Running in circles.....

We are creatures of habit. I know I tend to run the same paths and routes and try to find new journeys to take on the road to prevent boredom while keeping safe and challenging myself.

This morning, I was scheduled to run 13km (8miles). I normally run the route in a single direction.... and while I am running mindfully, I am able to 'check out' mentally for the duration. Today, seeking a new challenge, I ran the route in the opposite direction. My starting point was my normal finish. And wow... the run was mentally challenging. It was like I had never run the route before.

Sometimes, we need to look far for a challenge and sometimes, we just need to make a single change for that challenge to occur.

Keep up the run and I will see you on the road.

Why are Intervals SOOOOO Hard?

Running. I love it. and I hate it..... this morning's workout was definitely an example of that love-hate relationship I have with my beloved sport.

Intervals..... you know: work and then rest and repeat again and again and again......

Those evil things that increase your heart rate, make your lungs burn and your legs feel like lead. Good for you... they challenge your fortitude, teach you a new tempo, and help in overall physiology for training.

This morning was another visit to the five-mile loop. Simple... but tempo running was involved.

After two mile warm up... I did 4 x 2 minute tempo run with 1-3 minute recovery.

Why is the first interval always the hardest??? Regardless of the distance or the time, I inevitably look at the stop watch and it says 20seconds. Seriously, only 20 seconds???... I have most certainly been running longer than that... For some reason, when i am running time intervals (as opposed to distance intervals on the track), I struggle with pacing in the first interval. The first one is always the hardest. It never fails.

The second I have gotten the timing down... and I manage to pace myself better.

The third I struggled.......... my legs were saying, HELLO! REMEMBER US! WE WANT A BREAK! THIS IS HARD!!!! but i just keep the mental intensity up there..... driving my arms, keeping my shoulders and facial muscles relaxed. And I survive the third interval, running at the same tempo..

The fourth I fly..... I feel good as this is the last one!!! But of course my body feels like it should collapse at the end..... somehow the pace is similar to the others.

And as hard as these intervals are.... the recovery feels great. I have adopted a method in my recovery segment of NOT WALKING..... in the past, I would walk after the run tempo and I struggled to get moving again. I have found that by not stopping (unless something is wrong) I don't lose my rhythm. It doesn't matter how fast I am moving.... but i am still running... alas the reference to the sprinter's shuffle. This has helped me with how quickly I recover and can move back toward my normal running pace.

And yet, I will continue to perform intervals of different times and distances-- looking forward to work on the track, the intervals will not get any easier.

As I work harder, I will improve my fitness and my ability to work harder longer, run faster and I will push myself harder in the intervals......

And the intervals will continue to be SOOOOOO hard!!!!

Enjoy the run. And challenge yourself!

Sometimes, it is just about the run.....

This morning, I was scheduled to run 8.04km (5 miles).

Yesterday was long and challenging to say the least. I left the house at 8am and returned at 11.30pm... home, showered and sleep-- and in the interim, trained clients, taught weight training class and a challenging spinning class-- I was tired; my legs felt sore.

Waking was slow -- i spent some time reading in bed before I actually started moving-- sometimes after a late night, this helps me get my groove back.....

Not sure I was ready to run... but there it was on the schedule. And 8.04km-- i hadn't run a distance greater than 6k since the snow storm last week.... JOY! and My legs were reminding me of the cadence intervals, completed in spin class the night before.

So this morning--- i left the heart rate monitor, the i-pod and the garmin and other gadgets I use to measure and track my performance at home. (and I ate a chocolate chip cookie before departing-- breakfast of champions).

Today, was just about the run. It was about putting one foot in front of the other, it was about getting my legs back.....

And I ran. I ran at the pace-tempo that I refer to as my 'sprinter's shuffle'. Some might call it road work, others call it a recovery run.... My goal was just to run. To get reacquainted with the road again.

I found $.12 near the house that is being built. I did a mini obstacle course around ice mounds on the back street that no one travels on. I found more change in the form of pennies on the bridge crossing the river, and most importantly, I found my legs.

It didn't matter how fast or how slow I ran. The point was to run. The sun shining in the blue sky and reflecting off the snow.

