Friday 030912

This calendar year, I have not been posting what training I have been doing on a daily basis.  Instead I have opted for posting those logs on a weekly basis.  I started doing this because I thought it was more important for me to take a bigger view of my training, rather than my often myopic nature of what I was doing on any day.

After 10 weeks of doing that, I am pretty sure that the shifting when I post my log is not helping me accomplish that. 

I am still in the habit of wanting a run of somewhere on the order of 60-120 minutes every day.  I can impose some sort of rules on myself of wanting to get after it every couple days, but that probably is a more natural outcome:  I feel pretty good (usually) every couple of days and so I look to make myself breathe a bit harder on that sort of periodicity.

Given a window of 90 minutes, I way way waaaay more interested in running for all of those minutes versus running for 45 and thrashing myself via other means for the other half.  I can see that often does not make sense for the best way to train, but I still am not willing/able/serious enough to change it.

So while my log gets posted on a bigger view, I am still chasing the habit of my running for my enjoyment of it on a daily basis versus most effective training.  I have discussed this with various folks, and I have concluded that training is something you do with a focus on a goal for the future – and usually an event.  Exercise is the habit of movement, and not necessarily with a goal in mind other than basic fitness and, well, enjoying movement.

Now, I expect some people reading that will say, “well that is dumb.  You should do what is most effective for training.”  And I am sure some other lot of people will say “you got to do what you enjoy.  Consistency will carry you far anyway.”  Truth is (most folks probably don’t care) that I can see the “logic” to both sides … to some I am probably longer term focused but to others I am too focused on the here and now gratification. 

I guess I can see where I am at, and recognize to some extent, more and more of this journey is about recognizing what my stripes are and dealing with how much I am willing to change them.

Today was that sort of run where I could see both.  Didn’t mean I did much to change it, but I could see it.

Roll back to Thursday … Yesterday my Achilles (side note, how many body parts are actually capitalized?  Achilles is and off the top of my head I can’t think of too many any  others … most are not capitalized but the largest tendon in the human body gets capital billing I guess) started barking a bit.  I really have no idea why.  Well, that is not completely true.  I know why.  The truth is I shoved my foot in a lawn mower some 2 score ago and it gets cranky on occasion.  It gets cranky enough that I know it will probably pass in a week or two, but there are days – like yesterday and today where I know I am going to be hobbled by it a bit.  Frankly, I ought to not bother running on these days because I am probably jacking it more than I should.  Yes, in fact rest of it would be the smart “training” move.

But today a perfect spring day.  No wind.  Cool temps.  Blue bird skies.  And the mountains calling. 

I was completely desiring to with 180 stings a minute running versus sitting on the sidelines doing something else.  After weeks of wind, cold, snow entrenched trails, I felt I DESERVED it.

Sixty minutes in this Achilles was pretty pissed.

See?– short term view.  I see what I want to do versus what I ought to do.

So 90 minutes on a dry to muddy to ice encrusted Mesa trail (that included two completely feet slide out in front of me, slap back on my arse and slip down the ice wipe outs that left scratches on my back since I was not wearing a shirt) was completely on tap for today.  I loved it.  My lawnmower foot … eh, not so much.

But I can tell myself a good story that this week has been about getting a bit more vertical in as I have my eye on the longer term picture.  And I really wanted two hours but I called it a day at 90 minutes, as a “concession.”

I am doomed to repeat my own history because while I can learn from it, I am determined not to change any thing because of it.
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a few other side notes … as I am looking to avoid driving all the way into Boulder and parking at the Chaut lot, I selected the South Boulder Creek lot – just south of Shanny Ridge on 93.  This lot is still “free” and I can start some climbing after about 2 miles on the flat stuff.  Apparently this lot will close for a month starting on Monday.  The sign at the lot suggested I go park at the South Mesa Trailhead lot for the next month on 170 (up towards Eldo) … but that and the Dowdy Draw lots are now permit based lots for non Boulder County residents).

… Much of the trails in the trees are a mess of mud and ice … and probably will be for a bit.  I did not explore any of the “higher” trails (like Shadow, as I figured if the Mesa is that messed up, the upper stuff is going to be locked into ice for a bit.

Looks like a new trail connecting Shanny Ridge neighborhood and the Big Bluestem trail is in.  I did not check that one out.

JV is the man … the guy did a maintenance overhaul on JZ’s bike last night.  We went over to get some help on indexing the grip gear shift and the guy tweaked the breaks, the front rim, and a bunch of other stuff.  Mucho appreciated.  I keep introducing Jeff to JZ as Mr. Valliere but Jeff rolls his eyes and says “call me Jeff.” 

TalkUltra episode 4 went up.  I get a nod as a top ten finisher in their photo contest.  I am leading the “likes” at current, but apparently the voting will go for another 3 weeks.  Good show with all sorts of news from the MUT world, including ultras where you carry goats.

Jim Parry is amazing.