Lessons on Running
So I'll admit it. I used to think if I wasn't going out on a run for at least an hour what was the point in even heading out. That was my long distance mentality, one that wasn't especially well-trained but was prepared to go for hours in support of my long-distance goals. I guess you could say it was a comfortable excuse for not running when there wasn't anything but 60 minutes to spare. Meh, I'll just get some more sleep - 60 minutes won't really make or break me.
But now, probably a decade behind anyone who has ever read almost anything about training, I have learned better.
Flash back many months to my friend Dana getting into Bighorn 100 and looking for crew and pacers. IN! But where to start. Meniscus surgery last March had thrown me into a tailspin, leaving me with sporadic training plans, repeated swelling, a cortisone shot, and soul searching into who I would be without long distance running (at least when I wasn't skiing and pretending to be Julia Mancuso). But pacing, being a part of someone else's amazing long distance adventure - that I thought I could do. Maybe. I was going to be part of the crew regardless, but since I'd missed out on pacing fun at her Zion 100 race (same knee) in 2012 I wanted to at least see if I could get back to running a little far again. I just didn't know how to start from zero. Which was pretty much my mileage. And I was getting fatter so clearly, I wasn't figuring it out on my own.
Fortunately, Dana, co-founder of UltraU and personal trainer to awesome people everywhere stepped in and gave me a methodical training plan that slowly built up my running strength while mixing in swimming and other things I liked to do. And so, drum roll please, what was my great revelation? If you want to advance, train with purpose. (Right? I know, total duh.) Make every run count. There were dozens of runs that never took me more than 60 minutes but each minute was calculated, each mile calculated. I learned that a 45 minute run can be deceptively hard. A one mile time trial - well, duh, that was brutal. Hill repeats, 400m repeats, 15-20 second strides. All within an hour. I came to love/hate my running workouts knowing they'd be short but challenging. Doable but leaving me spent. I'd never run like this before.
My goal when I started was always to pace Dana - I didn't have any races planned and didn't want to think past the training that seemed to be going so well. I focused on my runs and I checked them off with pride and accomplishment though few of them ever went close to 2 hours. Next week I'll find out if I hit my goal when I meet Dana around midnight to pace her for 19 miles. My longest run in almost 18 months. I mean, seriously, of course I will. I can't implode, get dropped or have a meltdown when my friend is doing a 100 miles and I'm jumping back into a warm car at the end of my shift. Don't be ridiculous, people.
But the biggest win for me from all of this is recognizing that the high intensity training principles of Crossfit can so easily be applied to running to make intense, lung-burning workouts all under 60 minutes. I've only done 4 trail run workouts since I started training and while it was really nice to be out there, I wasn't as distraught as I thought I'd be missing out on weekly 3-4 hour runs. I've found new inspiration in the shorter, faster, stronger motto! For now at least.
But now, probably a decade behind anyone who has ever read almost anything about training, I have learned better.
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| Lake run on Tam with Yariv |
Fortunately, Dana, co-founder of UltraU and personal trainer to awesome people everywhere stepped in and gave me a methodical training plan that slowly built up my running strength while mixing in swimming and other things I liked to do. And so, drum roll please, what was my great revelation? If you want to advance, train with purpose. (Right? I know, total duh.) Make every run count. There were dozens of runs that never took me more than 60 minutes but each minute was calculated, each mile calculated. I learned that a 45 minute run can be deceptively hard. A one mile time trial - well, duh, that was brutal. Hill repeats, 400m repeats, 15-20 second strides. All within an hour. I came to love/hate my running workouts knowing they'd be short but challenging. Doable but leaving me spent. I'd never run like this before.
My goal when I started was always to pace Dana - I didn't have any races planned and didn't want to think past the training that seemed to be going so well. I focused on my runs and I checked them off with pride and accomplishment though few of them ever went close to 2 hours. Next week I'll find out if I hit my goal when I meet Dana around midnight to pace her for 19 miles. My longest run in almost 18 months. I mean, seriously, of course I will. I can't implode, get dropped or have a meltdown when my friend is doing a 100 miles and I'm jumping back into a warm car at the end of my shift. Don't be ridiculous, people.
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| Banner sign at Zion 100 in 2012 |
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