Showing posts with label quote. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quote. Show all posts

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Of running and furniture

A metaphor for running
Today's run (street): 4.1 miles
Yesterday's run (street): 3.2 miles

“The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” ― John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running.

I always liked that quote because it sums up the fear so many people have about going out for their first run. Or maybe it's about their first race. Either way, it's about overcoming fear related to running. I have my own, similar quote, but it's not about running. It's about assembling a Danish modern dresser with directions that contain confusing illustrations with no words.

“The miracle isn't that I managed to assemble this overcomplicated bunch of furniture parts that came with indecipherable directions. The miracle is that I had the courage not to ship it back to Denmark and ask for a refund.” ― The Emerging Runner.

Also, I haven't finished assembling it.

Besides spending time on that project, I've actually gotten out for a couple of runs. I'd hoped to complete four workouts this week but my hopes for an after work elliptical session were dashed by a late day meeting on Wednesday. Thursday night I had to attend a business dinner and didn't get home until 10:00 PM.

Friday was Mrs. Emerging Runner's birthday and I took it as a vacation day. My kids were off from school so we celebrated the day together. I got out fairly early and did my usual 3 mile neighborhood loop. Despite some misty rain at the start, 94% humidity and 10 MPH winds, I was comfortable in shorts and a single shirt layer. I ran okay but I was impatient to get through it. No miracles on that run.

This morning I got out a little earlier and faced much colder conditions. I've been trying to be better about selecting running clothes that will keep me comfortable through my run rather than only at the start. The 16 MPH wind was more than I bargained for and I regretted not having an over the ears hat. I broke away from my local streets and ran over to an adjacent neighborhood in Woodbury after covering a little more than 4 miles.

I went back to dresser assembly in the afternoon and made some progress. I've discovered that putting this unit together works better when I just focus on one challenge at a time. Just like the expression, "run the mile you're in",  my approach is to assemble this thing one confusing instruction page at a time.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Business park taper buster

Today's run (street): 5.8 miles

The Saturday before a race usually means that I have 7 or 8 days (depending on if it's a Saturday or Sunday race) to finish my training. This week is different, because my upcoming race happens on Wednesday night, five days from now. I'd normally be finished with performance training this close to race day. 

The race is only 5K but it would be a mistake to dismiss that as an easy distance. I'm concerned that, after a full day in the office, at 6:00 PM my energy will probably be low. Although it's not hot today, there's every reason to think that we'll see high temperatures by Wednesday. I can't do anything about that but worry. And I surely will worry.

Since I'm pushing my training into my taper period, I decided to go for some extra miles today. My target at the start was five miles, and I ended up almost covering six. I headed to the nearby business park to run the loop a few times and carried 4:1 mix of Roctane and water which I consumed around the 40 minute mark. It helped me get through the last 15 minutes of running.

I was pleased with my performance today and the route provided some elevation changes that will prepare me for the race's rolling course. I listened to the 3 Non-Joggers podcast to pass the time and it helped alleviate some of the boredom that comes from running around an industrial park. Tomorrow I may do some speed work to wrap up my performance training. The thought of circling the track isn't too appealing, but as Juma Ikaanga said, “The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.”
 

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