"There's only one hard and fast rule in running: sometimes you have to run one hard and fast."








Sunday, January 19, 2014

Contains the only expletive in the history of this blog

After reading how friends of mine half-assed their runs and still ended up with trophies today (or yesterday), I thought I should get back to saying what I did for comparison.

I ran 4 miles today. It took me almost 40 minutes. That's not going to impress many people, but for me right now, that's like saying I grew wings and flew.

I started the day with half an hour of mobility training - foam rollers and so forth - wincing in pain as I worked on my achilles and peroneals, TFLs (look it up), upper hams, and glute medius. Then I did some active stretching for about an hour, hearing my hips "pop" on certain manoeuvres.

90 minutes of prep to run 4 miles...

As I started, waves of pain radiated through my back, hips and upper legs, but I knew they get better as I went, just as I knew the achilles would get worse the further I went. That's the trade-off these days. The real struggle, though, was breathing; I had to stay just this side of an asthma attack, feeling like I was being held underwater, trying not to gasp, allowing myself to slow to accommodate the diminishing amount of air I could take into my lungs. I kept slowing, but felt I would make it to 6 miles, especially as the next nice day (for weather) was 6 days away. I couldn't do it. I did every mile I could, though.

4 miles, slow. But I didn't fucking half-ass it.

3 comments:

sea legs girl said...

It is beyond me why anyone would show up at a race and then run it half-assed. I come for the carnage. Unless I'm pacing someone, I guess.

You inspired me to make a list of my top 10 albums for the last 10 years. I gotta give you cred for automatic for the people, but it is striking, as Ross commented, that people always go back to albums from their youth as their favorites. I honestly do like the albums of the last 10 years more than I like the albums from the 10 years before that. I hope I continue that trend until I am 100. At that point I won't be able to hear very well anymore and I will have to sing to myself and that won't be as good.

Also- shout out to Ross for XTC. That is good music!

Londell said...

In comparison, you kicked my ass... As we age, we need to embrace we can do this at all, no matter how long it takes us. I can only hope to be the 75 plus year old I see in the neighborhood with that large proud smile as he jogs along at a 15 minute mile, or slower...

Unknown said...

Great to see you battling on!