Rest

I've been going pretty hard for the last two months, incrementally increasing my mileage and intensity with just one week in May when I took about 10 miles out of my week. I've known that I needed to program in some rest but wasn't sure when to do it. After running Coosa last weekend, I was pretty sure that this past week would be ideal, coming off some really great weeks and then a big day on June 18. (Coosa loop, plus DRT over to Blood Mountain to Neels Gap and then back to finish Coosa for about 22 miles and 6K of vert)

I took Father's Day off and then decided to do some easy running on Tuesday for Run Club and then a difficult track workout on Wednesday, and then rest all week. The track work was intense for me, relative to what I've been doing since last summer:

3X800 in @ 2:55-3:00 with full recovery, followed by a 1600 with negative splits for a 6:15 total. I knew afterward that my right knee was going to feel the pain, and it sure did. Even if I hadn't planned on resting for the next several days, after that workout I had no choice.

But I have really learned to appreciate a good rest week. And, perhaps most importantly, how to TRULY rest, which has little to do with simply not running. What do I mean?

I feel that rest isn't just about not running or getting more sleep. Those things are the start, of course, but this week I took it to another level. Not only did I sleep a bit more and severely cut my mileage; I took a break from 'Being A Runner"

I ate what I wanted, when I wanted. I drank more beer. I didn't fret about missing runs. I didn't worry about losing fitness. I spent more time chilling with my kids. And here's the kicker: Since I had had so many good weeks in a row...

I knew I was getting FASTER while resting. My knee is back to respectable and I'm mentally recharged and ready for a few weeks of really great running!

Stats This Week:
12 Miles total
1 quality speed session

Next week's goal is to get +40 miles again as I build toward 50+ miles weeks into the Fall.
Happy trails!

Beginning At The Middle

My goal with this blog is to educate and entertain the reader. Hopefully, readers will be runners with a sense of humor. I don't intend to sell anything other than a few tales and lessons I've learned through a lifetime of running and racing.

At 45, I've been at this sport in varying intensities for over 30 years. That's longer than some of my running friends have been alive. And my closest running friends have, for the most part, only taken up running in the last decade.

My speed demon days are behind me. But I can still enjoy running any 5K faster than 95% of the population. What I really want to do is share the sport with those who feel 'slow' and 'old' and 'not a runner.' While I've been running so long that there has been no physical transformation for me, I've seen running transform others right before my eyes. And those physical changes always are accompanied by profound psychological changes which can't be measured.

I won't be posting like a madman, every day or even every week. I hope my posts are, like runs, frequent enough to feed the appetite but not an overindulgence. I'll be sticking mostly to lessons learned, race and adventure reports and even some technical advice such as form or training tips.

Stay tuned for a (hopefully) upbeat and entertaining review of my Coosa-Blood-Coosa trail run next weekend. It's not a race, just a group of North Georgia Trail Runners getting in some miles. I'm excited, because I've never run this trail. Looking forward to it!

Until then...Happy Trails!