Hi there everybody! Hope all of you are doing as well as I seem to be right now. After being gone from work for a month doing training and having a small vacation, I find myself re-centered and at a rare peace. Morale of this story, I need to take more time off from work. The world of law enforcement is quite boring with brief periods of sheer terror. That can weigh quite heavily on somebody year after year. Working everyday next to some of the most dangerous and evil people in the state doesn't come without a price. Starting next May I'll be getting two vacation days a month instead of one. I think that it'll be time to start using them!
My running of late has been steady with regards to the Project. Still going strong with only 83 days left. But, with the Empire State Marathon less than two weeks away I must admit that I've never felt more unprepared for a race of this distance. When compared to last year, I've been more injured, only managed to complete one long distance run of 16 miles instead of three 20 milers and have a difficult time maintaining my 9:00 mile pace. So, at this point I'm counting on the advice of sage runners who say that it's better to toe the start line of your race under trained and healthy instead of over trained and injured.
In an attempt to get in the best shape that I can before this race, I've thrown myself back into my training. Back to doing the cross-training too. Even though I'm now fully stuck in the taper, I think that I can still benefit doing solid speed and core work. Yes, I said stuck. I hate tapering! I think that I'm being pretty hard on myself too. It's not like I'm deciding to do this race at the last minute. I have done some good training this summer. And I'm also not new to this distance either. While I don't know the course, I know what the distance feels like. That has to count for something. Just knowing that I have already gone that far 10 time already is a huge advantage.
The game plan is this: Run for as long as I can at the 9:00 mile pace and use the fact that the course is advertised as "flat" to my advantage. Unfortunately, the race's site doesn't offer an elevation graph. But, after some digging through the web, I managed to find one. It's an out and back course with a what looks like slight elevation out and reversed downhill on the way back. Even if everything falls apart I'm still going to enjoy myself at this race. One of the great things about all that's happened this year and the Project is that just being able to get out there and run is enough! It's not about the time, it's about the experience.
The hamstring is still pretty shitty. Hamstring and plantar's wart pain have become the standard aches and pains to expect every day now. I contacted my doctor and begged for the prescription anti-inflammatory pain med that my chiropractor recommended. No go. He wants my to try the steroid again. So, it's back on the wacky stuff for now. After a two day dose, it seems to be slightly better. Let's keep our t fingers crossed. I've done some research on the web with regards to the wart too. Why pay a $20 co-pay when I can do it at home right?
The other day my wife and I noticed that the little man is getting a little chunky. He was all about video games and the iPad this summer. He loves the bad snack food too. It's something that runs deep in his blood because I love ti too but combat it with my running. Potato chips are my Kryptonite! So, when the current stash of candy and junk food is gone, it's gone. To be replaced with fruit and veggies. I've also decided to start a small training plan with him too. This week we're running two miles and doing two cross-training days of push-ups, sit-ups and burpees.
I've never done anything like this before After two weeks I wish I'd done it sooner. It's exciting to be developing a love of running within my son and have a hand in making him healthier too. But, the best part about it all are the conversations. Just like all of you, my life is busy as hell on a good day. Work, training, making dinner, walking the dog, putting out the garbage, helping with homework. Some days are over before I realized they even started. When I'm training with him we're removed from all that craziness and have a chance to talk about the good stuff. My dad did it with me too when he took me fishing out on his boat. I hope that my son gets what I did out of all those conversations about seemingly nothing but everything and silences where we were more connected than ever. So enjoyable.
My message to you is, make the time to do something with the people who mean the most to you in your life. Most of us know this already. But, finding that time and doing those things can be difficult. It doesn't have to be hours upon hours. Even 20 minutes will seem like a lifetime. When we first started out on our run today all I could think about was how much stuff I had to get done before going back to work tomorrow. After a brief time though, I looked over at him and the smile on his face reset my whole way of thinking. Chores be damned! We had a great run. Even though it was only a mile, he managed to run his first negative split! We whooped it up like the big deal that it was. It was a good day. Make time for those good days with your spouse, your children, your family, your friends.
After my recent too close of a brush with lung cancer I was horrified to find out at a good friend and runner from work was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. This guys in incredible shape and one hell of a good runner. According to local doctors he's the only adult male case in the US, ever. Just the fact that something like this can happen to him really shows how much of a bastard cancer really is. I talked to him yesterday and his surgery to remove the tumor went well. He's even looking at coming back to work sometime next week. He's even running a little now. Told you he's good. I got off the phone with him and was thankful that the roles weren't reversed. Hard to drive with tears in your eyes.
Like good runners, good days rarely just happen. They're made. Make time and as always, run for your lives my friends...
No comments:
Post a Comment