6 juli and counting

I got a short run in this evening. I'm feeling challenged by the last couple weeks of training & being very busy at work. I need 24 hrs to recover from intense interval work (which I've been doing in the evening), then I feel tired in the morning, so sleep instead of train, busy at work, so don't train at lunch, then get home at 7:30 pm with a dilemma - eat vs train.

So I got home a little earlier tonight and enjoyed a run, feeling good and feeling that what I could do this evening was good enough.  Odie gave me a great teaching opportunity when he lunged at a police horse.  Down! Then we practiced walking calmly back and forth around the horse, and then he spied the other horse and lunged at that one too. Repeated the "calm submissive" exercise. And then we continued our run. I did "informal" speed work - running up the stairs to a big tower and running up and down the ramp to the beach. All of 100m ascent.

I've been focusing on "mental" training - look at my thoughts, re-framing fears, visualizing a successful, enjoyable day.  I found some fun training videos on You-tube - like how to avoid panic in an open water swim start.  (A good idea, in my book).

I have a race on Saturday where I am on a team, doing the swim leg for 1500m.  I hope I make them proud - they've got the harder legs, in my opinion.  I'm volunteering afterwards at T2 to help the cyclists back into the transition zone. I'm excited about this.

And of course my mind is drifting out to events in Aug (a sea swim & run race) and October (Amsterdam marathon? more likely the half-marathon? ).  Thankfully the Berlin marathon is already sold out, so it's not an option.  And there's a fun off-road triathlon in the fall. Another half-ironman is on my schedule, but it really conflicts with some work deadlines (as in I have a major project due the Monday after the Sunday race, so that's likely a no-go.  I'll keep dreaming.

Another NYT article on running

I like this one on the human physiology of long distance running - by design.

Labor Day Long Run

1. Distance assigned: 22 Distance ran: 24.1k

today was my first "run away from home" - After dropping my son off at sailing lessons, I ran in the "green heart" of Holland - on a bike path starting from Braassemermeer (the lake) along a canal leading up to Amsterdam. I ran with shoes & socks. No knee or foot pain. It was easier to run on the pavement than on the beach. Even so, this week's pace was a minute per mile slower on average than the last long run I did on the beach. I truly hated my socks during the last four kilometres (my toes were deep in conversation with the seams on the socks). And I forgot my running shorts at home. So I ran in my warm up pants. Not bad, considering it was windy and overcast. But these pants are certainly not my favourite. Summer has packed up and left with all the tourists.

I went over the assigned distance. I lacked an easy turn-around landmark, so I planned as best I could and then plotted the actual distance after I got home. Here's the route - http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/netherlands/kaag-en-braassem/444125225434159582

It was quite pretty to be in the countryside. I will have a new Garmin GPS in a couple weeks, so the days of a "wild guess" hopefully will be over. I really like long distance running (although this should really be called wogging).
2. Pace assigned: "slow" Pace actually run: 16min/mile - 4:00 hrs total
3. Walk break ratio assigned: 1:1 Walk break ratio used: as assigned -
4. Speed-work done: n/a
5. Any aches/pains? nope. Feet and knees were fine during the run.

6. Questions? nope. About shoes - I ran 20 minutes Friday on the treadmill. Not surprisingly the shoes were too big (being a half size bigger than I usually wear - arches were in the wrong place relative to the heels) - I returned them to the shoe store and got my money back instead of store credit, which annoyed the salesman. Enough said. Ran in the Brooks today. They were fine - paid attention to my form and had no pain or fatigue in my right foot. Planned my nutrition in advance (a sports drink with a 3:1 carb to protein ratio) and carried 1.8 L with me - ran out after three hours. I should have planned for a 4-hour run. But I was almost done anyway and the weather was cool.
7. Weekend workout planned for next weekend: 800m*14

instructions for long runs

The simple concept with the long runs is to go slower. If you start slowly, use a 1-1 throughout, and don't pick up the pace coming back, you will recover faster and get all of the endurance of the long run. You cannot go too slow on the long one.
Don't pick up the pace on the return. This is OK in a race. But injuries in long distance running tend to come from just this type of behavior. It will not help your fitness to run faster in the second half of a long run--you will improve much more by doing the speed repetitions.

picking up the pace and going longer.

