yeah, but pushing that stroller adds a difficulty factor as far as exertion goes. And, it has taken me ages to get out of the 2-4 mile run rut. I ran once on my vacation a few weeks back and did one hike, then came home to an unlocked running potential. i've been improving in leaps since then. By this I mean: taking a true rest period did wonders for my body in terms of assimilating the exercise and changes overall (diet, etc.). i plan to shut it down for a week following Hood to Coast, then I'll begin half-marathon prep in earnest.
Yeah, Lee; I definitely feel things are coming together with the running (and subsequently the web time..I still could do better at that one, though...). I read somewhere that running 4-5 days a week, even if at very short distances, drives faster improvements. I tried it leading up to vacation, took that week largely off (I mean, I couldn't just NOT run along a canyon rim in Yellowstone...right?) and came back much stronger.
OK. off now to prep for a team bbq/meeting for relay 1(suckers made me team captain...): check out the deets:
http://www.cascadelakesrelay.com/
Very cool. I feel like I may have passed a threshold too, will know for sure in a week or two. I was amazed that I could sustain a nine-minute pace over (mild) chipseal last week for five miles. I thought I was still a few months away from that. That's why the 10% rule is just a guideline. Sometimes you cruise along at the same distance/speed/weight for weeks or months, and then all of a sudden you can do a lot more. Your body has somehow prepped and put it all together.
Re: rest, when I was traveling by bicycle, I would often out of necessity or tourism take a lot of days off, sometimes a whole week or two, and it usually did me good, although the first day back would sometimes be hard. In karate too, I would usually take a whole week off every three to four months. Always did a lot of good. Once you've been at this exercise thing for a while, you can usually read your body and know it's time to take a break. For me the problem has been too many breaks over the last year as I've worked through three different minor but nagging injuries on my left side: foot, elbow, and shoulder. I had to rest when I didn't want to, and it was very frustrating, and sometimes I would doubt they'd ever get better, and wonder if age had finally caught up to me. But for the last several months they've all cleared up and I've been making more progress. And if I can stick to this early morning schedule, I should be able to get in 6-7 workouts per week. I have one rest day scheduled in for Sundays, but I may just jump in and repeat the six-day cycle if my legs are asking for it. I'll know in about another hour of wakefulness. Today I'd like to try a 7.5 mile run, but I just remembered there's a hot rod/muscle car show at the fairgrounds I need to pass through, so I may adjust to a nice six-mile route around it.
It's interesting you mentioned running more often. I tried that for a week or two, but my body seems to like the 48-hour rest after any given exercise (I alternate one day of running with one day of weights and rowing). Might be an age thing, might just be me. I'd prefer to run every day because rowing is pretty boring, on a machine and inside. Maybe I could try substituting a shorter run or two for the rowing, although rowing is good for the back, especially after blasting it with deadlifts and other back stuff on weights. I've also thought about doing two runs in a row on weekends, one normal and one longer and slower, up to 90-120 minutes, but I'm wary of over-stressing my foot again. Anyhow, I'm glad the greater frequency is working for you. And good luck on the relay, looks like a lot of fun, and beautiful scenery.
And I agree with you about Nick. I sold our jogging stroller two weeks ago because it's just too hard to run properly with it. It takes a lot more effort, and you can't really use your arms as counters to the opposite leg, and the slight twisting of the torso required to deliver good power to the hips is undermined too. I'd say it takes at least 20-30 percent more effort. Plus I didn't like the fact that I couldn't see my son's face unless I stopped to see if he was doing OK. Plus-plus, it was hard to run with it on anything less than ideal terrain (smooth sidewalks or asphalt paths) and right now I'm digging seeking out challenging surfaces from time to time.
OK, wrote too much again. Time to get to work, or run . . .
Mike, don't stop not making sense. It's very charming. And good luck with your pursuit of Maff happiness. Trust your instincts that it's the right thing for you.
I like going uphills and he likes going down them.
