Flying

If you run enough in life then one day you might actually take flight.  There is a quote I found by Paul E. Richardson which supports this:

"When you walk one foot is always on the ground.  When you run, most of the time you are actually airborne."

 In his book, Running is Flying, Mr. Richardson goes on to mathematically derive the percentage of time one if actually airborne during a 10 mile run.  Surprisingly, I will not share those details with you all.  This post relates more to the figurative meaning of flying one may experience during a run as opposed to diving into how frequently both of my feet are literally airborne.

Today, 29 Sept 2013, was one of those days where I felt like I had taken flight.  Today was only 7 weeks after beginning to train post stress fracture.  And I was flying...only 7 weeks in!  I felt like myself out there on the road.  I am comfortable saying that I was happier than a pig in mud (or shit).  Seven miles of pure heavenly ecstasy.  Endorphins are the best drug....EVER!

As I stepped out my door to start he cool autumn breeze reddened the apples of my cheeks with chilly kisses.  At the same time the sun beamed down, keeping me warm without ever suffocating me with heat.  The perfect day to have a perfect run.  Maybe it was the weather.  Maybe it was time to remind myself not all [fitness] has been lost.  Maybe something deep inside of me awakened with the change of seasons and that something just needed to stretch its legs. 

Whatever the cause, I felt like myself. 

I have found my stride.

While running on this beautiful day, my mind starting running again as well.  For the first time in a long time I ran like I was competing, like I was going for a personal record, like I was meeting challenges and beating them.  I believe sports psychologists refer to these imaginative scenarios as visualizations.  What I visualize on a good day of running is highly indicative of what I truly desire the most.  No matter how big the goal on a good day of running I can see myself achieving it.  There is no one around to make me doubt myself.  Too be fair and honest I don't always aim high, some days those visualizations center around the carton of ice cream I plan on decimating when I return home, and that's okay too.  But not during these 7 miles... today I was dreaming big!  I was dreaming of hitting low 1:20 half marathons...of winning the Top of Utah Marathon to earn a spot in the Olympic trials.  Today I was reminded of what it is that I want to achieve as a runner.  And more importantly that I have what it takes to achieve those goals.  As I visualized I felt my turnover effortlessly quickening.

Today I was flying.  Today I got to be myself...and it felt great!

Accountability and Deep Thoughts...A Welcome to my Blog

Currently there are two contrasting reasons that together have led me to the decision to sit down and type.  The first and more simplistic reason for joining the blogging community has been my current decision to begin pursuing running and competing at the elite level.  This was a decision that I did not easily arrive upon as I am sure that most of the journey will be an uphill battle of early mornings, conquering physical/mental pain, overcoming injuries, and possibly performance let downs.  But I have decided to begin training in spite of these possibilities to see how far I can go, how good I can be, and to dare myself to understand what I’m really made of.  To find success will require two non-physical attributions…honesty and accountability.

This blog will be my outlet as I experience the highs and low of striving to be great.  My goal of sitting down every week and writing down something regarding the progress I’ve made towards becoming elite will require honesty.  My experience in this world has shown me that honesty with oneself can be an intimidating feat and it’s possible, and even easy, to lie to ourselves.  By coming to a safe place and sitting and writing I hope to be honest in answering the following questions which I feel are important to reach my goals.  Does my work ethic this week reflect my desire to achieve this goal?  Are my priorities in line?  What sacrifices have been made, and are they worth it?  

Being able to come back to these questions at different times throughout training and give honest answers may be challenging at times.  Maybe I skipped a workout with no real reason.  Maybe I chose to stay out late one night and that resulted in a sup-par training run.  Maybe I’m giving too much to trainingand my life has fallen out of balance.  If I ever find myself lying to make sure that the answer appears as I wish, then I need to spend some time doing personal reflection.  I need to spend the time (and keystrokes) evaluating why I’m still pursuing this goal.  I believe that this level of honesty will translate into medeveloping into a better runner.  I will have a record of trends in my attitudes towards training and over time learn how to quickly identify and adjust any negativity before it becomes all-encompassing while at the same time learning how to foster positivity.

The final and really end all be all point of blogging as I chase this dream of elevating my running boils down to accountability.  Can I be accountable to myself?  My coach?  My family? And those who have chosen to follow this blog?  Being faithful to this blog will bring me one step closer to being fully accountablewith myself.  Accountability for me is simple to sum up, show up and do the work that is necessary to get where I want to go.

The second reason that I have chosen to start up “Running on Sundays” is because in the past I have run…a lot.  And a lot of that running occurred on…DRUM ROLL PLEASE…Sundays (shocker, I know).  In typical fashion, my long runs have 99.99% of the time been scheduled for Sunday.  These long runs became very long runs back in 2012 when I trained for my first marathon, the Top of Utah.  Several years ago I put away the headphones and gave up listening to music.  So that leaves me running by myself and with no music.  Hours of solitude…something that is truly a rare treat in these days of constant connection.  Minimizing external distractions forced me to go within to pass the hours, minutes, and seconds.

Several people ask how I can run for 2+ hours without music to distract from my own thoughts.  To that I reply, “It allows me to search the corners of my mind which are typically forgotten, areas of thought that we subconsciously shut down.  I get to know myself in the realest (and sometimes rawest) of ways during those hours.”  Some of the paths that my mind takes me down are motivating & encouraging while others have taken me to dark & lonely places.  Coincidentally these thoughts physically manifest themselves in the quality of my run…mind over matter, I suppose.

Coming full circle to how all this relates to blogging…a year after starting marathon training I still have journals filled with monologues that I have generated over the course of 100’s of miles of solitude.  While my current training is focused on half-marathons that does not keep me from logging hours of time alone and continuing to soul search.  I am finally ready to share the thoughts of past runs and whatever thoughts come up in future runs.  I am ready to be vulnerable by exposing who I am and what I’m made of.  As time (and training) progresses I will share these monologues from previous long runs and current long runs with you all.

I am looking forward to finding the courage to open up to everyone who is out there.  My hope is that each and every one of you will find your own benefit from “Running on Sundays”.

 

October 2013 Running Log

Week of 29 Sept 2013
Sunday (+):
       AM (830): 7 Miles @ 8'41.  Great run, felt like myself out there
                         Nutrition: Pre - Banana/.5 Granola Bar;
                                          Post - Protein Waffles
                         Sleep: 9.5 Hr; napped 1.5 hrs
Monday: Strength Trained/Yoga
               Sleep: 8 Hrs