I Run

After a week of what I considered some excellent runs, I finally had to bag a run. The weekend weather forecast called for snow on Saturday and windy, frigid conditions on Sunday. So I had a decision to make: run 17 miles in a snowstorm, or do the long run in a sub-zero wind chill. I chose the snowstorm. The first half mile was the slowest I'd ever run, and from there it just got slower. I managed to make it over Sweet Pond hill and to the Grange, where I was able to get some water. But the snow underfoot was dry and powdery, which made it feel as if I was running on the beach. My legs were getting sore, and my right achilles tendon started to complain. So as I crested Sweet Pond hill on the way back I decided to stop when I got home. I would not try to run another 6 miles. It wasn't worth it. I don't think missing the 17 miler will have a negative effect on my training. Whenever I'm out on a run I feel that I can do most any distance, so I'm sure I have the endurance. Listening to my body and avoiding injury is most important.

Pfitzinger's term for tempo runs is "lactate threshold" (or LT) runs. My plan has me run them every other week in the middle of a medium-long run. Today I needed to do 4 miles at half marathon pace in the midst of an overall 9-mile run. I held the pace more steadily than I thought I would, though I'm not sure I ran quite fast enough. I know I ran somewhere between 7:15 and 7:30. My best half marathon pace (New Bedford) is 7:19. I need to measure the course with my car since I'm pretty sure Google maps are not entirely accurate. After the run I felt great, even after putting on the after-burners for the last stretch over Church St. hill. I guess this plan is doing me some good.

The wind was pretty fierce this weekend. I bundled up with 3 or 4 layers on top and a couple on the bottom, plus a scarf, hat, and mittens. The first few miles of my long run on Sunday were pretty chilly, but I warmed up OK. I didn't worry too much about pace since I was probably carrying a couple of extra pounds in clothing, not to mention the stiff headwind. I was pretty beat though by the end of the 15 miles. I did manage to keep a pretty steady pace for the last couple of miles, going uphill. I've been downing an Ensure after my long runs and it seems to help my legs recover a bit faster. I do need to rest more, though, rather than spend the rest of the day on my feet baking bread. But I've discovered the joys and tribulations of sourdough (my other passion), so my recent Sundays have me running in the morning and baking in the afternoon.

Pfitzinger's plan increases mileage a bit each week (as most plans do), but it seems to be easier on my body than the last two plans I used. Yesterday's 10-miler did feel a bit harder than the previous week's, but today my legs feel pretty good. So I seem to be recovering more quickly. Whether that's the plan's effect or just my body's eventual adaptation to running over time, I don't know. But I'll take it. So really, the only issue I have with Pfitzinger's plan is the time I have available to get in the runs. And that could change soon since I may have the opportunity to work just a bit closer to home. That would mean a slightly shorter commute, but it could also mean less convenient running at work (it's in Keene, no showers or changing facilities). I guess I'll have to think about it some more.

I figure if a snow storm can't stop me from getting in my run, then I really have no other excuse to blow it off. So I bundled up and headed out for a 14-miler. Sure, the wind was a bit fierce at the top of the hill and I had to breath into my fleece for a while to keep my chin from getting frostbitten, but it wasn't too bad. The footing was a bit sketchy (my feet slipped just a bit with each step), so my legs really felt the extra effort at the end. But I really love running in the snow. Tomorrow is a rest day, which should be enough time to recover.

No training plan can tell you how to achieve balance between running and other aspects of your life. Sometimes I feel that I tip too far into running, which affects my productivity at work and my relationships at home. Other times I feel that I'm not taking training seriously enough as I devote more attention to family and work. I suppose if I didn't run at all, family and work would be quite well. But I can't conceive of not running. It's become a part of who I am, and without it I would not be happy. So with the little time I have available each day, I'll continue to make choices, to juggle my schedule as needed to get in the runs, but be attentive as well to my job and family. Sure, it means that maybe I won't excel at work or I'll miss a couple of basketball games, but at this point in my life I'm looking at a more holistic and balanced approach that isn't focussed on just career or running or family. Ideally, there would be no delineation between my life interests and balance would be easier. But my work is really set apart from running and family (both geographically and conceptually), so it tends to get exaggerated attention when needed, and suffers at other times. Running and family are more closely aligned, especially when my devotion to fitness impacts Elly and the kids to pay attention to their fitness. Races, too, have become family events. So should I look for a career that is more closely aligned with my other interests? Not necessarily. But I need to figure out how best to make it mesh with the more important aspects of my life.

I've worn shorts more times this winter on my runs than in any other winter. And I don't think I've ever worn shorts in January or February until this year. My longish run today (should have been 13, but came in at around 12.5) was a bit challenging with three significant hills. The roads were muddy and soft, which my joints liked. My legs were a bit chilly at first, but by the second mile I was glad I put on the shorts. I think I ran about a 9:00 pace on average, though I picked it up for the final 3 miles, which felt sub-8. I can never tell for sure, though, because I haven't been marking the miles. I just go by feel, which isn't very scientific. But my legs don't feel bad at all.

Since my schedule today would not allow me to fit in a 10 mile run during the day, I got up at 4:30 am and was out the door by 5:00 for a jaunt down Sweet Pond Rd. and back. It was dark of course, so I wore my Petzl Tikka headlamp and a reflective vest (though only one car passed me during the whole run). My body isn't used to running that early (and without coffee), but I guess I did OK, about 1:28, with the second half faster than the first. I finally looked at a calendar and realized that I didn't miss a training week. I just missed a week of base building (who needs that anyway?).