This season, up to this point, I haven't experienced the perfect run.
Reading over my running journal from last year, I noted a few mornings where I used such terms as "amazing" and "unbelievable" to describe a particular run. Those runs were characterized by perfect weather, very little wind, brilliant sunshine, and a feeling that I could run forever, no matter how long, no matter how far.
And while I haven't experienced "perfection" yet this year, I would hate to miss it, and knowing it's still out there keeps me getting out of bed at 5:30 each morning.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Training your mind...
This has been a tough training season and with the Tely 10 Road Race just 32 days away, the hardest part of my training has become a constant battle with cerebral core.
First off, until recently, the weather has been lousy, normal for this time of year, but lousy nonetheless. But even more bothersome than the local forecasts, is the understanding that I just might be injury-prone, and according to the research I've done during my latest injury-break from training, my mechanics have quite a lot to do with it.
Turns out, I'm a supinator, or under-pronator (doesn't sound too good does it?). In layman's terms, I run on the outside of the feet causing stress on my shins and achilles tendons - so much so, that one of my achilles has knocked me out of training for the second straight year. I read that heel inserts are a fix, and I have to say that since I started using them last last week, I have gotten back on the road with no pain at all; now the training shifts to strengthening my mind.
With the time I have missed from training, and the timing of my injury, I feel that I won't be ready for the July 23rd event - the danger being that to compensate, I overtrain, and that can be dangerous, really dangerous. The battle each morning is to discipline myself to limiting my runs, and then reassure myself that I am not that far behind in my training, even though the shorter runs are taking their toll - up until this evening, I wasn't buying it.
The solution? I quick read of last year's training log tells me that with a few good runs this week, I'll be right where I was last year, and that's not so bad - afterall, I finished the race.
And as bad as the weather has been, according to my journal, it was worse last year. Maybe this will be a better year afterall.
First off, until recently, the weather has been lousy, normal for this time of year, but lousy nonetheless. But even more bothersome than the local forecasts, is the understanding that I just might be injury-prone, and according to the research I've done during my latest injury-break from training, my mechanics have quite a lot to do with it.
Turns out, I'm a supinator, or under-pronator (doesn't sound too good does it?). In layman's terms, I run on the outside of the feet causing stress on my shins and achilles tendons - so much so, that one of my achilles has knocked me out of training for the second straight year. I read that heel inserts are a fix, and I have to say that since I started using them last last week, I have gotten back on the road with no pain at all; now the training shifts to strengthening my mind.
With the time I have missed from training, and the timing of my injury, I feel that I won't be ready for the July 23rd event - the danger being that to compensate, I overtrain, and that can be dangerous, really dangerous. The battle each morning is to discipline myself to limiting my runs, and then reassure myself that I am not that far behind in my training, even though the shorter runs are taking their toll - up until this evening, I wasn't buying it.
The solution? I quick read of last year's training log tells me that with a few good runs this week, I'll be right where I was last year, and that's not so bad - afterall, I finished the race.
And as bad as the weather has been, according to my journal, it was worse last year. Maybe this will be a better year afterall.
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