It was a super morning.

It was good to be on the road again.

Weakness vs Tightness

I was thinking about the thought of muscle weakness and tightness this am, as I was hitting some pressure points in my hips, hoping to release some of the tightness in the IT (ilio-tibial) band (the band that runs down the outside of the thigh, stemming off muscle tissue in the hip and attaching at the knee, that can create pain in runners and other athletes). Many people will foam roll their muscles invoking some sort of self-pressure point massage, in anticipation of releasing some of the tightness.

I have learned that foam rolling generally does not do anything for me, except cause more pain. Yes the muscle fascia feels great (after much ow, ow, ow-ing) for a short period of time.... and then wham! the tightness comes back. (I prefer a massage stick as it is more localized than the foam roller or self- massage/palpations).

This really has gotten my attention as I work on my flexibility through stretching and yoga--- but perhaps, this muscle tightness has nothing to do with flexibility. Perhaps, this tightness is the body's way of protecting itself from injury.

And you ask me, how can this be?

Yes, a tight IT-band is not a happy one. But think for a moment beyond the IT-band. Let's think of all the fascia in the body. (We know we are all connected... and a headache can be caused by something wrong in the feet).

Here is a thought for you.... perhaps,

the muscle tightness is to protect against muscle weakness.

Muscles work together to perform tasks (they move the skeleton). If one muscle is not feeling 100% (and calls out sick) the muscles that help it perform the tasks will pick up the slack. This is compensation. (Compensation is not a bad thing... the body does it all the time. The movement is not as strong per say, but the work gets done. When the muscles don't return to work, that is when there is a problem).

So, maybe the muscles that are compensating for the muscle that is 'out sick' create more tension (muscle tightness) to protect from the muscle weakness.

Now, you are thinking.... but I AM NOT INJURED!

Muscles take a 'sick day' because of overuse, trauma, injury, or even possibly changes in the immune system. It doesn't mean you have an injury, it just means that muscle needs a mental health day. (Granted if there is an injury or trauma, the overall effects are greater).

The hope is that the muscle returns to work after some rest.

(Keep in mind that during activity, the body recruits different muscle fibers to do work at various times. So during a long distance run, my quadriceps muscles are not all 100% activated during the entire run. My body asks different fibers to do the work at various times throughout the run, recruiting and resting and recruiting and resting. Pretty Cool, huh?)

But what if some of those fibers don't come back to work when asked?? Do we just fall over in the middle of the run?? Amazingly, no. We continue running. The body compensates and calls on other fibers to carry the load for the duration, continuing the work-rest cycling process.

The muscle fibers that do not return to work are creating a weakness in the muscle tissue. The muscle fibers that are recruited to compensate may create a tightness to protect the joint.

What can be done?

For starters, you may want to foam roll. This might work for you. The knots you feel in the muscle tissue and fascia might be a result of this compensation. (I do foam roll, but not all the time. I like other means/methods better).

If the help this provides is temporary, you might want to speak with a manual or massage therapist. Someone who specializes in sports massage or neuro-muscular therapy may be able to target specific areas.

I studied Muscle Activation Technique, which tests for the muscle weaknesses and then uses palpations at the attachment sites of the muscle tissue to 're-awaken' the 'resting' muscle.

These manual therapies are great tools to help the body begin to function uniformly again. Body work comes in a variety of forms. It is a great tool!

If the compensation has created changes in gait patterns and possibly movements, I would recommend speaking with someone who understands movement and how to recognize and correct imbalances.

I became familiar with Kelvin Giles, Movement Dynamics protocols (www.movementdynamics.com) at GAIN this summer. This is by far the most comprehensive protocol I have ever been introduced to.

The protocols demonstrate weaknesses and give the coach a snapshot of the athletes abilities. It is empowering to learn if your weaknesses/tightness are temporary because of a hard training session or if your body has created compensatory actions from the weakness/tightness.

And programming can be created to assist you in the journey to injury-free performance. (Granted, I cannot prevent every injury, but appropriate programming can help).

