Running Dreams!

Do you ever dream about running? Not just daydreaming but literally dreaming about running in your sleep. I have done this many times but it seems most prevalent just before a race event. As many of you know I am five weeks along in rehabbing my ribs from a fall and three weeks in on rehabbing my heel from chronic pain that I have run with for over 2 years now. We had a group outing yesterday that I had helped organize. It was hard, knowing I could not join in on the trail run, but I went along with the group and waited for them to return, then joined them for the BBQ afterward. The night before this event I had a dream about running. Many of my dreams do not always make total sense or flow in an organized manner and so it was with this dream.

I was apparently in the middle a 100-mile race. I have never even done a 50k ultra before but I have wanted to try an ultra race for sometime now. Part of the reason I have not actually trained for one is my chronic pain problem. Anyway back to the dream.

The dream started with me running through a mountainous area and I was ascending up a rather steep slope. I started running the slope but found myself going anaerobic and had to slow to a fast walk. Then two other runners passed me and I wondered to myself if they were going anaerobic also or if they really had that much in reserve before they had hit the hill. I decided to let them go, as I knew if I tried to keep up I would just be killing my chances for a successful finish.

As I crested the hill I could see they had gained about a quarter mile on me and I just let myself loose on the downhill. My goal on the downhill was to not fall and to just keep it under control without having to break my natural stride. Soon I realized that I was gaining on the two guys who had passed me on the uphill and I worried that I might be running too fast. A quick assessment of my breathing told me that I was doing just fine and so I kept my pace. Now I had to fight the urge to push it even harder to make sure that I would catch up and maybe even be able to pass them. Suddenly I saw the front runner fall, the runner directly behind him tried to jump over the stumbling runner in front but could not quite avoid clipping him and tumbling to the ground himself. I was now right upon them as they both got up to assess their state and hopefully continue. I asked if they were OK as I passed by and they both assured me they were.

I took a quick glance behind me as I came to another ascent. I could no longer see the other two runners. Suddenly my dream shifted away from the race and back to what I think was a half marathon, training race. I found myself close to the finish of the race with an age-group competitor just ahead of me I decided to try and pick of the pace and catch him. As he turned a corner in front of me I saw him glance back at me and pick up his pace, as he knew I had gained on him. We then turned another corner and had about 200 yards to go to the finish line with me just 20 feet behind him. I started to give another kick and found myself neck and neck with him just 20 feet from the finish line where I somehow tripped over my own feet and took a really hard fall to the pavement dashing my hopes of beating him and hurting myself in the process.

Suddenly I was back in the 100-mile race and feeling really tired at about mile 70. I just did not want to continue and I knew that there was an aid station less than two miles ahead. I told myself to just walk to the aid station and then I could withdraw from the race. As I walked I began to feel a little better and by the time I got to the aid station I got some food and liquid refreshment and just sat in a chair for about five minutes. After resting five minutes I felt an overwhelming urge to want to go to sleep but somehow I got back up out of the comfortable chair and started moving again. Slowly at first and then back into a jog and finally into actual 10 minute per mile run pace. I did not know where the energy came from but I was thrilled that I felt revived again.

I found myself passing a few other runners that looked as if they were going through the same thing I had just gone through during the last half hour only they had 10 more miles to the next aid station. I wondered if they would be able to make it and tried to offer words of encouragement.

All of a sudden my dream changed again, with me in the middle of a swim in an ironman competition where I got kicked in the face causing me to accidentally swallow water during a breath and start choking. This in turn caused me great panic, as I knew I was out in the middle of an expanse of water with no way to touch the bottom and compose myself. Suddenly I found myself sinking under the water trying to hold my breath but actually breathing in water. Then the dream changed again with me back in the 100-mile race.

Now I was near the finish line and people were beginning to line the course and yell out words of encouragement. I was so tired, but now I could actually see the finish line and was sure I would be able to cross the line and finish. My legs were quite wobbly but I still managed a slight jog but definitely not a run. Suddenly I was awakened by the alarm clock. “No,” I said to myself, “I want to finish the race.” I so badly wanted to go back to sleep and finish my dream and the race but new I would over sleep.

Everything in the dream was as real as if I had been in an actual race and the disappointment of not finishing was just as strong as if I had been in an actual race. How nice it would be to enter that dream again and be able to finish the race.

How about you? Do you ever dream about running? Let me know about it by sharing in the comments section or if you follow my posts on Facebook comment there!

Happy Trails,

Russ