I'm not finding any races that appeal to me. A complicating factor is that Little One still has cross country meets through the end of October. Therefore, my Saturdays are booked for the next several weeks. Then, there's nothing local in November apart from the Turkey Trot. [Our Thanksgiving plans are up in the air.] If I was up for traveling, there are some races in Indiana that look OK, but I don't feel comfortable doing that with Wifey in a family way. The hunt continues.
Today is a rest day. I ran two hard miles yesterday along the RiverWalk and felt pretty good. I ran it hard, shooting for a 9-minute-mile pace. I was out of breath at the turn-around, but I survived it. I'm going to try not to slouch through my runs like I have been for so long. It's so easy to let myself slip into a comfortable pace and let the run go by when I ought to be pushing myself. Even if I pushed myself to run 9-minute-miles every other workout, that would be something. My tempo run pace is sub-9, so it's not like I'd be red-lining. Improvement isn't supposed to be comfortable. It's supposed to be hard and awkward and sometimes leave you a little sore. I need to say that to myself before each run.
But the victory of the week, so far, is that I haven't skipped any runs. I've been faithful to the plan, and that's something too. The running habit is rebuilding. I can feel it in my slightly sore feet.
2010-09-16
2010-09-14
So far, so good
I ran yesterday, and I have a plan to run today. I'm 100% compliant with my new running plan so far, and my attitude is slowly improving. Instead of not really thinking about running, my mind is telling me "You owe us a mile today -- just a mile. Fast or slow, you have to run one mile today." I'll get it done today while my kiddo runs cross country. I'm thinking I will do a hard mile and see how that feels.
My extrinsic motivation is in the form of my running plan tacked to my cubicle wall. It says run 2 miles on Monday [did it], one mile today [will do], and two more tomorrow. All in all, it's ten miles this week and eleven the next. But to what end? What does my end goal look like? It looks like me about 15 pounds lighter, as I am at the peak of marathon training. It looks like me answering, proudly, when people ask how much I run, "Forty miles a week." It looks like me, lean and sleek, running all over the city.
Perhaps I should find a race. Wifey has given me the green light. Her pregnancy is healthy and progressing normally, and her morning sickness is managable. She's all but encouraged me to go race [and take the kid.] But I don't want to run a 5K. I don't want to deal with the walkers and strollers and stuff. I want to find at least a 10K. It's too late for me to train for the Downtown Doubler 15K, and we may not be in town for the YMCA Turkey Trot in November. Hmm. Time to check out the race calendars.
My extrinsic motivation is in the form of my running plan tacked to my cubicle wall. It says run 2 miles on Monday [did it], one mile today [will do], and two more tomorrow. All in all, it's ten miles this week and eleven the next. But to what end? What does my end goal look like? It looks like me about 15 pounds lighter, as I am at the peak of marathon training. It looks like me answering, proudly, when people ask how much I run, "Forty miles a week." It looks like me, lean and sleek, running all over the city.
Perhaps I should find a race. Wifey has given me the green light. Her pregnancy is healthy and progressing normally, and her morning sickness is managable. She's all but encouraged me to go race [and take the kid.] But I don't want to run a 5K. I don't want to deal with the walkers and strollers and stuff. I want to find at least a 10K. It's too late for me to train for the Downtown Doubler 15K, and we may not be in town for the YMCA Turkey Trot in November. Hmm. Time to check out the race calendars.
2010-09-10
A reboot in the kiester
I've decided my running needs a serious reboot. I'm directionless, unfocused, and -- worst of all -- not running. It could be that I'm not planning on running in any races until after the baby is born. It could be that I'm the laziest man in the world. Either way, I need a plan and some discipline.
So, to that end, I've done what every hard working IT professional does when he needs to formulate a plan. I created a spreadsheet. It gets me from where I am now [barely running] to 40 miles-per-week in 21 weeks. That's a 10%-per-week increase with a recovery week every fourth week. In other words, it's totally reasonable and do-able.
The major risk to the success of the plan is that it maxes out around the time the baby is due to arrive. Will I be able to run while sleep-deprived? Will my recovering wife let me out of the house for 16-mile long runs on Sunday mornings? Am I deluding myself that I'll stick to a plan that doesn't end with me getting a medal or a t-shirt?
Also, my intention is to run as many miles as possible either barefoot or in my Vibram FiveFingers. If my ankles protest, I can always run in my Nike Frees. But I have to run. The plan starts Monday. Let's see what happens.
So, to that end, I've done what every hard working IT professional does when he needs to formulate a plan. I created a spreadsheet. It gets me from where I am now [barely running] to 40 miles-per-week in 21 weeks. That's a 10%-per-week increase with a recovery week every fourth week. In other words, it's totally reasonable and do-able.
The major risk to the success of the plan is that it maxes out around the time the baby is due to arrive. Will I be able to run while sleep-deprived? Will my recovering wife let me out of the house for 16-mile long runs on Sunday mornings? Am I deluding myself that I'll stick to a plan that doesn't end with me getting a medal or a t-shirt?
Also, my intention is to run as many miles as possible either barefoot or in my Vibram FiveFingers. If my ankles protest, I can always run in my Nike Frees. But I have to run. The plan starts Monday. Let's see what happens.
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