Monday 062314

I am at a conference in Denver today.  Regulatory stuff.  A slightly different track than yesterday.

 Bob …. walking as I finished up a call to TZ.  He then said, “I am going to run now.  If you slow down, I might slow down too.  But probably not.”  Or something like that.

All kinds of action over the weekend:  San Juan 50, a good number of locals I know up at the Big Horn 100, and the Mount Washington race.  I can’t see me making a special trip to go back to the rockpile, San Juan always sounds interesting, and the Big Horn thing sounds both enticing and scary as hell.

There is this very interesting thing I see in training all the time but I rarely take advantage of.  That is when you go at a fast pace, slower paces that would normally seem fast become easy.  For example, when I did the 1500 at essentially 5:20 pace at the BRR meet a few weeks ago, I found pacing a buddy at 6 minute pace pretty easy.  And when he slowed to 6:40 as he faded, I found it to be almost pedestrian.  Now, that is not about any sort of testament to my fitness.  In fact, most days, 6:40 would be getting me to start thinking about working hard.  And after a mile or two of it, it would be hard.  In fact, it was hard yesterday after many miles of 4 or 5 mph.   But coming after the faster stuff, it was easy.  I see this often.  I will finish a workout where I have done sub 6 or sub 5 work and I intend to jog easy home.  Easy comes as sub 7:30, and sometimes even sub 7.  In other words, I think the faster pace sets you up for easy paces that are not normally easy.

So what if that was used as a tactic for workouts?  What if I ran a mile hard and rested 20 minutes, just for the purpose of then doing my tempo at a pace that if I had otherwise edged into it might seem more difficult?

I enjoyed Justin’s recent article on Andy Henshaw.  That article and flipping through some old Trail Runner mags had me musing on a few things.  1.)  we have a really short term memory in our sport, regardless if it is trail or track or road.  Well, we might remember winners or record setters, but we quickly forget the non-Pre type characters.  2.)  We tend to glorify the folks that drop out of the expected “get a job” path but chose to live in their truck, travel the world living on meager means, and following their dream.  Neither of these are things that bother me really, but I notice them. 

Maybe I have a bit of issue with the message that if you elect to work for corporate America, live in suburbia, rather than hitch hiking across the country or living in some bus in the backwoods of Alaska that you are not following some dream.  Of course, I might be just calling sour grapes there. 

I do see a message being sold to us in America, particularly kids which has the theme of “do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.”  I don’t buy that.  The folks I know who are really doing what they love are often busting their tail doing it.  And I know a good number of folks who do things they don’t love so that they can pursue other loves.  That ain’t as easy a message to sell I guess.

3.2 during JZ’s piano and then 6.1 later in the evening.  A bit tired from yesterday but not incredibly so.  I guess that is a joy of older fitness.  Yesterday at 17yo would have crushed me.  I’d take being crushed today for about 20 seconds on the mile though.