I had to use a little reverse psychology for this blog to finally work. Instead of writing more and more posts about excuses and failed attempts at certain goals, I stayed away, preventing me the ability to make any excuses. I was simply inactive. If I was fine with that, then okay. We would know that this attempt at a running revival was a failure.
Instead, after three dissapointing weeks capped off with a seven mile week in the third (and that seven miles was merely the attempt to get out of my apartment and away from my mother-in-law), I had a very good 45 mile week. I am not throwing in any garbage mileage at all, so 45 was very good for me. And I'm currently in the midst of a week where I've already got 38 miles under my belt with two days left. Not only am I feeling very motivated by my resurgence, but I'm running through some very tough conditions. It is rarely above freezing when I step outside for one. And secondly, the trails are covered in snow and ice. This makes footing very tricky, but this is the type of running that will pay me back with interest in the Spring.
In was quite simple. I had to change my mindset. I could not give an update, until I got my act together. Recently, this has been my only outlet for my thoughts on running, so I needed to run in order to have something to say. I just needed a little motivation.
And that motivation came from a running partner. You always read about getting a person or people to run with and it's absolutely true. But the trick is that that partner better be self motivated most of the time. I'm lucky because my friend is super motivated to run daily. There is no apparent reason to me why he runs every day. He is not training for anything or even consciously trying to get faster. He just wants to run seven times a week it seems and get his mileage up.
*** Tangent ***
Not to go too far on a tangent, but this past week on Tuesday, January 4, we ran a little over nine miles. He complained that I was pushing the pace too fast for him on the long uphill stretch to finish the run, and he looked worn out. I also told him that I would probably run in the morning before work the next day since I wanted to go to lunch with some colleagues (we typically run during lunch). That evening we went out and drank a good quantity of beer and ate cheesburgers and chicken wings. During the course of eating I realized that I had not brought my running stuff home from work, so that I would not be able to run in the morning. He told me that he also forgot to take his running stuff home, and since his clothes were in his bag, they would be wet the next day. He did not want to deal with the inconvenience of having two bags at work (the horror!!), and he was definitely not going to wake up early to run if I wasn't going to get up as well. So, the issue of the running the next day would stay unresolved.
When we got home (when I'm in Washington, DC for work, I stay at his apartment) from the bar I sat on the couch to watch tv while he dissappeared upstairs. When he came down twenty minutes later, he was dressed to run. He wanted to run, with all the alcohol in his system, in the freezing cold, in the dark, around 10:30 at night. Wow. That's all I could say. He never really could explain it to me so it would make sense, but he often doesn't make sense to me. His rationale was that he didn't want to run in the morning. That was it. I could not fathom doing that at this stage of my life because that, to me, is the very definition of junk mileage. His body wasn't ready to put in a quality run in his state, and he didn't even rest that much. But, he got over 50 miles for the week and ran his seven times, so good for him and whatever goals he is trying to achieve, but I don't get it.
*** End of Tangent ***
Therefore when I'm in Washington, DC and staying with this friend, I have no excuse but to run. Out of my six runs though, only three of them were actually with him. It is simply his consistency and dedication for no apparent reason that motivates me. Honestly, I think it makes me angry because I don't understand it, but it will get me on my feet. This makes my friend the optimal partner because he not only runs with me which directly pressures me to run, but even when he doesn't, his ability to run no matter what obstacles may crop up, pressues me indirectly and psychologically.
Luckily, I was able to carry that momentum back with me to the Bronx. I've been able to get outside in the freezing weather and battle the elements. Since I've got all my cold weather gear, the cold isn't that bad on anything except my nose. It has become quite invigorating for me actually. If the track wasn't covered in snow, I might have gone out there for a couple of mile or 800m repeats. When it starts warming up and the track actually does clear up some, I will go out there because I'd like to get in a couple of indoor track meets this February. I'd love to see if I could break 10 minutes for two miles.
Anyway. The moral to my rant here is that if you are running by yourself and you lack consistency and motivation like I obviously do, then find someone or a group that runs regularly on a schedule that you can manage. Get yourself a running partner. And, if you can't then find someone who can pressure you without actually running with you (like a spouse who will push you out the door). Or you can luck out like me and find someone who is both without even trying.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
40 per week
40 miles a week. To some less competitive runners, that may sound like a lot. For the more serious lot and those who are attempting to be more serious like myself, that is an easy goal. I realize that this thing is about baby-steps. I need to set reasonable goals that I can accomplish and then stick with. That's the tried and true way to reach any goal.
