My first 5K run ever. An amazing time and a great cause to support. Very happy I signed up and did it.
Here are some highlights.
Oh, I forgot, came in last in my division. But that means the only place to go is up 😉.
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marathon
Get Up
I can go harder.
The issue is deciding. With that done it is a matter of effort.
Make it easy. Set up for success.
Everything packed. By the door. Waiting.
All I have to do is get up.
Here is the deciding factor. The moment from when the alarm goes off. In that split second I have to make one final decision.
Go or no-go. It all boils down to that choice.
And I do not take this lightly. More lives have been ruined at this point than any. All the self-help, motivation in the world can’t make the decision for you.
So in that moment. There you are. And, you find out who you are.
The moment
… I decided it was done.
No matter what came in between. I would do it.
This has happened before. The point where no excuses matter. No pain can stop me. Nothing but success will fill the void.
Hard work. Long hours. Lots of reading. Whatever it takes.
Is it willpower? No.
It is something simpler than that. It’s knowing.
Knowing in my soul.
Knowing it can be done. Knowing it’s been done. Knowing there’s a process. And knowing that if I do the process than the outcome is a given.
The rest, just the price.
The moment is now.
Bad Form = Pain?
Self-diagnosed strained Achilles tendon. I am pretty certain that is what I have. The pain only shows up after I’ve run 3+ miles. When it’s time for my next running session I am barely able to get a mile before it kicks in.
And I will not let this pain beat me. I cannot get injured again. Being on the bench eats at my soul. So, I take it easy for a few days. Let the tendon heal. Add in some intense stretching and foam rolling too. Usually, it works.
The question
How do I prevent this pain in the first place? My initial analysis points to an issue with my form. But that cannot be the problem because my weekly mileage is increasing 🙂 yet the problem only occurs on the long runs.
The second theory is that as I get into the longer runs my form degrades to the point of triggering this problem. This is more likely. Thinking through the issue.
Do you see my dilemma? If theory #2 is correct, how do I prevent this from occurring?
My thoughts:
- Better and targeted pre- & post- training stretching
- Calf strength training
- Review my form by videotaping my next long run
Any ideas would be helpful.
BreakthroughÂ
Training intensity ticked upwards.
More miles. Consistent and relentless.
The breakthrough came at the 1.5 mile mark of a 4 mile easy run.
No pain, no hard breathing. I enjoyed the act of running.
And running is fun?!
Wait … What just happened?
Time for me to do some research.
I’m reading, “Natural Born Heroes” and just came to the part as far for fuel.
Maybe, just maybe I’m on to something here. I’ve had this urge to go cleaner. I still crave food. But definitely not like before.
And now that running is fun I want to run all the time.
Have I figured out what works for me?
Stay tuned and find out.
My first thought – Hell Yes!
More running, more high fat food – bring on the good times!!
It felt right again.
After I hit that mile mark I felt good.
No gasping. Weezing. Or Pain – well not a lot.
What changed?
After a few weeks off, Monday was my first day back in the gym. That hurt.
First, don’t take weeks off from running. I had a rythem. Breathing came easy. Not this day. Everything hurt.
I blame two things. Time off and not fueling my body correctly.
On vacation I decided to do January perfect. I’ve done perfect before by hitting all of my low bars. So, let’s do it again.
Monday hurt, but today get good.
Why?
I ate right all week. But water is the key. Every day this year I drank a gallon of that clear goodness – hahaha.
Water cleared my system. It reset my body. I feel invigorated.
So when I ran today I could feel the water soften the impact. And I realized the key is fuel.
Feed the body. And everything else takes care of itself.
Principle #1: Eat right.