September 29, 2009

Today's Workout:
66 minutes, 6 miles, road run, new route.

Up this morning lacking much energy, following a restless night with little sleep, for whatever reason. Sipped my coffee and debated within myself whether I ought to take a day off or do some sort of exercise. I never really came to a clear conclusion. I simply opened the door at 5 am and moved outside, walking to where I normally begin to run. I sort of thought I would run a mile, maybe 2 or 3, tops. It was dark out, I didn't feel like running the usual route, I headed very slowly in a different direction. I thought that I felt better than I thought I would. The wind was blowing lightly and it was cool out this morning, the long sleeve shirt in white, so as to be seen, was the right choice. Keeping an easy pace, I lumbered along, thinking about how far I might go, at 1.5 miles I felt good enough to think about making it a 5 miler and took the turn down a road I had not run far on before this morning. I stayed on the sidewalk and managed to make it to the 2.5 mile point where turning around would make it a 5 mile run. I gained some strength on the way back and convinced myself to run for 60 minutes, then I decide to make it a 6 miler and that is what I did.

I had no reason to believe before I started this run on this dark morning, lacking any energy or motivation that I would do 3, 4, 5 or even 6 miles. Somehow I found energy and motivation and persevered and ran for 66 minutes, a slow way to get to 6 miles, a jogging pace and an easy enough effort to maintain. Some days this is how running is, you just get going and hang on and put in your miles. Some days it's your legs that carry you, on other days your mind is your strength. Today I don't know what carried me or how I carried myself as far and as long as I did, I simply did it and this is how a runner works. We are usually purposeful, planning out the time and/or distance and meeting our goals, occasionally we accomplish things mysteriously, like I did today. Carry your good habits with you wherever you go, they come in handy and sometimes when you least expect them.

Today's Workout 7/17/09

In many ways, yes I am a dinosaur. Old school but not so terribly old school. How about old school-evolved? The Jack Daniels running system is scientific, it's old school but it's true science.
I like to be knowledgeable about the science and try to put it to work for myself. I don't feel like I try too awfully hard though. This darn treadmill is getting over on me, I have stated previously how I used to mentally despise running on a treadmill, and I am ever more learning to appreciate it. It's working me hard, when I choose to do so. Cranking up the speed
forces me to work harder and I find that I can indeed work harder when I so choose. I don't often choose to. I started jogging in the 70's. LSD was the thing, no not the drug! LONG, SLOW, DISTANCE. I learned to run this way and it has served me pretty well over many years. Speed work is occasional for me and that's probably okay. I am however doing just a bit more of it lately and liking it. I blame the treadmill and Jack Daniels, not the whiskey, the man made famous by his study of oxygen use, altitude training, the lactic acid process and so very much more critical to the training programs for runners and other athletes. If you run harder but not too hard, a couple of times a week you can really improve yourself, your performance but more important your body's cardio system and this can only be good for us...dinosaurs!

BIKE: 40 minutes, 13+ miles, good strong ride, stationary.
RUN: 43 minutes, 5 miles, treadmill, good hard run!