I used to run 80 miles a week in college without ever thinking about it. Now that I'm getting older and running isn't as central to my life anymore, it is much harder to stick to my plans. I started training more consistently in July. I took a first good step to consistency by keeping a running log on September 21st. That gives me 12 full weeks of running where I was actually making myself somewhat accountable. Out of those 12 weeks, I had three weeks that I did 40 or more miles. That's a nice .250 batting average. I've only gotten in a quality week 25% of the time. There's no running away from that fact. I may have been disappointed in my November and December races, but I haven't put in the work to really improve. On a side note, it's scary that my initial reaction to this connection was to be content with my time as opposed to disappointed with the effort. If I do want to get my times down, I've got to find my motivation somewhere.
40 miles a week. Starting...now! Okay, starting... now! That's what I feel like, but let's see if this time it sticks. I already missed two days this week. That's right. I didn't run Sunday (cooking chili and Christmas shopping) or Monday (woke up late; getting work done slowly; the wife was home; general malaise accompanied by a headache). That means to hit 40 this week, I need to average 8 miles a day for the rest of the week. I will of course count a substitute for running if my foot starts really hurting. As I alluded to above, the rest of December is dedicated to getting my aches healthy while developing a consistency. Let's make 40 miles a week the minimum over the next 4 months, alright? Starting...now!
--Gotta run.
I used to run 80 miles a week in college without ever thinking about it. Now that I'm getting older and running isn't as central to my life anymore, it is much harder to stick to my plans. I started training more consistently in July. I took a first good step to consistency by keeping a running log on September 21st. That gives me 12 full weeks of running where I was actually making myself somewhat accountable. Out of those 12 weeks, I had three weeks that I did 40 or more miles. That's a nice .250 batting average. I've only gotten in a quality week 25% of the time. There's no running away from that fact. I may have been disappointed in my November and December races, but I haven't put in the work to really improve. On a side note, it's scary that my initial reaction to this connection was to be content with my time as opposed to disappointed with the effort. If I do want to get my times down, I've got to find my motivation somewhere.
40 miles a week. Starting...now! Okay, starting... now! That's what I feel like, but let's see if this time it sticks. I already missed two days this week. That's right. I didn't run Sunday (cooking chili and Christmas shopping) or Monday (woke up late; getting work done slowly; the wife was home; general malaise accompanied by a headache). That means to hit 40 this week, I need to average 8 miles a day for the rest of the week. I will of course count a substitute for running if my foot starts really hurting. As I alluded to above, the rest of December is dedicated to getting my aches healthy while developing a consistency. Let's make 40 miles a week the minimum over the next 4 months, alright? Starting...now!
--Gotta run.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Living down to expectations
So, guess what. I missed several runs and I didn't write any posts. I didn't even keep up my end of the bargain for the very first post. In my defense, before this week, I've had some legitimate reasons for not running. Two days before my introductory post, I strained my hamstring. It may have been a factor in my timing for launching this blog. I want to stay motivated through adversity. That was the 23rd of November.
It was one of those days where I really didn't want to go out in the cold on that track and put in the effort I needed for a quality workout. Knowing that I needed to keep my speed up for a 10k on December 5th, I was determined to stick to my workouts. I felt very stiff (I have difficulty maintaining a consistent stretching routine, but that can be a whole separate post), but I was able to keep my goal pace anyways. I did the first three mile repeats in 5:27, 5:30, and 5:29. On the third, I was on pace again, but after the 1200m mark, I pulled up with a shooting pain in the hammy.
Not to go into the details so much, I went through two weeks of on and off running. I missed days, but even on days I ran, I either went short, slow, or even substituted the elliptical at the gym. So this is a very long winded way of saying, I appropriately missed some days in there to let my left hamstring recover. It worked. My leg is back to normal now. It may have slowed me down in my desired performance in my 10k, but it's worth it. I'm not sweating these races too much now.
Honestly though, my injury should not give me a free pass in this space. I had several days where I could have shared some insights into what I was feeling and the dilemma for runners like me who want to train every day and not lose any fitness gains, versus the need to actually recover for better long term performance.
Alas, this is the story of my life and could be the running story of this blog. I need to step up and put some serious effort into a consistent training schedule. I'm having some foot pain (possibly, plantar fasciitis), so I don't plan on doing any more real speed workouts until next year. I plan to throw in some strength training now as well. Let's see if I can stick with this a little better. Slight improvement is the only thing I can ask for, right? That's the beauty of life. In most cases a little more effort should lead to improved results.
--Gotta Run
It was one of those days where I really didn't want to go out in the cold on that track and put in the effort I needed for a quality workout. Knowing that I needed to keep my speed up for a 10k on December 5th, I was determined to stick to my workouts. I felt very stiff (I have difficulty maintaining a consistent stretching routine, but that can be a whole separate post), but I was able to keep my goal pace anyways. I did the first three mile repeats in 5:27, 5:30, and 5:29. On the third, I was on pace again, but after the 1200m mark, I pulled up with a shooting pain in the hammy.
