So the last time I wrote, a furry groundhog predicted an early spring...then a huge snow storm dumped close to 3 feet of snow around New England. Not the greatest weather outcome for a runner who does not like running in cold weather or on questionably snowy ground.
But, as the title says, "No one likes a complainer...". So instead of writing about how I took a week off from training after the storm hit and how cold it was to run outside and how I've only run twice in the past 7 days, let's look to the future:
I signed up for my first races of the season last weekend: Max's O'Hartford 5K on St. Paddy's Day and the Sandy Hook Run for the Families 5K the following weekend. With only a month away from the races, I hope this lights a fire under my butt to keep up with a 3-4 time a week running schedule.
So far, it hasn't...but I partly blame my insane grad school schedule. I have a hard time justifying time for a workout when I have deadlines looming, even though I know a nice workout can help clear your head. I did 3 miles on the treadmill yesterday (Monday) and I am hoping to do another 3 tomorrow...then get some outdoor time this weekend.
Despite the lack of "physical" running, I have been reading about running, and I am a chapter away from finishing a great book. If you need an inspiring and all-around great book to read, check out Born to Run. It's based around a secluded tribe of Mexican Indians who are probably the best ultra-marathon athletes on this planet. In addition, the author also includes some nifty tidbits about human evolution and our innate inclination for endurance running.
From this book, I have taken a new view on my running. For too long, I have concentrated too much on how fast I was completing my runs, and then becoming discouraged when I couldn't increase my mileage as quickly as I wanted to. This book reminded me that pace is something that increases with time and training, and that it's ok to run slower. The human body responds better to a slower pace: heart rate will be more tolerable, breathing is more effective, metabolically we will tap into the fat reserves and allow for more energy to be freed and used by our working muscles. One quote from the book, that will be my new running mantra, is "If it feels like work, then you are working too hard". In some instances (speed workouts, sprints, running for the Olympics) this quote is no use, but for someone trying to increase their endurance and push themselves to complete two 13.1-mile races this year for the first time, it's a fantastic quote to train by.
Running should be fun...remember that...and I will too.
