Steve's Wanderings ...

Friday, September 05, 2008

Rebuilding My Running Base - … I Have Promises To Keep …

For most of the summer (going to Mongolia excepted) I have largely limited my training to cycling and spinning.  I’ve managed to get myself in rather good condition, and have noticed that I can train at a “decent” level for a number of days with relatively little trouble, unlike with running which required frequent days of reduced training or time off.  This I have thoroughly enjoyed ...

However, this is NOT training to run!  I had a taste of what that meant in Mongolia as running the marathon was unexpectedly difficult - at the time I attributed it to various factors including travel fatigue, tight muscles. etc.  The sobering reality came a few weeks after my return when I rather impulsively decided to join some friends to run about 20 miles (35 km).  It was largely on a familiar, beautiful course over the mountains to the sea.  For the first half of the run I was feeling a bit slow but reasonably fit.  It was only after cresting the top of the long climb that I felt everything below my chest tighten up and become sore - basically my lower back, hips and legs.  The last part of the run was a brutal downhill descent about 4 miles - 8 km - long.  By this time even walking down this hill was rather painful and running was almost torturous.  I fully expected some of this to occur, but the extent of it was a bit of a shock ...

Belle and I are now talking of running a 100 km trail run together next summer in either California or Mongolia - her first 100 km, which for anyone is always something special.  I have promised my full support for her to see her finish and to help her in any way I can, first and foremost by running with her and being there when she experiences the magic of crossing the finish line.  But this entails responsibility as well as pleasure - I must be able to fulfill my promise in the best way that I can, which means among other things, being in the best possible shape to run as I can be so I can help, not hinder her.

At one time when I was training for the WS100 and other ultras of a similar ilk, I almost disdained going out for short road runs of something like 5 km or so.  I can’t afford that attitude any longer.  What I didn’t let myself realize at that time is that I was slowly letting my training base erode, and that all it would take would be a layoff of a few weeks to lose it all.  That happened late last year and again in the spring due to injuries ...

Fortunately I haven’t lose my aerobic base - this I’ve managed to maintain - even enhance - with regular sessions of spinning and cycling.  But as I have found out all too well, it is NOT run-training ...

I have watched Belle’s training for the Berlin Marathon from afar with a mixture of admiration and envy.  Admiration since I know what she has endured and overcome to get to where she is, and envy since I quite frankly can’t train like her at her level right now ... But I will get there - one short 5km run at a time.  And I will be there for Belle at that special moment when she is about to cross the finish line ...

“… I have promises to keep ...”


P.S. - My new Garmin Forerunner 405 arrived today ...