The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I did end up doing my tempo run on Friday, and the weather backed off and wasn't nearly as bad by the time 5 o'clock rolled around.  It was a VERY good run, hit all of my targets, finished extremely tired.  The kind of run that makes you feel like you've done some good training.  Based on how this week has felt, I've come to accept a slower pace of mileage buildup than I had originally planned for.  Up until now I'd been calling it lazy.  Now, I think I have to call it unavoidable.  This is the Good.

I skipped my weekend runs again.  Scheduling wouldn't allow me to run Saturday, so I figured I'd miss that one.  There was no excuse for not running yesterday.  I wasted what will probably be the nicest weather I'll see for the next month.  And I haven't lifted weights since Tuesday, but I am chalking that up to the increased intensity of my running.  That was the Bad.

And the Ugly?  All you can eat pancakes at IHOP.  I didn't even eat that many, they just weren't that good.  Neither was the service.  I think I am cursed.  At some point, one of my ancestors must have angered a Gypsy or maybe they were present at one of the Salem Witch trials.  Whatever caused it, I have somehow been afflicted with The Curse of Minor Inconvenience.  I always get the worst server at a restaurant.  Or the new waiter.  I can't stand in place at Wal-mart for more than 2 minutes, because I will suddenly be surrounded by dozens of other shoppers who also need the items on that isle.  I cannot remember EVER getting a shopping buggy that had 4 fully functioning wheels and didn't veer to one side.  Oh yea, and there was the time that the TREE FELL ON MY CAR IN THE WORK PARKING LOT.  None of these things are major happenings in the grand scheme of my life (except the tree, which is a story for another time), just minor inconveniences.  The kind of things that happen to other people 30% of the time, happen to me 80% of the time.

Oh well.  This weekend I hope to pick up at least 1 more day of running, bringing me to 5 days this week.

3 and Out

Yesterday I decided to punt.  Apparently that great tempo run earlier this week was more than I was ready for, because as I started my warm up, I felt flat.  No "zip" in my legs.  So I turned around and went home, and called it a day before I ever got started.

Today is typically my day off from running, so that means I've got a 2x2 mile tempo run coming after work tonight.  The weather is terrible, but not too cold, so no excuses will allow me to skip it.

If I can just get through work today without dozing off from boredom, that is...

I Am Fast, Agile, Maneuverable...You Are Not

I try to be very safe as a runner.  I always keep myself at least a body-width outside of the white line when a car comes along.  I always pay attention to traffic, I look and listen (no headphones for me).  If there is room, I get WAY outside of the roadway when I meet a car.  I don't want to develop a reputation as "that asshole who plays in traffic".  I'd rather be "that nice young man who's always out running".

There are no sidewalks where I live.  I run on winding 2-lane roads, out in the country.  Even being out away from more dense populations, I still encounter maybe a half dozen cars every mile passing through.  This means a half dozen times every mile that I will have to have my razor sharp wits about me, always vigilantly taking note of where I am and where they are.

Drivers have a peculiar reaction to runners.  Everyone's immediate reaction to a person jogging alongside of the road (no matter how far from the pavement we actually are) is to swing their car out into the middle to avoid us.  They are just being careful, as we runners are known to dive out in front of cars only to be mesmerized when we look into the headlights of an automobile.  We cause millions of dollars of damage to cars every year because of this.  Oh wait, that's deer.

I suppose drivers think they are being polite, giving us extra room (because we runners are known for our extreme width).  People will drive 3-wide at 70 mph on the interstate with no fear, change lanes into a hole with only a foot of extra space on each bumper, and habitually push 10 or 15 mph past the speed limit, all the while staying neatly in their lanes.  No big deal, we've all been driving since we were teenagers.  We are usually pretty confident in our ability to control our vehicle.  We know where the edges are, we know how close we can get.  Yet when most people see a person on the side of the road, it all goes out the window.  Must give that person a wide berth.  But they think they're being courteous.

This is fine on a nice sunny day, when I'd rather be enjoying the view than focusing on traffic.  But this is January.  Yesterday was rain, followed by huge, damp snowflakes all afternoon.  It wasn't extremely cold, not really slick, no reason to worry about driving conditions.  The tire paths were fine - wet, but clean.  The middle of the traffic lane, however, was a different story.  Before the snow plows pass through, there is a long, continuous pile of slush and mush in the middle of both lanes where tires don't end up.  So every time someone decides to be polite to me, they throw a soup of salt and cold water and ice clumps from my head to my toes.  I was soaked 3 times on a 4 mile easy run yesterday.  I skipped my weight lifting because I was very cold and just wanted a shower.

