The (Abbreviated) Training Week That Was...

With Spring Break here, I finally returned to a training regiment (of sorts) and while a completely realize that two consecutive days of running a short loop n a neighborhood does not technically count as a routine, it is a start and I'm taking the small victories where I can.

This is what went down this past week:

Monday thru Friday: Resting on Laurels
Saturday: 3.2 miles
Sunday: 3 miles

TOTAL MILEAGE: R 6.2 miles
Weigh-In*: 198.5 lbs. [* @ 6:30 a.m. on 4/18/11]

Running this past weekend only served to reinforce an understanding that I have long held... the ability to be in the moment of a run is seriously complicated by my lack of discipline in matters culinary. I have been eating like a horse in recent weeks months(?) and as a result I am carrying about 20 lbs. more than I was last September (my weight this morning is the heaviest its been in almost a year!). While some of this can possibly be forgiven as the Winter bump, I am consciously aware of moments when I have been in the "gullet zone"...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Run: 7 miles in ≈57 min. @ 6:10 a.m.

Weather: Cloudy, 65°F, 90% Humidity, Winds: Calm; feels like 65°F.
Course: An abbreviated version of Nine Point Sevenish found on USATF Map It!
Pace: ≈8:08 min/mile
Effort: 3 out of 5
How did I feel? Blah!
Gear: Amphipod RunLite Trail Runner

This morning was one of those times when running was more of a chore than a pleasure--though I had mapped out a ten miler, it was clear to me at mile four that I needed to adjust my expectations and take a detour to shorten the distance. This was a recognition on my part that the potential negative psychological impact to my long term training if I were to stop and walk in the interest of pursuing an ill-fated ten, was far more damaging than if I opted to simply adjust my daily goal and run the whole way.

For myself, I have found that if I don't mentally address any self-doubt at the moment it creeps in, it will fester quickly, hurting my training. This morning, I was too distracted to do so effectively. I did, however, feel it was an accomplishment to complete the modified seven miler with the goal of "living to run another day."

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Yoga Conditioning for Athletes

Workout: "Opening" & "Conditioning" from Yoga Conditioning for Athletes With Rodney Yee
Duration: Approx. 33 minutes

It's morning's like these, you know, just following a (for you) long run the previous day, you know you should recover because your mileage has already increased the appropriate percentage for the week and you don't want to over-do it, but you just feel so jacked that it can't possibly be wrong to run anyway... that are the most difficult to stay disciplined during! This desire to go "above and beyond" is exacerbated by the fact that you know that your weight has actually increased despite feeling a productive training week was had...

So, it was back to the VHS bin for the timeless workout classic with Rodney Yee. When I first purchased this time about ten(!) years ago, it was among the most challenging, and I am fairly sure I never made it through all three series of poses. That would not change this morning, but I did manage to gain some perspective on the holistic nature of good nature of effective training. While I could mimic most poses (thanks to the inclusion this particular tape of more than one persons--other than the flawless Rodney--attempting each pose at a variety of skill(flexibility) levels).

My attempts at eagle and tree poses, however, leave quite a bit to be desired, and are just two of many specific areas requiring improvement...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Dangling Participles...

dangling participle (or dangling modifier) attaches itself to a word different from the one the writer apparently intended.The writer may have meant to modify the subject, but word order makes the modifier seem to modify an object instead.

Recently, this blog has covered some ground that, while related to running, has been slightly different than my intent as this blogs "author." I've started some things that I haven't finished. In the interest of following up on some previous posts (and in having something related to "running" to write abut in the absence of actually running myself)...

2009 Badwater Results: Congratulations to Brazilian bad-a$$ Marcos Farinazzo, the overall Winner of the The Badwater Ultramarathon which took place from July 13-15. Marcos covered the 135 mile course in 23:39:18! Other winners include all 54 athletes who finished before the cut-off time. Kudos to all 86 athletes who gave it a shot--the beautifully painful truth is that there is always next year!

Injury Update: It has now been exactly one week since I last laced up my running shoes and hit the streets. I continue to have pain in both knees but it has improved. I continue to RICE and take anti-inflammatory, Glucosomine/Chondroitin, in addition to my "regular" vitamins, and remain confident of an (eventual) return. I am learning patience (still!) and have kept myself busy doing other things. I may go for a bicycle ride today, and possible ride the ten-ish miles to work on Monday. This is all of course dependent on how my legs feel on nay given day.

"Fitness" Levels: While I totally recognize that Fitness does not necessarily dependent solely on one's weight, I was concerned that I would (mostly as a result of possibly being "bummed out") I would gain excessive pounds during this down time. Surprisingly, I have maintained my pre-race/injury weight of 183.5 pounds. Immediately following the race I did "splurge," but have once again fallen into a fairly healthy pattern of portion size and fairly nutrient rich eating habits.

Bookshelf: I have completed Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton and begun The Death of a Salesman in anticipation of next school year's coursework. I also have jumped into Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson with David Oliver Relin. The latter has offered a nice (translation: positive) counterbalance to the dreary canon books.

