I won't forget these vertical blinds. I've stared at them for hours over the control console of a treadmill in my corporate gym over the course of ten months. When I first started running on the treadmill, I would focus on patterns in the blinds, trying to keep my mind off the distance, the pace. I would see faces, as easily as people see Jesus in burnt toast...only for me: giraffes and trolls. Just to the right of these dirty, cracked blinds are floor to ceiling mirrors. Didn't spend too much time looking at myself. But over time, a reluctant sideways glance would reveal that minor miracles were happening to my body, all the result of dedication and movement. All those miles over all this time, and I really wasn't thinking about how fast or how far I went. I was focused on these blinds.
Showing posts with label half marathon training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label half marathon training. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Blindsided
I won't forget these vertical blinds. I've stared at them for hours over the control console of a treadmill in my corporate gym over the course of ten months. When I first started running on the treadmill, I would focus on patterns in the blinds, trying to keep my mind off the distance, the pace. I would see faces, as easily as people see Jesus in burnt toast...only for me: giraffes and trolls. Just to the right of these dirty, cracked blinds are floor to ceiling mirrors. Didn't spend too much time looking at myself. But over time, a reluctant sideways glance would reveal that minor miracles were happening to my body, all the result of dedication and movement. All those miles over all this time, and I really wasn't thinking about how fast or how far I went. I was focused on these blinds.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Feeling My Pace
Well, tonight was the part of my training program I dread: the tempo run. Usually I like to run this type of workout on a treadmill, where I can control and verify my speed instantaneously. But the treadmill I used to start my running journey is busted and I have no fancy GPS based monitoring system (yet!) to tell me how fast I'm going; tonight the pace was up to whatever my body could do.
So I just ran. Ran harder than usual with the goal of a warm-up mile, 5 miles at a 8:35 pace, and finally, a cool-down mile. I figured in order to shave about a half minute off my usual mile pace, I should pay attention to each stride, focus on a bit more spring in my step. It was still hot and dry this evening, so I made frequent fountain stops to stay hydrated. My watch does have a stopwatch feature, and at the end of the run I determined I had run the 5 miles at a 8:36 pace.
For years my body had been trying to tell me things, but I wasn't listening. Now I'm starting to talk back and, at least tonight, we started communicating a bit better. The dialogue continues...
So I just ran. Ran harder than usual with the goal of a warm-up mile, 5 miles at a 8:35 pace, and finally, a cool-down mile. I figured in order to shave about a half minute off my usual mile pace, I should pay attention to each stride, focus on a bit more spring in my step. It was still hot and dry this evening, so I made frequent fountain stops to stay hydrated. My watch does have a stopwatch feature, and at the end of the run I determined I had run the 5 miles at a 8:36 pace.
For years my body had been trying to tell me things, but I wasn't listening. Now I'm starting to talk back and, at least tonight, we started communicating a bit better. The dialogue continues...
Saturday, October 18, 2008
End of Week 8
Early morning easy 5 mile run before sunrise in the neighborhood. I like the way things smell in the morning and the way my body seems to naturally wake up with the gradually intensifying sun. I wish I would start all mornings this way: as a sunrise witness.
I'm at the end of 8 weeks of training and have 4 more to go before running my first ever half-marathon. This concludes a "rest" week (a total of four 5-mile easy runs) before my mileage starts ramping up. For my easy runs I'm now running under 9 minute miles, it was only two months ago when I was running 10 minute miles for my easy runs.
Next week my mid-week tempo run includes 5 miles at a 8:30 pace. Right now I'm anxious about the challenge posed by the tempo run. But even though the tempo and speed runs pose the biggest challenge for me, my body has yet to fail me during these trying runs. I always push through and feel a great sense of accomplishment upon completing those stretch workouts.
For my half marathon training, I'm using a plan generated by the smart coach feature on the runner's world website (http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/smartcoach/) and looking forward to running in Pasadena's inaugural half-marathon next month.
I'm at the end of 8 weeks of training and have 4 more to go before running my first ever half-marathon. This concludes a "rest" week (a total of four 5-mile easy runs) before my mileage starts ramping up. For my easy runs I'm now running under 9 minute miles, it was only two months ago when I was running 10 minute miles for my easy runs.
Next week my mid-week tempo run includes 5 miles at a 8:30 pace. Right now I'm anxious about the challenge posed by the tempo run. But even though the tempo and speed runs pose the biggest challenge for me, my body has yet to fail me during these trying runs. I always push through and feel a great sense of accomplishment upon completing those stretch workouts.
For my half marathon training, I'm using a plan generated by the smart coach feature on the runner's world website (http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/smartcoach/) and looking forward to running in Pasadena's inaugural half-marathon next month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)