Well, a friend (KP) asked my training schedule. I know a lot of you use Couch to 5k. Not saying it's a bad way to go but it's part of what frustrated me so in the beginning. I had to stop, start, stop, start...90 seconds this, 60 seconds that...I know I looked like an idiot. And remember, I run like a dork, so it helps not to look even more like a dork on the tready since I moved myself indoors per another friend's (TM) suggestion. Never looked back but hope to get outdoors when I have the strength in my legs to handle the impact of the pavement.
Anywho...my friend (KH) told me how she recently trained for a half marathon she ran. She ran 3 times a week, last day increasing her distance.
I'm not into speed as I've said before, it's the distance and what I can challenge myself to run to. So recently I mapped out my 10k and whaddayaknow..it worked out perfect for this process.
What I did was set a starting point. Week before Christmas I was at 1.2 and I ran 1.2 2 of my days and then the last day I ran 1.5, increasing it by .3. So this week, I'm doing 1.5 my first 2 days and then my last day of running, I'll be adding another .3 putting me at 1.8. So for now that's what my leg can handle. You can add whatever you want but that's where I am and I have to stick with it. I try to run more because it's in me to do it...but my leg thinks otherwise.
Which brings me to my inner tortoise and my inner hare. As much as I dislike competitiveness, I've discovered it's because I'm too competitive not that I can't hack it or am a 'poor sport'. Oh no, I LOVE IT.
I first discovered this in riding. You'll find I'm going to talk a lot about riding because well, riding is why I run. I'll get into that at some point. But anyway, first time I competed riding with my horse Abi, was HORRIBLE! I placed each time in the series of the dinky walk/trot event we'd entered, but it took the peace out of it. I wanted #1 or nothing. It zapped the purity of the time together right out of the actions playing out. For me riding wasn't about the ribbons or the challenge. And suddenly here I was in an arena with other horses, just wishing I was at home, riding under the stars and the lights. Me and him, alone with Him. Make sense?
I struggle with this at the gym. People hop on a treadmill and hop off right next to you and I find myself wanting to fall into their gaits or hey, that guy is running faster I can do that too. Or hey, watch this. Famous last words!
I'll admit, it's stupid. I have to tell myself over and over, it's not about speed for you, it's about distance. Which it is and I cannot do the distance without the slow, consistent gait, pacing myself for the mile ahead. So they come and they go, they run a bit, they sometimes stay with me. It's a bit distracting. More evidence I'm not a team player.
Funny, but after riding for some time, I discovered endurance riding and fell in love too. (For those that don't know, I rode in High School and just prior.) I read all about it on a trip to Colorado one summer. Still have the book. I trained my Arab for the 26 mile, 8 hour ride of the Annual Chisholm Trail Round Up in Fort Worth. I was so pumped. But I overtrained him and he received an injury, just as I did myself recently. My inner hare got the best of me. Fortunately, I did complete the ride on an alternate horse but that lesson comes back to me with new meaning. I have to learn, slow and steady does it when endurance is the goal and not speed. I don't think I was built for speed any way....short legs. :)
Well, I could go on about what I learn from those around me at the gym and what have you...but for now, I'm going to leave it at that. For me, it's focus, incremental change and the concentration not to go for the gusto that has made the difference so far in my short love affair with running.
Happy Running!
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