Tuesday, September 17, 2013

40 Days to Better: Day 16

This morning's run was another great track workout.  The temperatures were really nice--even cold for this time of year with the breeze that was present in addition to the cool temperatures.  I ran a 3x1600 with the same guy I've been running track workouts with for the better part of the past couple of months.  We had a 600 intervals rest in between each pair. We ran 5:59, then 5:58, and 6:00 with each lap being between 88 seconds and 91 seconds.  That is even better than the last time I wrote about even times when 15 of my 20 miles were all within 5 seconds on either side of the average I ran.  This time, I ran all 12 laps of the 3x1600 within three seconds variation total.  And the interesting thing is that I left my house so quickly I did not even have a watch.  My running partner called out times for for some of the splits (sometimes at 200 meter intervals) for some of the miles but it got a little lax at the end.  

The fact that I did not have my watch on at all is what makes this particular morning's lesson a bit different than my 20 mile long run lesson.  That was about running smart, running consistently, and pacing correctly.  

This morning is about all of that, but it is even more about doing it without a watch.  And why is that important on the road to better?

It reflects the fact that sometimes I can just rely on intuition and what feels right.  Of course, sometimes I need the watch. Or whatever other crutch I may find in whatever aspect of my life is relevant to help me to plan.  To help me to pace.  To help me to understand.

But there is a time to just run by feel.  Just manage by what seems right.  To set aside the books.  To set aside the theory.  To just let myself be.  And to trust that I know a lot more than I think I know and the trust that what I know and do will be right.

This could apply to running--as I found out this morning.  And I am even pondering whether I should leave the watch behind (or promise myself not to look at it) for the Baltimore Running Festival.

This could apply to my management position in the job I have had since April.  Yes, I have had excellent coaching.  Yes, I have been advised to read a number of very interesting books.  But when all is said and done, if I trust myself to know what is pretty much the right thing to do, I'll be successful--I hope.

The same can be said for pacing.  My boss--the Dean--like to talk about more, better, faster.  It sort of reminds me of the Olympic motto of faster, higher, stronger.  The key is to always extend myself.  but when all is said and done, objective measures may be nice.  But ultimately, I can sense whether I am operating at capacity or I have more to give.

This could apply to marriage.  Sometimes people need help from a counselor or therapist or whatever you might want to call someone who provides that type of help.  But perhaps, if the couple just works together and focuses together, they will find their way together just by intuition.

All of these are challenges.  Running by intuition.  Managing by intuition.  Assessing my capacity to do more by intuition.  And, finally, marriage by intuition.  But all are reasonable things for trying to do by intuition rather than expecting to find answers in a book.  Maybe answers from friend--using their own intuition--to help my intuition.  But leaving it to discussions with real epeople rathe rthan reading books or anythign else seems like a great way to go.   

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