That about covers things for now. Hopefully in the next few days/weeks, I'll be able to share more meaty reflections on all things "runned-a-bout!"

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

"Sit On It"?

"Cunningham, with that Howdy Doody face,
you can only be so tough. But I'll tell you something.
Now, with a little practice, there's always hope."~The Fonz
While my Catholic upbringing (and love of beads and beer) are reminding me subconsciously that this week marks the start of the Lenten season with both Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, my e-mail from Tricycle Buddhist Review on-line has prompted me to join The Big Sit, online "course" and practice of zazen--sitting meditation in the Zen tradition. The e-mail invite came with a quote from a practitioner citing his desire to "add more discipline to my (his) practice..." This has been an ongoing challenge for me, as I have continued to read and "study" a number of books on Buddhism, but have been unable to build a steady practice of sitting regularly.

Beginning on February 23rd, the Tricycle Community will launch "The Big Sit," a 90-day Zen meditation challenge. While I heave read a number of different books and articles related to more than one subset of Buddhist practice (primarily Tibetan and Zen Buddhism, I currently would best categorize myself as a "non-denominational" explorer of sorts. The overall goal Buddhism (as a whole philosophy) is personal spiritual development in the larger interest of efficiently help all other sentient beings attain this state is an easy one to "buy into," and like most meaningful lifestyles, a challenge in applying completely. Because I am neither a member of a proper sangha nor a steady-enough "sitter," most would probably call me more of a dabbler.

At any rate, I would appreciate any support or suggestions The Big Sit folks might offer, so I've signed on. Hopefully I will be more diligent in reading the daily prompts or reminders than I currently am with those I already receive from both Tricycle and DailyOm.

Who knows, with "a little practice," the down-home wisdom of Arthur Fonzerelli may yet prove true again!

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

The Training Week That Was... 3/17-3/23

Another pretty fair week of training, with only a few bumps (aches) in the road. I am still endeavoring to build more cross-training into my routine, which to this point has consisted of the every other day yoga routine and an occasional walk with my wife. (I'm guessing that had a pulled my butt onto the bicycle yesterday evening after eating so much stuff at Easter dinner, I wouldn't have gained the extra pounds this week!)

In the recap below, the Key Run Workouts prescribed by the plan appear in parentheses. It is unclear what the total mileage I was scheduled to run this week is a little was, but I feel like I did pretty well:

Legend: R = Running, ri = recovery interval, ez = easy, mt = mid-tempo, wu = warm-up, cd = cool down, ez = easy

Monday: (Rest)
Tuesday: (Key Run Workout #1--10-20 min. wu, 6x800m, 400m ri, 5-10 min. cd) R 5.2 mi
Wednesday: (Rest)
Thursday: (Rest)
Friday: (Key Run Workout #2--1 mi ez, 6 mi @ long tempo pace, 1 mi ez) R 8.1 mi
Saturday: (Key Run Workout #3--13 miles) R 13.1 mi
Sunday: (Rest)

TOTAL--R 26.4 miles (-3.2 miles from last week)
Weigh-In*: 185.0 lbs. (+1 lb. from previous week) [* @ 5:00 a.m. on 3/24]

This is the first week in the last few that I have gained (rather than maintain or lose) pounds, but I continue to be confident about my training and improving dietary choices--the most significant of which is my severely limiting my intake of soda (Diet Pepsi and Fresca).

I also am continuing to have an easier time taking the proper perspective to "racing," which is to say that I am enjoying the run and not concerning myself too much with winning anything other than my own sense of knowing I have had a good run.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

The Training Week That Was… 12/31-1/6

"Until you know that life is interesting - and find it so - you haven't found your soul."~Geoffrey Fisher

As this first week of the new calendar year draws to a close, I am once again going to attempt a weekly recap of my training efforts in hopes that it will motivate me to be more accountable for following through on my goals (which to this point I realize have been unarticulated here). By slowly working into a "5 days on-2 days off" weekly pattern, I am on the path to returning to a degree of regularity with my running.

The things which are yet to be accomplished are diversifying my physical training with some varied core and cycling activities. Additionally, I am continuing in my efforts to become more disciplined in what eat and in how I think and live. The one (eating) is more easily addressed than the other (spirit), though I am working to make changes in the interest of living in a more disciplined fashion in a relation to both.

In the recap below those miles I was schedule to run appear in parentheses. You’ll notice that I liberally switch “days,” but do try to adhere to the daily total. My total mileage this week can be broken down like this:

Monday: Recovery Day
Tuesday: R 7.5 miles
Wednesday: R 5.9 miles
Thursday: Recovery Day
Friday: 4.8 miles
Saturday: R 5.9 miles
Sunday: R 6.4 miles

TOTALS--R 30.5 miles
Weigh-In*: 186.5 lbs. (-2 lbs. from previous Monday) [* took place at 5:00 a.m. on 10/1]

I feel very good about what was accomplished this week and the gains I have made in accruing more meaningful miles. This will only improve when I settle on a "tent pole" race for the late spring, the selection of the distance of which will drive my training plan from here forward. Hopefully, I will have a more concrete goal by week's end.

Embrassez votre été invincible!