Today, we reach the half way point. On this day, I have again seen the value of only training for a half marathon (I know that only sounds odd to my non-running friends). I was able to leave the house at about 5:30, drive to the NCR trail, have a great workout, and be home by 7:45. I then got a shower and had a child on the ice by 8:30, stopped at the grocery store to get oil to top off my car, dropped another child off at garden club. circled back to hockey, then back to garden club, then home, quite bit to eat (thank goodness for leftovers), picked up child from another family, took my middle and other child to boychoir, returned home, and then took my oldest to orchestra. (Actually he drove and I drove back). So, here I sit and it is only 1:15 in the afternoon. Still a lot to do today.
So, for all that what did I start the day off running. About a half mile warm up (and it is still pretty dark at 6 AM these days--especially on a wooded trail) to the 1 mile marker on the NCR trail. Reset the watch. And then ran to just past the 6 mile marker and back to the 1 mile marker. Along the way out, I startled (perhaps scared) two groups. They are training groups that use a run/walk combination and go in groups that are big enough to span the entire trail. They often do. So when they are having a grand old conversation and I come up behind them running my sub-7 mile and doing it quietly sometimes they move. But when they don't I just go around or between and they get surprised. I have little sympathy. I don't tend to say hello going by them--which I do for everyone else. Most weeks I'd rather lecture them than say hello, but I hold my tongue and keep running. In any case, by the trail mile markers I went just a tiny bit more than 10 and I did it in 1:08:51. I have never even done that in a race before. And that is faster than the first ten of my fastest 13.1 ever (also a non-race situation).
Lesson for the day...Why do I run so well in non-race situations? I put less pressure on myself and I trust myself.
When I did my 1:30:39 with a friend back on March 9, I really did need someone running with me. Pacing with me. Keeping me going. And helping me to have confidence that I could do what I set out to do--run the half marathon (even relatively flat) at a sub-7:00 pace.
Six months later I ran a bit shorter distance, but the workout was just as significant as I did it myself. And I did it just two days after my fastest road or trail 10K.
So, I have needed mentoring. But now I am showing what I can do.
Does that mean I don't continue to need mentoring? Of course not. I can always improve. There is always more to learn.
And this does not just apply to running.
It applies to my spiritual life.
It applies to my style of leadership and management.
It certainly applied to my music playing although I don't do that so much at the moment.
And it even applies to interpersonal relationships.
So, I have learned a lesson from running--that I can take what I have learned from some great friends and competitors and make something great from it--and apply it to many other areas of life as I continue on my road to better. It is always nice to be satisfied with a run--and this morning was definitely satisfying. But being satisfied does not imply that I can't (and should) continue to seek improvement.
So, for all that what did I start the day off running. About a half mile warm up (and it is still pretty dark at 6 AM these days--especially on a wooded trail) to the 1 mile marker on the NCR trail. Reset the watch. And then ran to just past the 6 mile marker and back to the 1 mile marker. Along the way out, I startled (perhaps scared) two groups. They are training groups that use a run/walk combination and go in groups that are big enough to span the entire trail. They often do. So when they are having a grand old conversation and I come up behind them running my sub-7 mile and doing it quietly sometimes they move. But when they don't I just go around or between and they get surprised. I have little sympathy. I don't tend to say hello going by them--which I do for everyone else. Most weeks I'd rather lecture them than say hello, but I hold my tongue and keep running. In any case, by the trail mile markers I went just a tiny bit more than 10 and I did it in 1:08:51. I have never even done that in a race before. And that is faster than the first ten of my fastest 13.1 ever (also a non-race situation).
Lesson for the day...Why do I run so well in non-race situations? I put less pressure on myself and I trust myself.
When I did my 1:30:39 with a friend back on March 9, I really did need someone running with me. Pacing with me. Keeping me going. And helping me to have confidence that I could do what I set out to do--run the half marathon (even relatively flat) at a sub-7:00 pace.
Six months later I ran a bit shorter distance, but the workout was just as significant as I did it myself. And I did it just two days after my fastest road or trail 10K.
So, I have needed mentoring. But now I am showing what I can do.
Does that mean I don't continue to need mentoring? Of course not. I can always improve. There is always more to learn.
And this does not just apply to running.
It applies to my spiritual life.
It applies to my style of leadership and management.
It certainly applied to my music playing although I don't do that so much at the moment.
And it even applies to interpersonal relationships.
So, I have learned a lesson from running--that I can take what I have learned from some great friends and competitors and make something great from it--and apply it to many other areas of life as I continue on my road to better. It is always nice to be satisfied with a run--and this morning was definitely satisfying. But being satisfied does not imply that I can't (and should) continue to seek improvement.
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