Hi Everyone!

Well this past weekend was finally an ok one for running! Yes, there were still patches of ice/puddles, but we’re coming through and running is already so much more enjoyable than it has been. Thank goodness because I was kind of forgetting that I even liked running! Now I’ve had a few days where I’ve remembered how much I love it again.

Lately I’ve been pondering where running fits into my life – how I approach it and what I want to put into it and get out of it. There are so many things I do that I have to examine and re-examine because maybe they used to work in terms of making me faster or bringing me joy or even peace, and so I’ve locked into patterns that I think will lead to those results, only to realize that things may have shifted. It used to be pretty simple. At one point in my development it was just “run more and you’ll get faster” and that worked. Or run really hard a few days a week for a great rush of endorphins and elation and that will keep you floating. I could dependably rely on my routines to keep me running well and in many ways to help me feel balanced, organized, confident, productive, … It stands to reason that when my running isn’t feeling great or if my mood or life seems to be falling out of balance, I should double down and cling even more tightly to the running routine which has worked in the past to keep me afloat.

I think many of us do this at times. Our lives feel chaotic, our bodies aren’t responding, we don’t have the energy, we have aches and pains, and we react by doubling down and forcing it. Sometimes this works and we find it was just a little blip that needed to be pushed through. But other times it’s not a bad idea to re-examine “the routine” and what is serving us and what isn’t. For me right now, I’m realizing I still love running and pushing myself, but only sometimes. I’m currently enjoying a very unstructured approach to running. I will go hard when it feels good, and will stop when it doesn’t. I don’t like running when things hurt, so I don’t. Many of my ‘recovery days’ are now non-running activities. I don’t think I personally need more miles on my legs at this stage in my running career. I’m sleeping in and running when I feel like it instead of forcing it in the early hours to make sure I can control the fact that I get it in. Actually, I’m at a stage in life with kids and career where I don’t have to wake up early, and I don’t feel guilty about that because I’ve put my time in! I’m reconfiguring my running routine to fit my evolving stage of life. I still love running as much as ever, but I’m becoming way more relaxed about how to make it work for me. I’m not clinging desperately to a routine out of fear. These days I’m more self-aware and I know what makes me feel good and I choose to run out of desire instead of compulsion. I still love to run fast, it still makes me feel powerful, I still get that blissful experience of freedom and mastery that sometimes unexpectedly arrives in the middle of a run, and I still find running with friends to be the best thing for my soul, and the answer to many of the world’s problems. So I do hope that running will be a part of my life for a long time to come. I’m just at a point where I’m respecting it more, and demanding of it less. I have the feeling that for me, that is the only way I’ll be able to keep it around.

On to tomorrow’s workout: Lakeshore and Leslie. 6:05 drills, 6:15 GO!

I think quite a few people are away on March Break, myself being one of them. If you’re away, you can either find a track if you’re somewhere warm, or do this one by time.

This one is shorter and peppier intervals.  I think this is a great way to welcome in Spring with a bit more pep in our step and get back to some quicker paces.

1.       800m tempo. 2 min rest. 2 sets of 5 x 200m fast w 200m jog (not too slow). 400m jog bw sets. 2-3 min rest. 800m tempo.

2.       If doing this by time: 3 min tempo, 2 min rest, 2 sets of 5 x 45 sec fast, 60 sec easy, 2 min easy jog bw sets, 3 min tempo.

That is all – have a great one and enjoy! I will see you all in a week!

xo

Seanna