10/13 Day 3

Goal: 5
Actual: 5
total for week: 14

Notes:
I'm in the "I've got a new girlfriend" part of getting back into running. I know this because I've been in this type of relationship many times before - the buying of expensive gifts, the giddy feeling of seeing the trail, the expectation of a great time out, and the way the light shimmers on the lake...etc. I went out yesterday morning and bought a case of clif bars, a case of those little packets of powdered vitamins and trace minerals that you add to water to be healthy, and a big bottle of strawberry and kiwi car-Boom gel. It was quite a morning. I also consciously drank water at work - 2 liters of water.

All for a 5-mile run in the afternoon.

I left work and headed down to the lake at 5 or so, and of course forgot to bring socks, so had to snake a pair from the cage inside the annex (I did pay Leslie for them when she showed up for the core workout - thanks to Richard and Floyd keeping my check). Anyway, I had some goo, a clif bar and was really ready to go. I even wore my watch.

God my legs were tight. I felt like I was running on two wooden poles for the first 1/2 mile. As I labored up the trail to cross the congress bridge, I started having some "you suck" thoughts, and they came on pretty strong there for a while.

When I started running as an adult, 10 years ago, it was simple. I put on sneakers, and ran as fast as I could for about 3 miles. I did this every other day and recorded the time. Then I ran a 5k and came in 3rd for my age group. Wow! I'm good at this I thought. As I progressed , I read all the books, got obsessive about training and racing and did quite well, but I lost that sense of freedom. Suddenly, I was worried if I ran a workout too fast, or if I didn't pace myself well during a long run. Running became a series of rules.

Yesterday, when I was having those negative thoughts, it dawned on me that I didn't really have anything to lose by pushing a little. So I decided to have an impromtu race with everyone else on the trail as a F/U to the rules of recovery (go slow for 4 weeks, progress in babystep increments and don't push). Hell with that. To run fast, the body has to train fast, and I needed some body memory of pain and suffering. So I picked it up once off the bridge and on the north side of the trail. My first recorded mile was 7:24 and I felt like I was running 5:30's, Second was 7:20, third-7:18 and last was 7:08. As I ran, I began to adjust to the discomfort and although I was sucking wind, I didn't stop or slow down. And I beat every punk wannabe in basketball shorts who was in sight. Yes!

I also did 4 strides and stretched for a few minutes. I am working on the peripheral aspects of running, nutrition, strides, stretching, hydration. These were all such a part of my routine in the past, but I lost track of them.

Yesterday was a good day. I learned that I don't have to always follow the rules, and that I should run how I feel. I am more fit than expected, and will decide how hard and what type of workout to run when I strap on the shoes. It is good to have a beginners mind again - Keep it simple, challenge the conventions, enjoy your friends and the successes of each run.

Richard Mendez was leading the core workout last night. Richard was the guy I read about on the runtex website when I lived in Tucson and knew I was moving to town. I researched all the top runners and was gunning for them all (Yes this was obsessive behavior) when I came to Austin. I remember meeting him and hoping he'd be a dick so I could really get psyched to race him. I was really disappointed.
He is a really positive, warm human being who is really committed to helping others run well. I admire him immensely for that and am happy to consider him a friend and one of the people who pushed me when I first joined the Gazelles in 2003. There is a picure of us at the start of an old decker challenge. I'm the buff one.