Recovery Week?

This was a week of quantity over quality, but not by choice.  I did manage my most miles per week for 2015, but still not "high mileage."  Outside of some of some hill repeats on Tuesday, I ran no miles faster than 8:15.  I tried, but every time I gradually built up the pace, the wheels would start to fall off.  Granted, I had a super aggressive tempo run the week before, followed by a race, but I shouldn't need recovery from that.  Perhaps this 53-year old body is finally rebelling; the 6 years plus of chasing marathon PR's is gradually coming to a halt.  There is the old rule of thumb that most runners have a 7 year window to realize gains in the marathon and that may window is closing.  Or, this was just one of those weeks and I will be back as good as new this upcoming week after a couple nights of good sleep.  Yeah, let's go with that!

Happy Running!
Rick

Managing Expectations

Managing my expectations, especially this early in the season, has never been easy.  You know, after running for as long as I have, you have a pretty good feel for what your fitness level is, but your judgement still can be clouded by the desire to PR, to run well beyond your known fitness level; every stride will be effortless and today is that day where unexpectedly and magically you breeze through the course, blowing by your competition, each mile faster than the last, runner's paradise.  Then reality sets in.

Yesterday's 8k was no exception.  I knew where my fitness level was, somewhere in the 30:20 to 30:30 range, but I have run sub 30, so maybe today was that magical day!  Warm-ups felt good; after 5 or 6 strides everything felt fluid and easy.  Enough of an enticement for me to go for it.  The gun went off and I took off with the lead pack.  The course started with a fairly significant uphill, but held pace throughout.  Hit the mile split at 5:56 and it felt so easy;  yes this was going to be that day.  I relaxed, concentrated on my turnover and readied myself for 4 more sub 6 miles.  Yeah, right.  After a "relaxed" mile two, I checked my split and it was 6:15.  It was windy, but that wasn't it.  I let relaxed become lazy.  Got to work on mile 3 and had to muster everything I could just to run a 6:07.  Mile 4 had less wind and managed a 6:04.  The last .96 miles had some uphill to it, but I managed to stay around 6 flat, finishing in 30:24, 9 seconds slower than last year and 32 seconds off my PR.  No magic today, only reality.  I'm glad I raced the way I did though; my 5 minutes and 56 seconds of denial were wonderful!

Transitioning back to morning running this past week, which always is a sure sign of spring for me.  I love getting back to early morning runs, but not as thrilled with my 9 am bedtime!

Happy Running!

Rick

My Day as a Non-Runner

Okay, most of us runners spend a good part of our week-end, well, running.  Probably a race on Saturday, followed by the "long-run" on Sunday.  Now it's just not the time running, but there is the prep for the run (yes for me there is quite a ritual) getting to the event, post event cool down and eating, socializing, stretching yadda, yadda, yadda.  Then depending on how hard you ran there is the post race nap, and the constant need to eat.  Needless to say, this doesn't leave lots of time for other things.

Now I must confess, I am an everyday runner.  I don't keep track of my streak, but I rarely take a week-end day off, and every couple of months I will miss a weekday.

Today was a rare Sunday that I did not run.  What does a runner, whose Sunday is usually taken up with running and all the post running side effects, do on this rare day off?  Well let me tell you.  First, I slept in until 8:00, which means I slept for over 10.5 hours.  The need to sleep that much is a sure sign that you need a day off.  After a quick breakfast, I started on my "project," paint the master bedroom; that was it.  Okay, I have a lot of unused energy from not running, so this painting project turns into my own version of some home make-over show!  The room was painted in no time, main color and an accent wall and then I completely empty the room and clean, organize and rearrange the entire thing! Almost 10 hours into it and things are coming together. I have to admit, the room was transformed from drab and dingy into something pretty special.

I'll be back at it next week, but I have to admit it was nice to act like a non-runner, at least for a day!

Happy Running!
Rick

Ahead of Schedule

Wow, the mileage is really starting to pile up and at a steeper increase than in 2014, also with some faster paces.  Getting close to the mid 60's with some pretty good quality.  Tuesday's 10-miler was especially satisfying.  I was at the track and after a brief warm-up I started my workout, 3x1mile at 5k pace.  First mile felt effortless and was surprised to see 5:52 on my watch.  Mile 2 was 5:50 and mile 3 was 5:47.  Wow!  I didn't know I had it in me!  Finished off the run with some recovery and a progression to cap things off.  Average pace for the 10-miler was around 6:39.  Friday night was a decent progression run from 9:30 to 6:00 flat and then there was the double digit back to back week end runs of 13 and 10.  I am curious to see how my race goes in a couple weeks.  Feels like it's been forever since I raced.

Musical treat this week, as Rhapsody finally got the rights to Led Zeppelin.  I had forgotten what a great album Physical Graffiti is.  It's been a long time.

Running highlight of the week.  Running 800 meter repeats on the U of M Washington Avenue Bridge on Thursday with my daughter.  She is getting speedy.  The bridge provides a flat, dry, scenic and almost perfect 800m loop to work out.

Couldn't end this post without a little weather shout out.  Sunday's run and Saturday's 13 miler were sunny, warm and full of puddles.  After the deep freeze we have been, what a wonderful treat.  Everyone I ran with seemed to have a bigger smile on their face.

Happy Running!
Rick

Why I Run

You've probably ready lots of posts about why people run.  I won't I say I am any different then any other obsessed runner, but I felt the need for some self-reflection as to why I do this.  As a runner, it's really not hard to understand why we do what we do, but to non-runners it can be difficult to appreciate.  So here is my attempt:

I run because it makes me feel alive.  There is the anticipation before the run, the peace and often times exhilaration during the run, the satisfaction and relief immediately post run and best of all, the knowledge that you can change your outlook, your attitude and your mental state, by simply changing clothes, putting on your running shoes and walking out the door.  It works almost every time and for me, even after 30 plus years of running, the rewards keep getting bigger and better.

I love the planning.  There is little else more rewarding than setting a goal and mapping out how I'm going to get there.  Looking at what has worked in the last cycle and scrapping the rest.  What else in your life do you have that much control?  

I run with others, because almost without exception, runners are great people.  A little goofy, but great.

I run challenge myself, to push myself to the limits both mentally and physically.  The pressures of work, family and life in general seem easier to handle when you stretch yourself during a marathon training cycle.

I love feeling fit.  I thinks it's cool that my resting heart race can get down to 40!  Sure, there are numerous reports about endurance training is bad for you, but I can find just as many stating the opposite.  I think it's cool that I am the same waist size and weight that I was when I was 18.

I love to eat after running.  I can't describe how much better everything tastes after a great run.  It's truly remarkable.

Running helps me forget how old I am.  The expression about age is only a number, is really true for runners.  

Then there are the more irrational, harder to explain aspects of why we run.  How do you tell someone that you actually enjoy the pain post marathon.  There comes with it some odd satisfaction when you can't pick yourself off the ground after sitting after a race.  Its bordering on a mental disorder!  There also becomes a lack of balance to ones life.  How do you explain that I want to push myself to run 100 miles per week, 10 times per week and pass on other hobbies or activities.  When I find another hobby that gives back as much as running, I will sign up.  Until then, I will continue to run.

Happy Running,

Rick