Flow, Polarity & Strength

The past week has looked a little bit like chaos in my life. Mostly good things…and what wasn’t good, I’m learning from. If you just read my last post…allow me to humbly admit: Week 3 kicked my ass despite my boisterous claim.

The lack of sleep caught up with me. First my son caught a cold, then I caught his cold while trying to get him healthy. On top of everything else, it was my eight year wedding anniversary week.

While away on our anniversary my wife and I were each gifted an Oracle Reading at a local Spiritual shop. My cards read as follows:

• Flow

• Polarity

• Strength

These cards rang true for my personal life as well as for my running journey. I’ll discuss how below:

Flow

More important than any training plan you are on, always listen to your own body. Prior to the break, I was having Achilles heel issues. Even a steep set of stairs could set it off.

ADVICE: If you have to fail, fail early. It’s a lot easier to recoup from with more time to adjust.

This applies to just about everything in life. Just go with the flow.

Polarity

As I packed for our anniversary trip, I packed workout gear as I usually do. On top of that, I packed a couple cigars and we picked up some drank on the way. I look at my life as balanced. I’m no health fanatic. I eat somewhat healthy, but I love a quality hot dog. I love to run, but I love a cigar bar as well. I drink a lot of water, but can’t wait to close out the evening with an Old Fashion.

Life is about happiness just as much as it is about pursuing your goals. If you’re not enjoying each day then something is off. It took me a long time to find my balance and in moments like marathon training, the balance may be slightly off kilter, but everything, in time, will always balance out.

Strength

For those who don’t know, through high school & college I was a Long & Triple Jumper. Triple Jump, in particular, is one of the most injury prone events in the sport. Constant pounding on the knees and always running at top speed takes its toll after over eight years of it. I’ve been sidelined by, sometimes fought through and recovered from more than my fair share of injuries. Far from my favorite part of the sport, but injuries give you a certain patience & perspective that you may have been too caught up in the moment to see.

Needless to say, I took some days off. Six to be more precise. I was worried at first that my fitness level would take me off of my training timetable, but the past couple runs have quenched most of my worries.

I’ll admit though, that my paces recently have been way faster than I wanted at this stage in the game. When I don’t run for awhile and finally get out, I’m like a dog that just broke out the fence. I’m running stronger at “decent” paces (relative to my personal goal). I attribute part of that to some of the bodyweight exercises I’ve added in and the rest on prayer & DNA, but as my own coach, It’s my job to hold myself accountable. The faster the pace, the higher the risk of injury. There’s three months until my BQ attempt and I know that I can hit the pace, the goal is to hold it for 26.2 miles so strength and endurance is where my focus needs to be at this stage.

What’s Next

As the weeks continue to count down, the number of miles will increase. Speed work will be introduced. I’m excited to end this week with my first “long run” of this training cycle.

I’m the turtle in this race. I’m 41 years old with 41 year old knees, ankles, back…etc. I’m training to be my best when it matters. Who knows…maybe I’ll cut down on Rocky Patel Cigars and Old Fashions. The sacrifice would be worth it to ring that BQ Bell with one hand and lighting a cigar with the other.

The BALANCED Journey Continues…