Back to the basics

I'm not sure why, but it doesn't feel like I can run as well as I did a couple of years ago.  Back then I ran 13.1 miles (my own half marathon) with only one stop to visit a bathroom that a wise and helpful person placed in a park on my route.  No walking at all.  I can't do that today.  Is it that I'm just getting older, or something else?

As you know by my previous post, I walked regularly for many years with my friends.  When I started running, I wasn't willing to give up the walking so I tried to do both.  Many mornings I'd go out early and run 5 miles, then do our hour of walking.  I'd count each walking hour as one running mile and my quota was 24 running miles each week.   It was tough, but I kept it up for months.  When I got my bike, I realized I couldn't do all three so, after 20+ years, I abandoned my walking friends.   I put over 600 miles on my bike that year, which has slacked off since, even though I do still feel the awesomeness of that vehicle every time I climb on.  My quota settled at running 20 miles each week and it remained there for another year or so.   That amount of running adds up to over a 1000 miles each year.  THAT is an accomplishment of which I am proud.  It all went well until The Marathon took over.

Marathon training upset everything.  I adopted the philosophy of Jeff Galloway, published running and marathon trainer, with his walking breaks because that was the only way I could realistically see myself traveling 26.2 miles on foot.  I religiously followed his schedule which interestingly enough, had me running less than before, except on the weeks when a long run was mandated.  Galloway is very generous with his permission to stop and walk for a minute or two, whenever you feel like it.  So of course, I felt like it a LOT.  Plus he stressed the importance of frequent rest days for those of us who are not-young-anymore, and I was happy to oblige.

In an online running forum recently, I was indulging in some self-pity about my negative progress.  One person responded with the thought that I need to go back to what I was doing when I was stronger .......  Hmmm.  Okay.  Well.  That makes sense.

So now, three months post marathon, I've been weaning myself OFF those walking breaks.  It hasn't been easy.  Before Galloway, in my head, walking breaks were forbidden, cloaked with disdain and shame.  During Galloway, they were expected and encouraged.  After Galloway,  I'm pushing them back towards forbidden like a bad habit; but for the sake of reality, I try to keep them tucked somewhere between rare and occasionally.  And it needs to be said -- Galloway enabled me to finish that marathon.  For that, he deserves a lot of credit.

My weekly quota has been reset to running 20 miles (including hills and a weekly date at the local track doing intervals) plus my two weights classes.  Walking breaks still happen, but less frequently.  Rest days (AKA non-running days which can still find me at the weight room or on my bike) have been pushed back to two, maybe three, per week, depending on how many miles I can manage on the running days without collapsing.

With no marathon to stir up my life this year, it feels good to have a plan.  Back to the basics.   Maybe I'll get back to being able to run 13.1 miles non-stop, but since I would have to actually TRY it to find out, I may never know.  And that's okay ... for now.