I was thrilled to be invited to join Lil Sis and her running friends on Saturday morning for their 10 mile long run. Not only did I get to enjoy great company but I got to see a side of her town that I’d never seen before. I began to feel the effects of the 6 miles I’d run prior to meeting up with them and a lack of Perpetuem. This was all compounded by too much vino the night before. Lil Sis came to my rescue with a few capsules of some unknown substance and stayed back with me. By the time we all finished, I was feeling great.
Collapsible Plans
“I could be gone in a second without even a trace” – Tom Freud, Collapsible Plans
There is a balance between fear-controlled caution and a complete throwing of caution-to-the-wind. After 12 years working in the ICU and seeing the worse possible outcomes (often despite the best intentions), I’ve had a tendency toward leaning in the direction of fear-controlled side of the scale. I’ve come a long way in learning to let go a little.
Where running is involved, some might accuse me of being too relaxed. I disagree MOST of the time.
I follow some general rules:
- I always run with my phone
- Tell people when I am running
- Take my Epi-pen during bee season
- Wear reflective wear when lighting is marginal
- Keep aware of my surroundings
- Pull my headphones off when listening to traffic is essential
But there are things that I could do better. Take today for example…
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singing [and running] in the rain
Oblivious to the weather outside, I feebly gathered the final items for my run. Ms Garminia was completely exhausted and my headphones were missing in action.
Wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, I contemplated whether to attack scheduled interval workout or simply enjoy an easy run. While walking past my cubicle, the company’s Chief Medical Officer took one look at me and questioned my sanity. He wanted to know if I was really heading out into the “doom and gloom” of the day.
With the newly acquired information, I quickly pulled off my short sleeve and pulled on a long sleeve shirt before heading out into the damp day.
Just like that, it was settled: Hill Repeats x 5
Training update
It’s a little bit funny how I set out to incorporate a lot more cross training while preparing for Big Sur and then, when injury and illness necessitate running less, I feel like I’m falling WAY off-schedule. One need only look at my list of activities to see that I truly am not sitting on the couch. I am actually still training.
The other night, I did another session of lap swimming. I’ve mostly been focused on covering the goal distance but I’ve also begun playing around with some strong bursts in speed, working my legs by adding some time in my zoomers, and even testing out my ability to fly — which is A LOT easier with zoomers on.
I write this while still dripping in sweat from a indoor pedaling session on the bicycle trainer. Though I’ve yet to take my bike out on the road, I believe that I am at least partly preparing for some spring cycling. I am in fact hoping to be able to ride my bike to work (from YaYa’s school) at least a couple of times each week when daylight and scheduling allows.
The real test on my fitness, however, came yesterday when I set out to do a real honest-to-goodness “long” run. Due to a lack of foresight, my home was devoid of a proper pre-run breakfast but I made due. I hit the pavement fueled on a cup of coffee, a banana, and spoonful of peanut butter. I ran through a self check noting that my ankle felt fine, my breathing was unlabored, and running felt effortless. I hoped it would last.
Instead of the dirt trail, I opted for the paved trail and began greeting everyone I passed with wave and a cheery hello (as I usually do). Much to my surprise, today, nearly every greeting was returned. It was a nice surprise.
After a bit, I began recognizing people from the various organized training clubs/groups who have recently visited the running store for their season kick-off discounts. It was fun to see the faces light up of those who recognized me in return.
There were even those who I didn’t actually recognize who seemed know me. One guy in particular, actually said while standing mid-trail in a sort of out-of-breath manner. “I know you from somewhere.” Not wanting to be rude, I stopped. “Perhaps the running store,” I suggested. “Nope….but I’d know those eyes anywhere. What pace do you run? Maybe we’ve run in a race together.” This was when I laughed on the inside thinking (but not actually saying,) “Dude, you know my pace because I passed you a while back and am now catching you again while heading back.”
I can’t remember where the conversation when from here but I bid him good luck in his training and left him to the gals he’d been running with. He seemed to think that they were running “30 miles” or so. They were shooting for 14-15 miles; I guess when you’ve pushed to run 6 miles, anything over 10 seems like forever.
I, myself, ran 15 miles but you can think it of as 30 miles if you’d like. The cool thing is, I didn’t even feel like I needed to supplement with GU. My morning breakfast, sips of Sustained Energy, and friendly greetings fueled me the entire way.
the road ahead
I’ve been trying my darnedest not to get too caught up in what I’m not doing running-wise. The key word here is trying. I’ve not accomplished this task very well. Instead, I’ve eyed my training calendar, examined my miles run, and tried to rework my training schedule. In the end, the plan I laid out for Big Sur is the best plan for my goal of having a good race.
I have no time goals for Big Sur. I want only to finish uninjured and ready to launch into more serious training for my A-race. Big Sur is a training marathon. I hope to do what I love (run), take in the sights, and just enjoy myself. But that won’t happen without a good amount of training. Big Sur is one challenging course.
No matter how you look at it, the only option is to buckle down and work the plan as best as I can. Coming off injury takes a lot of careful balancing of pushing and backing off. The first push was to get back on road. So today, I laced up and tested out the ankle.
At first, the run felt off-kilter. My legs felt rubbery and my ankle stiff. I took it easy and kept going, and soon all felt okay. With 3 miles behind me, I am looking forward to the road ahead — of which there is plenty.