Good run last Saturday!  Conditions were a little chilly; 29degrees at the start, getting into the low 30’s by the end, with little wind.  Everyone is looking great!

There was the regular crew at Wednesday’s Track Session at AHS.  It is staying light later so we were able see much better. 

There are a number of us dealing with a variety of colds, flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, etc. etc.  Trying to recover from something like that while in the middle of a training program can be VERY challenging.  You (we) are caught between feeling anxious about “falling behind” in our training/fitness.  The feeling of atrophying before our own eyes can make us try to “tough it out” and keep working out.  BAD IDEA!  If we take a few days off, we too often try to get back training sooner than our bodies – that we have stopped listening to as closely as we should – are really ready for.   After 55 years of running, I have learned (but not always good at implementing for myself) that you have to listen to your body even closer when things like injury or illness slow us down.  Like most things in life, to do it right takes time; years of trial and error.   Getting good at it does not mean you will never get ill or injured again; but it will happen less often and with less severity.  Learning to listen – really listen – is tough because everyone is different.  You might have heard me say this once or twice before J   We are all an experiment of ONE.  Talk to others about what works for them, mentally and physically, try different approaches, remedies, alternative exercise and use your Training Log to help remember what works and does not work (or makes things worse). 

Take care of yourself; be aggressive in getting yourself better, and if you are the least hesitate about feeling well enough to workout – wait another day.  It is better to wait a little longer to start training again than to start too early and take the chance of setting yourself back – so it takes even longer to recover.  Remember – there will be other races.

Wednesday Track Session -  It’s tough to get out there, but it works!J  This Wednesday at AHS at 6 pm we are scheduled to do 6 x 800 Yasso’s; 4 x 400’s.  Remember; pace yourself.  Don’t spend all your energy in the 800’s and barely be able to get around the track for the 400’s.  The 400’s are supposed to be slightly (15 to 20 seconds) faster than the 800 pace.  I will still be in Atlanta and they are calling for rain but I hope to hear good reports when I get back.

Saturday Run –   This is another big week; 20 miles for the marathoner’s/ultra’s and 10 miles for the  Half Marathon’ers.  Both, try to keep the pace up a little toward the end of the run.  The route will be do the Pinedale up/back, then our rt 450, the Bell Branch, Rutland, St Stephen’s, Chesterfield, to Crownsville Rd. and back to Truman.

I will be doing the Hashawaha 50k near Westminister, MD Saturday with Rene, Gaye and Paula so we will be thinking of you J

Sunday Trail Run – 9 am.  AHS Trails – for one or two loops.  This should NOT be a tempo run.  You ran long on Saturday and do not want to overdo it Sunday, even if it is on the trails. If you are up for some cool down laps, join us with the New Year Beginning Runners on the AHS Track at 11 am.  I know they would love to hear encouragement from others who have “been there, done that” trying to get started running.

You have heard me talk about the benefits of being a distance runner. Natalie Newton, a Ph.D. sports psychologist from Atlanta who specializes in long-distance runners, puts her academic spin on it. “Any aerobic exercise releases endorphins, which make you feel exhilarated. A side benefit is that they help dull pain. Unfortunately, a lot of sports figures injure themselves and don’t realize it until later.” Endorphins, opiate-like hormones sometimes called “the body’s natural pain relievers,” are released by the pituitary gland during strenuous aerobic exercise.  Another way long-distance running is different from other sports, experts say, is that runners often peak into their 30s, ages when football and basketball players are taking their cortisone shots and hanging up cleats and sneakers. “Running is more a mental challenge than a physical challenge,” says Newton, the psychologist.  “The training involved and the duration of the event takes patience, and patience takes maturity. Younger runners want speed,” says Jacobs, the physiologist.

“With my Training Log, I pay more attention to tracking the intangible elements, like my energy and motivation, than the actual workout specifics.”

-Michellie Jones; 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist, Hawaii IRONMAN Championships Winner.

I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Michellie at the Nautica Triathlon at Malibu Beach, CA, and again at the IRONMAN 70.3 CANCUN Race in 2006.

Stay Healthy;

Ron

Ron Bowman
BLUEPOINTTIMING.com
410-573-1929
c: 410-570-0003

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Posted by Steve Carton on February 25, 2009 at 10:52:00 AM EST #