Yoga my way back

Tightness. This is the runner's enemy to going fast and long. Somewhere along my path, it became crippling. A few weeks ago I started working with my trainer Ally at O2 fitness in Cary. She identified that my tightness and weakness because of the tightness were really imparing my attempts to get and stay healthy. All these years of moving in a linear motion have not helped my tightness. Having rock hard legs is a bad sign. Limping after every workout from stifness is a bad sign. Not stretching is a bad thing. About the same tame I took a Vinyasa yoga class that my health club offered. The first class was terrible. I lasted about 45 minutes, the second I lasted about 55 of an hour and 15 minute class. Now I have tried stretching from time to time and with limited success. This time the structure of the yoga class along with using my foam roller after workouts has really helped. I am starting to loosen up. Now it may look comical to others in the class but, I am able to bend over and touch my toes, sit on the floor without my knees being around my ears and feel more fluid walking. Last Saturday at Umstead, I ran ahead of the group a little. I ran a time on one section that I have not run in quite a while and it felt easy. Loose means fast. Maybe this yoga stuff will help me age more gracefully. I can't dance but, I can Yoga my way back to fitness.

Find your own pace

Group runs are fun.Running with training partners can be great. Running at someone else's pace might not be. Given all my knee troubles the past few years, it would seem logical to slow down to reduce the impact. To some extent that is true. What you have to do is find a pace that suits your own biomechanics. Last year at the Akron half I ran with my brother in law, I learned a lesson. I ran the race and was very glad that I did but, my knees were not happy with the slower pace. Instead of striding out and running in a normal pattern, the slower pace made my knees sorta jam into the pavement. VERY swollen knees were the result. While running with others I can sorta run normally up to a 9 minute pace. After that my altered mechanics made me tighten up and make my runs fall apart. I think I have a solution. I can run about 90 minutes at an altered pace. If I run farther, I have to throw in walking to reset my mechanics to something normal. I have to pay special attention to stretching and foam roller work once I get home to help work out the mechanical damage. Love your running friends, just dont let them hurt your biomechanics ; )

Rebuilding the f'ing beast

Train wreck. That is what I think when I look at my form in a shadow on the ground while running. or walking for that matter. 30 plus years of doing the same activity will make you weak in other areas. The years of injury piled up and while I have always been fit and strong, I never got to the root of being a strong healthy athlete. When running injuries came along, I just managed the injury and helped it go away. I never looked underneath to the mechanical problems that were the root cause of my injuries. I should have done all the extras. Form work, strength training of the legs, helping reduce tightness in the legs, post run stretches. I found you can run along for years and years without many problems but, the miles add up. The intensity at which I ran the miles probably tore up my knees more than anything. I ran up to my potential in searching for the perfect race. Lots of DNF's went along with that but, I am at peace with that now. Now I am dedicated to doings things like walking without a limp, swimming and biking and yes, doing all the extras. Time to rebuild the fucking beast for the next 30 years.

Hammerhead 100

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Mileage goals 2011

It is a little late to be stating my goals for 2011 but, here they are:

2600 miles biking- 50 miles per week
1040 miles running-20 miles per week
104 miles swimming- 2 miles per week
104 strength workouts- 2 per week
52 exercise classes- 1 per week

So far the running is on track, the strength workouts are above average and the swimming is on track. The biking has sucked due to the cold and rain.

See ya at the gym, on the trails or in the pool!

Whippin Post

Sometimes I feel, like I've been tied to the whippin post. This is one of my favorite workout songs. When I am deep in the hurt locker, this song plays through my mind. Great bass line and great vocals from Greg Alman. After all these years of sacrificing myself upon the altar of effort, the desire still is with me to do more. Sisyphus is my hero. The day starts anew with the stone at the bottom of the mountain. Sometimes in order to achieve the effort a Dionysian release is required. To lose oneself in the effort and hope to be whole at the other side.

Full life

My blog postings tend towards musing rather than informational. This continues the trend of sharing my thoughts on sport and life. It seems this time of year I have a 1001 ideas of things to do in the new year. This may be in part to being hyper active and in part of my desire to live a full life. I enjoy planning activities and sharing time with friends and sometimes family. Charlene gave me a perfect christmas of a ski trip weekend. I am looking forward to getting back on the skis for the first time in 15 or more years. Skiing was always my second love after running.
The trouble comes when I don't have eenough time, energy or money to do all the things that interest me. So far this year I am planning to ski, bike race, trail run, birdwatch, learn to paddle board. kayak, swim, maybe do a triathlon, rollerblade, ice skate, roller skate and spend time sunning and enjoying a couple of beach weekends.

Part of my perspective and relentless motion comes naturally and part comes from visiting an assisted care living home 2 times a week. I take client dogs there to visit their owner. The place is uplifiting to see active minds in older people but, sad to see the ones whose mind and body have failed. The core of these people's lives remain and I want mine to be filled with memories of a life well lived. I want them to be so ingrained that when I remember my life it is enough to sustain me. I talk with Charlene about building our life together and that our experiences bond us together so we can make it through tough times. The care and effort that you put into others comes from taking care of yourself so you have something to give.
If you know me, you know I want to share this life and joy. Share your life experiences with me and lets enjoy a life of friendship,love, fun and experiences shared.