Enjoy the journey.

Monday, May 17, 2010

I woke up expecting to be sore from yesterday’s long run and Saturday’s yard work. I had been moving slowly all night and what I’d been feeling usually gets worse before it gets better. I wasn’t disappointed. The only concern I had was an impact pain in the bottom of my left foot. It felt like a bruised bone and could have easily been the result of the long run. I was starting to think that it might not be a bad night to get back to the bike. I should know not to have such thoughts…rain began to fall.

And so I headed for the park to run. That’s what the schedule called for and that’s what I was going to do. I took the side roads from work in hopes that the rain would dissipate before realizing that I like to run in the rain. I’d kind of forgotten that.

My daughter is in Portland, Oregon for her Spring break. She called me earlier in the day to tell me how she had just walked 45 minutes from the Japanese Gardens to the Zoo on a trail identified by an attendant at the Gardens. She was telling me how pretty and serene it was and how much she thought I would like it, but was mumbling about how it had been all uphill. I reminded her of something I have to tell myself at times when running or on a particularly difficult climb in the Adirondacks.

“Enjoy the journey, Heidi. There must be something good about every step you’re taking,” I said.

“Up yours, papa,” she replied.

Actually, she said she was enjoying it and did remember my saying that and it helped. Some. It’s something I’m telling myself on my runs lately and it’s working. I have to admit that when running years ago, it was all about getting it done. I was doing it for reasons other than to just do it. I wanted to race faster, look better, keep the weight down…those kinds of things. I began each run thinking about how good it would feel to have it behind me for another day. Something has changed and maybe that’s why I’m doing so well with it recently. It could be the influence of the book ‘Born to Run’ too. I don’t know, but I’m flowing with it.

So…I started running in the rain with the intent of seeing how the foot felt, but going for about 40 minutes. There was absolutely no pain in the foot by the 10-minute mark and I concluded that all was well. As the run progressed, it occurred to me that I was feeling amazingly well for the day after a run of 92 minutes. I began thinking about a 50-minute run and climbed out of the valley to add to the time. As I neared 50 minutes and was still feeling like I’d just started, I decided to make it an hour…which I did easily.

So what the heck is going on? I swear I’m not taking roids. I’ve never done back to back runs of over an hour. Three months ago, I could hardly run. Yes…my attitude is different and yes, I think to some degree I’ve revised my form to comply more with what the barefoot runner would do. I’m floating over instead of pounding into the trails…if that makes any sense. Still, I know I have to be smart about this. I could just push until I find the straw…so to speak and I don’t want to do that and have to start all over again. Whenever developing running programs for anyone else, I always follow the time-tested law to never add more than 10% per week.

I’ve blown that law all to hell for myself – ‘do as I say...not as I do’ I suppose.

Run duration: 60 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 140.

Calories burned during workout: 1020.