It's Coming Along Nicely

Today I was asked this rare question, "How's your running coming?"

I call this a rare question because, for the most part, when you're as slow as I am no one cares about your running. It's boring. AND I have to confess that up until a few weeks ago, I didn't actually care about my running. I did it. I rarely missed a day. But it was without inspiration, without motivation.

What changed?

In all honesty, I don't know. I'm sure there is a multitude of factors including weight-loss, overall better health, clearing my mind to allow real, live me to come through, new shoes, a cool shirt..... who knows. And really, I don't care. I'm riding this baby for as long as I can.

It's been close to six months, like all of this year, that I have been highly motivated to get a more serious attitude about my running. Serious, mind you, does not mean fast. Serious means motivated, serious means committed. In his book, Marty Liquori's Guide For the Elite Runner, Marty wrote, "A commitment to serious Training (I substitute running) means that no matter what else you are in this world - doctor, lawyer, Indian Chief - first of all you are a runner." Marty, I'm in.

When something has been a HUGE part of your (my) identity for close to 58 years, it's very difficult to feel like you (I) should when that thing you do isn't being prioritized. I've been lost for a while now, and to be honest, maybe ten years. Sad, but probably true.

I'm thinking this time back will stick, even though it's really tough to know the future. I'm thinking that this, at 72 years old, might be the last shot to make this a "serious" thing.

Keep in mind, when I say serious, I am referring to the commitment. I have no aspirations of being even remotely semi fast (even for my age). That whole thing of measuring me by how I stack up against someone else left AGES ago. And I'm so blessed that it did. I'm my judge, I'm my jury, I'm my standard. Just the way it should have always been. WAY too many things in life are ruined when keeping up with the Jones' or when the standard is someone else.

Maybe, just maybe, my running has reentered the zen stage (not like Kipchoge Zen). It was there for a long time and then departed that fateful day many moons ago when my knee buckled and running was never the same.

So, my knee is healed? Hardly.

About two weeks ago, there was a shift on the pain scale. Normally the consistent spot on that ten scale was 6-7, sometimes a little lower or higher. Now, it's mostly a 3-4 with the occasional 2. I can take that. And some days, like today, I sat in the 2-3 range until around 4 1/2 miles and then we shot up to 8-9. I backed off, adjusted my foot strike, said some nice words to anyone in the vicinity, and brought it back to 3.

There is so much more to write about this, so much more to say about looking in the mirror and accepting and LIKING the person looking back. All that, for another time.

So, "How's my running coming?"

It's coming along nicely. Thanks for asking. By the way, the funky shirt in the picture was a Christmas gift that I could not even put on on Christmas Eve.

Run on.

The Catch Up Blog

When real live people say, "oh, you have a running blog? Doesn't look like you post much." It must be time to post.

At the close of 2023, I wrote this:  "I want to simply feel better: less vulnerable, less fragile. Someday this running thing will end, but not in 2024, and not voluntarily." Luckily, 2024 has gotten gradually, very gradually, better. The weight loss thing is going fairly well (17 pounds so far - still 30+ to go). I'm hoping to have that weight thing accomplished by end of September. We'll see. In my case, lighter is better.

The running part of it has improved as well. I am currently at 690 miles for the year, and probably, unless something drastically changes, will see me around 1700 for the year. Running, of course, can often be somewhat controlled by the condition of my knee. 

January, February, and early March were fairly good from a mileage perspective averaging around 35 miles a week. Late March into April was extremely lame as injury, busy-ness, and apathy hit for three weeks. Logged only 13 miles in those. As I write this, my career total is creeping upward, currently at 122,868. While 123,000 is in the near future, the next landmark is 124, 274.2 ORRRRRR 200,000 kilometers.

Here's what I've noticed: it hurts less and feels considerably more stable. At the same time, it requires constant attention to avoid sprains, twists, pops, buckles, and anything else unsavory. My focus is to get out of slog mode. The slog mode is where it feels more like I am shuffling along as opposed to propelling myself forward. Actually, the intentional forward movement doesn't feel any worse, I've just spent so long slogging around that is more of a mental shift, a discipline thing, than a physical thing. Hopefully the more I work at it, the more natural it will become.

Still working on incorporating the strength and core stuff as well as dusting the cobwebs off my bike. This is the best time of the year to become habitual on those extra goodies as I am in the slow time for work and traveling.

Have set some goals. The first one was the 8 mile trail race at the Greenland Open Space. Unfortunately I missed that one BUT went there Monday and got in the 8 myself. As for the other goals, we'll lay them on the back burner for now.

All in all, life is good (as the t-shirt says). Run on.