Slowing Down to Speed Up - Part I

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Slow down. That's the motto for 2016. At least when it comes to my training. 

Over the holidays, I devoured the new Mark Sisson/Brad Kearns book, PRIMAL ENDURANCE. As an endurance athlete, I've always felt the Primal lifestyle with its emphasis on avoiding what they refer to as "chronic cardio" (and what I refer to as "daily life") eluded me. I train hard and I train often. I like working up a sweat. I like pushing myself in workouts to go a little faster, a little further. And I LOVE a regimented training schedule. Not to mention--no surprise here--I thrive on the ego boost that comes from being "that girl" at the gym or the race who's always crushing it. 

Turns out I'm doing it all wrong. I've always known I overtrain but this book was like a personal message directed to me. Everything--everything I do is contributing to early aging, injury, reduced speed and chronic mental/physical stress. 

Party poopers.

But the science is there and I'm willing to experiment. 

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Blowing Dust Off The Blog

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It's time. I've been itching to blog, thinking about blogging, planning to blog and--the true telling point for someone like me who is the living embodiment of reverse psychology--coming up with reasons why I shouldn't blog. 

And so we begin again.

What did you miss while I was away? To quote Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride,"Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up." 

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My First DNF

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It was ten years in the making and today it happened. I took my first DNF (Did Not Finish) in a race--the Greensboro Half Marathon.

Before I get into all the reasons and excuses behind the DNF, let’s call it like it is: I dropped out because I wanted to, not because I had to. Ego took hold and rather than face a two-hour-plus half marathon time, I chose to quit.

So then. What happened? I think it was the combination of the perfect storm of bad elements all coming together:

  1. I was coming off a week of strenuous exercise (even for me) where I was working out twice a day and doing triple the number of miles on the bike that I usually do.
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One More BQ For The Books

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I feel like I've got my running mojo back. Even though--or maybe because--I spent the first half of this year dealing with on and off again injuries, I'm having fun with running again. Let's be real--I will ALWAYS be concerned with my times, but I'm also relaxing enough to (maybe, kinda, sort of) be okay if I don't go out and kill every race. 

With that in mind, yesterday I ran the 2014 Greensboro marathon. I did it without wearing a watch. My plan was to run the miles based on how I felt, walking if and when needed with the vague goal of coming in under four hours. Holding with tradition, I made a last-minute decision to run the race, signing up on Tuesday, so I wasn't especially trained for a marathon. I knew I could do the distance but wasn't sure at what pace--and that was okay. 

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