As you continue to play hard and perform better, remember the post-workout tightness might be caused by muscle weakness that needs some attention.

Play Hard and Have a Great Day!

Be Open to the Possibilities

Today is 'Anything Can Happen Day,' my tear away calendar told me on Wednesday, as the snow storm pounded the tri-state area. 'Be open to the possibilities today -- and every day.'

Hmmmm.... really?? possibilities??? it is snowing like a madman outside-- the norse gods must be partying again.... so you were saying about possibilities???? who is going to be presenting any possibilities to me today??

This is my thought-- when we are open to whatever might come our way, things come our way.

If we are not open, things don't come.

(I have done the closed and open thing-- and experimented...... closed does not bring anything. While we may need to close ourselves for whatever reason at times, it is better to learn to be open).

Personally, in my business and in my life, I prefer to be in the driver's seat. Sometimes, we may not feel that way-- like a victim to the circumstance in life. LIFE can be pretty challenging at times.

I have learned that I cannot control what happens. I can only control my reaction to those happenings or my actions to create those happenings. But how cool is that? I choose.

Once arriving at the realization that I choose and I can influence the possibilities that arrive by my attitude, I am more powerful in my daily interactions-- well, powerful, might seem strong-- i am open-- and in that i have power--because i choose.

Well, in my openness on Wednesday, because my calendar told me so..... i enjoyed a day of relaxation. I shoveled several times, and wow-- people assisted.... neighbors reached out with kindness. I was able to rest, later in the day... and I did not fret over the snow.

Since the reminder, several opportunities have presented themselves that may or may not be the right opportunities for me.... but since i am open to the possibilities that might arise, I am in the position to choose and orchestrate the choices I will take.

Be open to the possibilities. One never knows what might come your way.

Make it an excellent day.

Another great quote...

Everything I do,

I feel is genius.

Whether it is or it isn't.

---Rufus Wainwright

Success is Four Simple Steps

Dreams are great! These help us imagine the future, imagine possibilities, evaluate actions of the past.... Dreams.

Have you ever noticed that some people seem to dream it, believe it and make it happen? and sometimes, have you ever felt stuck in the mud? (i feel that sometimes i see people run by me at lightening speeds and I am sitting in the mud.)

Here's how to succeed in ANYTHING.

1. Dream - allow yourself to dream of your life as it

COULD BE rather than how it is-- how it will be when you

accomplish this dream.

2. Think - about your dream, where you are in relation

to it and one single, solitary step you could take

toward it

3. Talk - about your dream to anyone and everyone

who'll listen and support you in dreaming

4. Act - on your dream, even if only in teeny-tiny

steps. But act regularly enough and you'll soon

cover the distance between you and your goal

These activities can help you accomplish your goal.

My word for the remainder of the year....

I have a friend on twitter, @mizfitonline (http://mizfitonline.com), who like myself doesn't set new year's resolutions.

Instead, she uses a word to describe and emphasize the direction and motivation she has for the upcoming events. I thought about this a great deal, as MizFit described the word she is using for this year. And while, I have specific goals laid out for me this year, I like the idea of a word to motivate, to challenge and to remind.

My word for the remainder of this year is: DISCIPLINE.

I need the discipline to get up and challenge myself physically, emotionally, mentally every day.

I need the discipline to run.

I need the discipline to write.

I need the discipline to accept the challenges that come my way.

And as I thought of the dynamics of this word on my run this morning, I remembered my high school cross-country and track coach, Greg Freeman. While he was my coach, I strongly didn't like him. He was tough, expected a great deal, demanded more, and I was still a kid who didn't necessarily comprehend the relationship between training and excellent performance. (i was talented naturally).

As I am pursuing physical excellence this year and a comeback after my cycling accident, I am finding that I need this discipline even more now than ever. It is very easy to roll over and go back to sleep, when the sun isn't even up or it is freezing outside.

I need this discipline as I have relocated and am challenging myself to rebuild a business, acquire another master's degree and enjoy life.

I need this discipline so that I can truly enjoy the down time and laugh out loud.

Thank you MizFit for this wonderful idea. You have inspired me as you are pursuing your marathon.

what's your word?