I define a good driver as someone who is predictable on the road.  If everyone around you knows how you will react in a situation, they can act accordingly.  When running, I'm going to keep going forward, roughly the same pace, moving far out of the roadway when I meet a vehicle.  A predictable response from the vehicle would be continuing status quo, staying in their lane, and being on their way.  Surprises are dangerous on the road.  Surprise!  I'm going to blow the horn at you when I wave, even though we don't know each other.  Surprise!  Road salt to the face! 

Don't be courteous to me.  In fact, pretend I'm not there.  If you crowd me, I'll get over further.  I don't plan to challenge your full-size pickup truck.  I'd lose.  Do any of you drive a vehicle with the loaded option that allows you to suddenly scoot over 2 feet sideways if you're too close to something?  Didn't think so.  Leave the politely getting out of the way to those of us who can.

Calm Before the Storm

Success:

My tempo run went extremely well yesterday.  The weather was the best it has been in forever - 46 degrees, overcast, calm.  I ran in shorts for the first time since October.  Three miles at a 7:45 pace, 15 seconds per mile faster than planned.  The pace just felt right, so I rolled with it.  No real slowdowns, no real letdowns, just a workout executed as designed.

That was the calm.

I woke up this morning to pouring rain (...woke up to the sound of pouring rain... - now I'll have that song in my head all day).  The forecast:  rain turning to sleet, then snow this afternoon, a high of 35 degrees.  I get one good weather workout, then back to the misery...

Losing Sleep, Gaining Perspective

Another weekend of "failure".  I put it in quotes, because I am questioning the meaning of the word, and when it is appropriate.  Did I do a long run this weekend?  No.  Did I run both days (or either, for that matter)?  Well, no.  Was I really expecting to?

We went on a day trip to visit friends on Saturday.  I had already accepted that I wouldn't be running.  It isn't really fair to call Saturday a failure, I did exactly as planned.  On Sunday I was planning an easy run at best.  I have already dropped the diagnostic run from my schedule, my other workouts have given me what I need to decide on a training pace, and with the unpredictability of the weather, there's no guarantee that my results would be meaningful.

And speaking of the weather...

We had a cold snap this weekend.  I draw the line at running below certain temperatures.  So Sunday was a LEGITIMATE DAY OFF.  I've done well not skipping weekdays, and the weather this week is looking perfect for some serious training.

Why do I feel guilty when I see those zeros in my running log?  I think I need to adjust my wiring, all of this writing about goals and declaring things just for the sake of holding myself to my word has knocked me out of focus.  Typically I'm very good at accepting things that should be accepted, and only applying my energies where they are really needed.  Feeling bad about skipping runs that should be skipped is just spinning my wheels.

This week I start tempo runs.  My goal is to work on some race pace running, trying to get my body back accustomed to working up near the lactic threshold while I continue to ease into my training and increase my volume.  My fartlek runs went well, I'm a little behind on mileage but I'm getting there.  My weight lifting has gone almost too well - I'm starting to feel the weight room bug biting me again, that little (but deep and very manly) voice saying "add another 5 pounds, keep pumping..."  I still need to add in lower body work, which is scheduled for Friday.

I need to get into bed.  I've somehow allowed my internal clock to get scrambled (sleeping in on the weekends?), and even though I need to be up by 6, I can't seem to get into bed before 11:30.  It isn't that I'm busy, I'm not even that interested in the things I'm wasting time on.  The lack of down time is starting to accumulate, I feel terrible this morning.  I think I need to force myself into bed at 10 tonight.

Can One Day Make a Difference? Only if You Mean It...

I decided late last week that I wouldn't post anything until after my next run.  The logic behind this was that I'd be doing a long run on Saturday, and could come up with something to write about that run, or long runs in general, or just ramble about whatever as usual.

Then the weekend came.  And how many miles did I run?  Zero.  Another weekend spent screwing around, the most productive activity on my schedule was grocery shopping.  Reading my other posts, I'm seeing a pattern here...

I need to find a way to overcome my weekend laziness.  This time, it spilled all the way into Monday.  The weather was dreary, and I decided it was too crappy to run, so I didn't.  Then I didn't lift weights.  And then I didn't do any dishes.  Again, same old pattern. 

Yesterday (Tuesday), I did go running.  It was pouring rain.  I decided that it was punishment for faking a "weather day" on Monday, and trudged out into it for a 5 mile fartlek run.  The run went well, and so did the weight lifting afterward.  I was on such a roll last night that I even washed EVERY SINGLE DISH in the sink.  I went from completely wasting my time, to hitting every goal I set, overnight.  How did this happen?

Though I never saw it at the time, looking back, I've always accomplished anything I really set myself to.  My failures have never really been because of a lack of ability or some external disadvantage.  I fail when I half-ass things.  I fail when I get lazy and don't take things seriously.

