Shut Up and Run

To say the least, April was not the best of months when it comes to training. Not only was my total mileage almost 90 miles less than what I averaged for the first three months of the year, but I failed to keep up the quality of my training as well, which is obviously a bad combination when it comes to getting and/or staying fit. Basically I faced two challenges throughout the month with the two possibly even be related. First, I came into the month feeling run down. When you’ve run as much as I have over my lifetime, you get to know your body pretty well and you can tell when something is off. That’s where I’ve been since somewhere around mid-March.  I just haven’t had much energy or motivation, and my legs have felt tired and heavy, sometimes even sore, on a consistent basis.

The second thing I’ve been battling is work. Not only have I been extremely busy on a day-to-day basis while in the office, but I’ve been traveling as well, which not only takes a toll on you while you’re away but leaves you with even more to do when you get back. It’s certainly not optimal, but it’s just life, and I enjoy what I do for the most part so I’m only going to complain so much. However, my stress level has been higher than usual, and that has a negative impact on lots of things, including running. In fact, as I mentioned before, my two issues could be related, with the increased stress being part of why I’ve felt run down.

That said, things are finally starting to look up. I’ve made some changes to my diet and my recovery routine and also addressed some allergy issues I have. Thus far all of this has been on my own, meaning no visit to the doctor, but I honestly feel like I’m starting to notice a difference. I’m not yet feeling completely like my normal self (the word “normal” being used loosely there), but I’m at least somewhat optimistic that I’m on the right path.

Additionally, I’ve learned a few things recently that have made me more appreciative of my life. I might be stressed every now and then just like everyone, but I’ve got it extremely good overall. Like I said, I really can’t complain at all about my job, as I work for a good organization and enjoy what I do. More importantly, I have a wonderful wife and daughter who are very supportive and I love to spend time with. I’m also blessed to still be running at a semi-competitive level and I have a good training partner who’s out there pounding out the miles with me on a daily basis, putting up with my crap along the way. In other words, sometimes you just need to have the right perspective and I'd lost mine for a while.

I’ll wrap this post up by saying that I got in a solid workout this past Wednesday that helped in more ways than one. Obviously it’s always nice to run well, but that wasn’t the primary benefit. I came into the workout after two consecutive tough days at work, and I just didn’t feel like running hard. As I warmed up with Andrew, I grumbled about how frustrated I was, how tired I was, and how I was through with running fast and might as well give it up. In fact, if he hadn’t been there to hold me accountable, there’s no way I would have gone through with running hard and may not have run at all. However, once we started the workout, I got through the first interval, a mile on the road, and hung in without any problem. From there we did 4X400 on the track, another mile on the roads, and finally 4X200 back on the track. I kept expecting to fade, but I just focused and ran hard and never did. It was a valuable reminder of something Howard Nippert has always told me: Sometimes you just need to stop thinking, shut up, and run.

The month of May is not going to be an easy one. I have a lot going on and a significant amount of travel towards the end of the month. However, I now have a much more positive outlook and I’m not going to let it beat me. I’m sure I’ll have to make compromises, possibly not getting in everything I’d like, but I won’t be completely beaten. Instead, I’m just going to shut up and run. What doesn’t kill …

Footnote: Check this out - http://masterstrack.com/2013/04/24784/. 41 years old and 28:53 for 10k just three weeks after running 48:56 for ten miles. There may be hope for me after all!