Day One of the Fun!
Today was the first day of my journey towards qualifying for Boston. What I mean is that it was the first day of officially training for the race. Before I get into race details, let’s start with honesty.
I’ve been slacking!
Even prior to Covid, I was behind in my training. I ran some weeks and not others. I cross trained rarely and strength trained close to never. Every run I did, I could feel the repercussions. Even though I was able to complete the miles, my heart rate was higher than usual, small aches & pains would surface and if I ran too fast, I’d probably be sidelined for a couple days recovering.
Creating my own work out plans, for me, has been a necessity. I’m what some might refer to as a running nerd. I research every aspect of it. A Runner’s World article is normally open on one of tabs of my computer browser. I read books about running form. I have a whole folder full of apps with GPS trackers, pace converters and route finders. While running, I often listen to podcasts about running! I’m hooked!!!
After unsuccessfully searching the world for the perfect workout plan for me, I decided it was best to create my own. Plans that factored in my life. One’s I could adjust due to unforeseen circumstances (which in my life and probably yours, are the norm). I needed a plan that was tailored for me and only me.
While I love the group run, it’s hard to find someone who runs when you do, where you do and at the pace you do. I even tried recruiting my six year old to ride his bike along side me while I run, but the smallest butterfly wing flap could take him from focused to flighty. I often spend miles alone and today wasn’t any different.
I went to bed at the same time as my first grader with clothes and gear laid out for a quick and easy transition from bed to road. I woke up three minutes before my 5:30am alarm. I was glad for this, because my wife despises alarms. By 5:45am I was outside fully dressed and ready for action.
Today, I decided to push the pace a little bit beyond comfortable cruising but slower than race pace just to blow the dust off the joints. I ran five miles at about 7:45min/mi. I’ve been running long enough to know my own body pretty well and I knew that by doing this it might awaken some nagging issues which it certainly did. My IT band has been a little sore ever since.
My life is busy. Outside of running, my wife and I have four kids, run a business and try to make time for a little romance to keep it fresh. The morning miles are just the icing on the cake. My fitness tracker tells me I walked around running errands more miles than I ran this morning. Life is multidimensional and there’s never a right time to chase your goals.
I’m taking this time to chase mine and I welcome you to follow the journey. Today was day one. Soon I’ll be laying out clothes for tomorrow and trying to get a six year old to bed on time so that I can do the same.
If you’re interested in starting a journey towards a goal of your own, I’m here to tell you that you can do it and Actively Pursuing Goals can help.
Thanks for reading Day One. My goal is to have a once per week recap.