So I'm saying this, because it needs said.  Said on the internet, where anybody can see it, where they can badger me and harass me if I stray off course.  Where anyone reading this (is anyone reading this?) can call me out, can comment or contact me and say, "hey asshole, remember that one post that one day..."  I'M GOING TO HAVE A BIG YEAR.  A big year of running.  A big year of accomplishing goals.  All of my goals.  Any target that gets set in front of me, I'm going to do what it takes to hit it.  Once said, something cannot be unsaid.  Anyone reading this, hold me to it.

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart."
-Confucius

Fall back, fall back!

As often is the case, my grand plans are a little too grand.  I'm adding another week to my base/fartlek training.  With the weather as crazy as it is, and my struggles to get into a routine with weight lifting, I feel like I need more miles before I can really start to train effectively.

My runs this week have all been "fall back" runs.  Cut back the mileage, cut back the intensity, cut back the scope.  I skipped my "long farlek" workout on Thursday, replacing it with an easy 4 miler, which I had skipped on Wednesday.  And what is a "long fartlek" you ask?  It is a modified version of the original fartlek workout designed by Gösta Holmér, the Swedish cross country coach in the 1930s.  He and I share a similar attitude about training - running shouldn't be uncomfortable.  I don't think it should ever hurt to run - if it hurts, something is wrong.  You can run until you're exhausted, you can be fatigued, but you shouldn't be in pain.  The original workout looked like this.

My version of the workout goes something like this:

1 mile warm up
1 mile at 5k race pace
1/2 mile recovery
3 1/2 miles of easy running with 15 seconds of "near" sprinting (800m race pace) intermixed
Final 1/4 mile of 3 1/2 - best possible 400m given current state of fatigue
1 mile cool down

For those keeping score, that's a 7 mile workout.  A bit much, given this weather, and the state of the road shoulders.  I did the workout last week, but it was 10 degrees warmer at the time.  It leaves me too tired to lift, so I need to adjust that schedule to match up better.


So NEXT week is now the final week of easy transition miles, as I continue to get my mileage back up and work on intensity.  I'm thankful it isn't a matter of motivation, but one of too much too soon.

Now if only I could find a way to do too many dishes with too much motivation.  Still struggling with that.  I'm hoping my wife will work on them some today, since she's off from work, but somehow I doubt it.  I need some kind of motivation to do housework that is as strong as my running motivation.

Bump

It's the final week of easy, transition mileage.  This time next week, gone will be the days of short fartlek workouts and skipping days - replaced by tempo running and steady mileage increases for the next month or so.

Sunday is the day.  Mark it on the calendar.  I have a 3 mile diagnostic run scheduled, which I'll use to set my pace for the next few weeks of training.  No excuses, no being lazy, just running and lifting and getting into the best shape of my life before spring gets here.

And doing something about those damn dishes that keep piling up...

Living for the weekend

It was a good week, it was a bad week.  I managed 4 days of running in a row, a total of 20 miles last week.  Not bad, since I'm easing back into full weeks after my lay off.  But terrible in that I still can't seem to do anything productive on the weekends.

I didn't run.  At all.  No long run.  Not even a short easy one.  There are still dishes that need done.  Christmas decorations are still in place.  And what did I do all weekend?  Video games.  Someone needs to remind me on Saturdays that I am not 14.  My wife is not a candidate for this - she was right there beside me, playing video games.

I have so much motivation when I am far removed from the things I need to do.  I can easily say, "this is the day" or, "this week I will accomplish this after work", until it actually comes to after work, and then I accomplish nothing.

Today, after work, I'm going to finish all of the dishes.  This is the day.

The consequences of treating your opinions like facts (and some light reading)

We're all guilty of it.  Whenever someone is talking about something that we happen to be very interested in (running, perhaps?), we feel the need to offer our unsolicited opinion.  After all, years of amateur running, reading internet blogs about running, sports articles about running, thinking about running, planning running, talking running and training around the water cooler to anybody unfortunate enough to get sucked into conversation...

We are experts by now, right?  We know our stuff.  We know how things work.  And with so much passion, who's going to challenge us?

Somewhere between stretching out before my first day of track practice in junior high and my current "career" as an amateur 5k road racer, my ideas and opinions about running and training have become facts.  When asked, I answer.  No "I think...", just an answer.  Confident as a doctor diagnosing something for the 1000th time.  As natural and fluid as simple math (something I do in my real career as an engineer).

Seeing the problem here yet?  I'm not an expert.  I don't have a formal education in athletic training, I've never done research into nutrition and human performance, and most importantly, I have no gold medals hanging around my neck.  Yet I will look you in the eye and tell you what is wrong with your training as if I am the be-all, end-all authority on the subject.

