.  With little option but to then treat the race as a complete sprint, he continued to race round the final bend.  He was challenged all the way down the home straight but held on to take the win.  He broke the existing Olympic and world records with a time of 47.6 seconds.

I am not so religious that I won’t run on Sundays.  In fact, I view Sundays as a day to catch up on some miles.  But I have a conflict this Sunday.  One of my other interests is playing the trumpet.  There was a time when I played in two Big Bands, performed at wedding ceremonies and had a trio that performed at wedding receptions.  The time commitment began to cut into my running, so I scaled back on my trumpet playing.  This past Monday I received a call to play a church gig this coming (Palm) Sunday.  I had injured my left hip flexor during the RMRR MTS 20 miler, and by Monday I could barely swing my left leg forward.  The RMRR Trophy Series at City Park was scheduled for Sunday at 9:00 and the church gig for 10:00.  With my leg in pain, I decided to play at the church service and forgo the race.

I was feeling better on Tuesday, so I attended the Phidippides track workout which was a pyramid – 400m / 800m / 1600m / 400m / 1600m / 800m / 400m.  I ran the 800s in 2:45 and the 1600s in 5:40.  While not back to 100%, I felt OK.

Saturday’s long run was interesting.  Everything was fine until mile 17 when my legs just gave out.  I shuffled the last three miles at 8:00 / mile pace and needed a ride home.  Clearly I am tired.  The last time I felt that bad during a run was last year’s Greenland 50K race.  I wonder if the heat had something to do with it?

We are getting close to our big spring races.  For me and Scott D it is the Platte River Half Marathon.  For Tim, Ken, David, Tom, Scott K and Mike it is the Boston Marathon.  Both of those events are in two weeks.  It is a time to rest.