Not to go into the details so much, I went through two weeks of on and off running. I missed days, but even on days I ran, I either went short, slow, or even substituted the elliptical at the gym. So this is a very long winded way of saying, I appropriately missed some days in there to let my left hamstring recover. It worked. My leg is back to normal now. It may have slowed me down in my desired performance in my 10k, but it's worth it. I'm not sweating these races too much now.
Honestly though, my injury should not give me a free pass in this space. I had several days where I could have shared some insights into what I was feeling and the dilemma for runners like me who want to train every day and not lose any fitness gains, versus the need to actually recover for better long term performance.
Alas, this is the story of my life and could be the running story of this blog. I need to step up and put some serious effort into a consistent training schedule. I'm having some foot pain (possibly, plantar fasciitis), so I don't plan on doing any more real speed workouts until next year. I plan to throw in some strength training now as well. Let's see if I can stick with this a little better. Slight improvement is the only thing I can ask for, right? That's the beauty of life. In most cases a little more effort should lead to improved results.
--Gotta Run
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Why write? Why run?
So, the thing that is going through my head right now is, "Why am I writing this?". You may ask yourself the same question about this blog, so I will try to explain in this introductory post. First of all this is primarily meant as a journal. It is intended for my benefit and a way for me to work through some things in my head. It is a way to keep me motivated and honest in my running goals. Secondarily, I realize that some people might end up reading this, and they may share some insight that can be useful to me. So, you see...this is a self-centered blog for my benefit. I do hope for a tertiary benefit from these writings. That hope is that there may be others who can find some sort of inspiration or motivation from my struggles (and maybe even successes) in training. I also believe that running and training for racing can provide powerful metaphors for the journey through life. Unless, you are trying to earn a living doing it though, it is not a good idea to forcibly draw any of these conclusions. You just have to let them happen and pray that you don't miss them. So, let's start.
If you haven't figured it out, the title of this blog is a play on the phrase, "The Runner's High". I've actually written about that subject before, and I've even tried to explain it to people. Most likely that will not be discussed in this forum. There are many more lows and painful uphills than highs when it comes to training. If you disagree with this, then don't let me dissuade you, but I strongly believe that if you don't believe this then you're not really training. Your running is more of a escape as opposed to a journey. This site might not be for you.
I find myself often with the time and ability to run, but I either lack the motivation or the planning to fit it into my schedule. Usually the latter is just a way the former manifests itself and little to do with poor organization. The number one rule for this blog is intended for negative reinforcement (something that resonates with me more than positive reinforcement). If I miss a training day on a day that I planned to workout, then I HAVE to write. The intention is to encourage myself to get out there and to avoid having to write about it.
I also want to write about how my running is going and I intend to post my runs here when I have time. I probably won't have the time to write about every single one, but I will do my best so that anyone can follow what I've been doing and see the effects.
My relationship with running is a complicated one. It is a up and down partnership, but we've never completely broken it off. I often don't enjoy it and sometimes outright despise it. A good characterization is that I love running a lot more than I like it. The problem is that I still realize some utility from the undertaking, so I can't rid it from my life.
I will get deeper into my story over the coming weeks, months, and maybe years, but for now I'll let you know that there are still some goals that I want to accomplish. I've missed some opportunities in the past. I don't know if I'm trying to redeem myself or if I'm trying to reinvent myself, but there are some things I want to do, so hopefully this is one step along the journey.
--Gotta run.
If you haven't figured it out, the title of this blog is a play on the phrase, "The Runner's High". I've actually written about that subject before, and I've even tried to explain it to people. Most likely that will not be discussed in this forum. There are many more lows and painful uphills than highs when it comes to training. If you disagree with this, then don't let me dissuade you, but I strongly believe that if you don't believe this then you're not really training. Your running is more of a escape as opposed to a journey. This site might not be for you.
I find myself often with the time and ability to run, but I either lack the motivation or the planning to fit it into my schedule. Usually the latter is just a way the former manifests itself and little to do with poor organization. The number one rule for this blog is intended for negative reinforcement (something that resonates with me more than positive reinforcement). If I miss a training day on a day that I planned to workout, then I HAVE to write. The intention is to encourage myself to get out there and to avoid having to write about it.
I also want to write about how my running is going and I intend to post my runs here when I have time. I probably won't have the time to write about every single one, but I will do my best so that anyone can follow what I've been doing and see the effects.
My relationship with running is a complicated one. It is a up and down partnership, but we've never completely broken it off. I often don't enjoy it and sometimes outright despise it. A good characterization is that I love running a lot more than I like it. The problem is that I still realize some utility from the undertaking, so I can't rid it from my life.
I will get deeper into my story over the coming weeks, months, and maybe years, but for now I'll let you know that there are still some goals that I want to accomplish. I've missed some opportunities in the past. I don't know if I'm trying to redeem myself or if I'm trying to reinvent myself, but there are some things I want to do, so hopefully this is one step along the journey.
--Gotta run.
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