I often frequent the running section on the website Yahoo! Answers (my profile, for your review).  I've been doing this for 4 or 5 years, advising beginners, answering questions about training, running and weight loss, the roll of strength training in running, nutrition, etc.  I answer questions with an authority derived simply from my tone of voice and my high educated (meaning fairly well read and grossly over confident) attitude.  Am I right about any of it?  Who knows.  My opinions have shifted greatly about a great number of things since I started, based on reading newer research studies, my own training, and the training of others.

Y!A is a very dangerous site.  Completely unreviewed.  People can and do advise anything, with no thought to how wrong they may be or the damage it could end up doing if they are.  I feel like I try harder than most to know what I am talking about, and I'm careful to avoid advising anything that could cause harm.  I just hope I am doing more good than damage with my knowledge/opinions.

And the light reading promised:

Running with the Kenyans: part one

A runner from Britain who writes for the Guardian is going to live in Kenya for the next 6 months (family and all) to learn about their culture and lives, as well as their running.  This is the first of what should be an interesting and informative series of articles.  I am very interested in other cultures, having never had the opportunity to travel much (I'll spare you the details of my poor upbringing for some day when I haven't already written a novella about myself earlier in the post).  I look forward to following his journey.


Guess I should talk about my running just a little on my running blog before I go.  Two days in a row this week, legs feel fine, easing back into training hasn't been too bad.  I think I'm still overdoing it in the weight room, I'm very sore from lifting, but I'm really eager to have my muscles back to the way they looked in college.

New Year's Resolutions

Since I'm new to blogging, I've been reading a bunch of other blogs to get an idea of how other people are doing things - structuring their thoughts, deciding what's important to say, etc.

Apparently, this is the week to blog about what you resolve to do this coming year.  I don't do resolutions.  Never have.  I think setting goals that you will ultimately fail at is counterproductive at best, and long slow bleed on your self esteem at worst.  And most people lose sight of them within the first few months of the year anyhow.

I do set GOALS for each year.  Concrete tasks, with start and end dates, and specific conditions that define success - eat less of this, do more of that, just doesn't cut it for me.  And since even this system is more likely to fail than succeed, I try to set more than 12 goals.  One for each month, plus a few bonuses to soften the blow of failures.  Here's a small sampling of what I plan to do this year (with the full list coming probably tomorrow):

Run 1200+ miles - Shouldn't be too hard if I stay focused, but last year I wanted to run 1000+ miles and didn't make it.

Cook a crown roast - Watching Food Network tends to make me feel as if I can use the internet to learn to do anything.  I've been meaning to do this for a long time, I think this is the year.

Try every variety of Sam Adams beer - I've been working on this one for a few years now.  It is hard to find certain varieties here in WV, and they keep coming up with new ones to make my list longer.  But I am determined, and will work as long and hard at this goal as is necessary.

Learn sign language - I took the first steps on this one last year, I just need to work consistently at it this time around.


I think you get the picture.  Well defined goals with well defined conditions for success.  I try to avoid anything ongoing, anything that requires constant willpower to accomplish - check out one of my favorite blogs, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, where Ramit Sethi delves into the reasons willpower doesn't work.  I pay meticulous attention to my finances, which has lead me to read many many finance articles and blogs, and Ramit's blog is one of the most useful sites on the internet in this category.

Ouch

Ouch.  Bad decisions, a bit of poor luck, and I am already as far behind this year as a person can be in 3 days.

My Hokies didn't just lose the Orange Bowl last night.  They got destroyed in the Orange Bowl last night.  I never played more than a pickup game of football growing up, since I was small and never really that athletic, so I will spare you a mediocre analysis of last night's drumming and just fall back to my default position on college football when things go wrong:  There's always next year.

I spent the whole weekend, starting on THURSDAY, doing absolutely nothing.  No running.  No lifting.  Very little house work.  So I officially kicked off my 2011 training with drinking, football, and video games. 

I have so much resolve, so much passion during the day sometimes when thinking about what I want to accomplish.  Driving in to work in the mornings, the day always seems so full of promise, another chance to make some progress on my personal goals.

Now it's an hour later.  I'm sitting here at my desk eating instant banana oatmeal (which tastes and smells like goo-ified circus peanuts, delicious), thinking, "how can I not blow it today?"

I did run and lift yesterday though, and the weight room bug is hitting again.  Just a matter of time before I start lifting really hard and adding more weights.  One of the few things that I seem to have a natural inclination towards is lifting.  Shame I never made anything of it when I had the chance.


Question:  What is in Chef Boyardee that allows them to say that it contains a full serving of vegetables?  Just what does and doesn't count as a serving of veggies?  That is my research project for this week.