I used pacing "house" music to help me run faster on the way back. I found it helpful, if a little mind-numbing.


1. Distance assigned: 19k Distance ran: 19.8k I had a wonderful time

2. Pace assigned: n/a Pace actually run: total time - 3:10 (includes five minutes walking at start and end from beach back to my house).

3. Walk break ratio assigned: 1:1 Walk break ratio used: as assigned - I was late starting five walk breaks. not too shabby considering there were 90 of them.

4. Speed-work done: this was "out and back." I ran a faster pace on the way back and enjoyed it a lot. Here's the route: http://www.mapmyride.com/run/netherlands/the-hague/666124982295835816


5. Any aches/pains? nope.

6. Questions? Is there a particular pace I should target for these long runs? How about during my mid-weeks runs? I would like to run faster, generally speaking.

7. Weekend workout planned for next weekend: 10*800.

26 July 18k

Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2009 1:28 PM
Subject: ecouch report Christine D 26 July 09
1. Distance assigned: 17.5k Distance ran: 18.3k I had a wonderful time

2. Pace assigned: n/a Pace actually run: total time - 2:45.

3. Walk break ratio assigned: 1:1 Walk break ratio used: as assigned -

4. Speed-work done: I picked up the pace a little on the way back. but mostly slow & steady.

5. Any aches/pains? The ball of my right foot started hurting about half way through. I took my shoes off and walked in cold water for a few minutes and ran barefoot. The pain stopped. I ran most of the second half of the run barefoot on the beach - my feet felt better.

6. Questions? No.

7. Weekend workout planned for next weekend: 9*800.

Have a great week.
Chris

12th July: 17k Wow! Slow & steady.

1. Distance assigned: 16k Distance ran: 17k Ave temp 71 degrees.

2. Pace assigned: none. Pace actually run: total time: 2:45

3. Walk break ratio assigned: 1:1 Walk break ratio used: 1:1. Several times I forgot to stop running until 2 min - meaning a 2:1 ratio - probably less than 10 times.

4. Speed-work done: none today

5. Any aches/pains? No. Knees felt fine throughout and afterwards too. Overall felt really good. My quads felt a little fatigued the last 30 minutes or so.

6. Questions? No. Ran the beach in the rain. Learned that rain doesn't necessarily mean cold. Hard rain for the last hour was cold, though. Glad I had layered - it was fine.

7. Weekend workout planned for next weekend: 8x800m repeats

I have a feeling that the extra work, required during
beach running, was a partial cause of your quad fatigue. Normally the quads
shouldn't be used much. Try to use a "shuffle" during the last half
of your long runs, whether you run on the beach or not: keep your
feet low to the ground, short stride. When you get the shuffle right, you
don't have to use the quads at all.

You are doing great!

bravery and warriorship

Type: Long Run
Date: 06/07/2009
Start: 10:15:00
Time: 02:15:00
Dist: 15.02 km
Pace: 08:59 (avg)
Speed: 6.68 (km/hr) (avg)
HR: 139 (bpm) (avg) 160 (bpm) (max)
Cal: 1209


I feel a little fragile today. Feelings just under the surface, primordial soup stirring. Perhaps it's all the renovations underway.I'm aware of wanting to be/appear better than I feel on the inside or think of myself. It's okay. I am.

Quote:When we feel that our lives are good and genuine, we do not have to deceive ourselves or other people. We can see our shortcomings without feeling guilty or inadequate, and at the same time, we can see our potential for extending goodness to others. We can tell the truth straightforwardly and be absolutely open, but steadfast at the same time. I love the ritual of dressing for a run or a bike ride. I love my workout clothes - they are special to me and I associate them with pleasure and fun and happiness. I love my lifting gloves and my heart rate monitor. All my little bits of gear.I approached my run today with some nervousness. I planned 14k. I dressed for the weather, in layers. I planned music for company. I packed water and go-gel. My marathon dog Odie watched me patiently and not-so-patiently as I stalled a bit on getting out of the house. My intention for running was to notice the beauty around me and really appreciate it - to soak into myself its goodness. I noticed colours. The clouds were as grey and puffy as sheep. Sun came in and out, changing the colours of the sand and the dunes. The grasses in early June are a light green. The early wild flowers bloom now - the dunes smelled of strawberries - only it was a note higher - sweeter, a little more lyrical and less edible. The wild roses were palest pink in the center fading to white outwards. Red poppies. white lace weeds. blue buds of flowers that ripen later, in July.The waves left marks on the sand. Crescent lines, intersecting. Tide pools drained. As I made my way along the shore, I could see the waves that weren't there anymore. There was no arguing with the rivulets leaving the tide pools. Either I jumped, changed course, or accepted a wet foot. Sometimes I had to really stretch to keep dry feet. Life is the same as these waters.As the sun came in and out, I saw colours more clearly and then more darkly. Did the sand change? Or just how I saw it.The waves remained in motion. Utterly being themselves. Flattened by the wind, they persisted and rolled and crashed quietly. The horizon remained with me, always receding with my approach. I thought of Now. I am never in tomorrow. I never reach the lip of the world and fall over the horizon. The part of the run behind me - well, it was already past. The part of the run ahead - well, I wasn't there yet. I am in the step I am taking. Looking for where to put my foot. Even so, even with the focus on the very next step, everything continued to change; the turn around point appeared - (this run was "out and back"). I had run through the part of the beach reserved for distance runners. No picnickers here - no easy access from a parking lot or tram stop or bike path. It's the empty part of the run. Empty except for the other distance runners. And Odie, who runs twice as far as I do. I watch how he runs. He is very playful. He dug up a chunk of wood, carried it like a prize. Tossed it around in the surf, retrieving it. Then forgot it entirely. He greeted and romped with other dogs. He got hot and bathed himself, both in the sea waves and tidal pools. Watching him splash around in a too-small puddle to cool off makes me laugh. He's like a bird taking a bath, wriggling and rolling. Like a seal pup. He comes up to me, checking in, tiring a little. I have the impression he's inquiring whether we're turning around yet.Finally the beach cat club appears, and I continue running until I'm at the lay-line, parallel to it. Here there are beach goers again. Sailors, kids, couples. Odie noses around to see them and comes back to me easily, as I have turned toward the long second-middle of the run.At this point in the run - about 8k, I feel like everything is falling apart for a moment. I think I haven't brought enough water, and not enough go-gel. And why didn't I bring my dextrose tablets. I feel a shift in my body - a step down of sorts - will I crash?- and I feel a little confusion. I keep up with my running and walking segments, maintaning the structure of the run while I scan and diagnose. I am okay, I tell myself. I can do this. I have run this distance before. I realise I am simply too hot. Off with the shirt. I can figure out what I need and meet that need.Continually I am bringing my thoughts back to the colour of the sand and the sky and the dunes and the patterns of the sand beneath my steps. I muse about my training program. I muse about DH. And I come back to my run. Again and again, I look at the thoughts that knock me out of heaven. I am not my thoughts. My thoughts are thinking themselves. I do some turn-arounds on them. The used cereal bowl left behind this morning - it's not fair if he. I turn it around - it's not fair if I ... I don't need him to put away his bowl for me to be happy. I don't need to be angry for me to make a request.I am thinking about my friend J's comment on my "don't look back Go the distance" post. He says, looking back is okay. I agree. I want to change the title. The title should be Don't get stuck. He says, the horizon is right over there. Keep moving. I agree. I am still afraid though. I want to develop bravery. That is the warrior path. Bravery. Opening my book on warriorship, I see that my teacher has written,Quote:it is a journey that is unfolding within us. ... Physically, psychologically, domestically, spiritually, we feel we can live our lives in the fullest way. There is a gut-level sense of health and wholesomeness taking place in our lives, as if we were holding a solid brick of gold. It is heavy and full and shines with a golden colour. There is something very real and at the same time, very rich about our human existence. Out of that feeling, a tremendous sense of health can be propogated to others. In fact, propogating health becomes a basic discipline of warriorship. By discipline we do not mean something unpleasant or artificial that is imposed from outside. Rather, this discipline is an organic process that expands naturally from our own experience. When we feel healthy and wholesome ourselves, then we cannot help projecting that healthiness to others.