Tomorrow, for my long run, it's supposed to rain. And rain and rain. I can do snow much better than rain, and I am slightly dreading it. Must not dread it! Dread never makes anything easier!
In preparation for running more than an hour at a time, I popped into the Running Room yesterday evening and got advice from an old friend of my brother's who is also the store manager. He's an ultra-marathoner (or something like that--he mentioned running for 20 hours at a stretch, which is longer than I'd comfortably like to be awake at a stretch), and when I asked about his training, he told me he runs 100km a week, more during race season, a bit less during the off-season, and usually in 25km chunks. Which made me feel every so slightly wimpy about asking what I should be drinking on, um, [whispered] a 14km run. But he was very nice about my ambitions, and I ended up getting a pack with two 10-ounce bottles to wear around my waist, so I will look especially ridiculous as I trot around the neighbourhood on Saturday morning--oh, it's so far, I must have liquid or I shall die! But I need to experiment with feeding myself before getting into the race. I have some packets of electrolytes and calories to add to water, and I have a packet of gel to try, too. The bars and chews looked too much like a meal. He recommended eating/drinking during the bike riding portion, as the body could digest at that point, and does not digest as well (or at all?) during the run. The thought of eating while running makes me queasy.
But I have been working out with some food in my stomach, so my body is already somewhat accustomed to the idea. My longest quiet stretch of this week is from Wednesday morning's early run (7.5km) to Thursday afternoon's yoga class (90-minute vinyasa), which this week was followed by a hurried but unadvisadly gigantic meal of pasta, hamburger, red sauce, and delectable local greens, which was then followed almost immediately by a 90-minute kundalini class, during which I fought diligently against the two plates of pasta. Not sure what the solution is, since I'd like to do both classes (Thursday will now be "yoga day"!), and I have to eat in between. Guess I'll just eat in between and consider it training.
Post-kundalini, I was able to lift my arms over my head for this morning's swim, though I cut it back to 50 minutes. I am thinking of Friday as an easy day, now. All I had to do was add a run to the swim on Monday, and the just-a-swim day turned into an easy day. I like that. It's the same principle that turns 7:30am into "sleeping in"--simply get up at 5:15am a couple of times a week. I'm up to four early mornings a week, and that's all I plan on doing. Every early morning requires a nap later in the day, so I schedule it in.
I am living a life of such luxury. Writing time. Time for daily exercise in a variety of places. A body that remains willing, so far. Family support and interest. Good food for every meal. Time with my kids. An observable benefit to this project is that I'm taking time for ordinary things. On Thursdays, which are quiet, at-home days, with two of my kids home all day, I'm relaxing into the idea of accomplishing very little. Coffee with friends, make supper, do laundry and dishes, read to the kids, tiny walking-distance errands, and nothing more. And more importantly, not even thinking about what else needs to be done, and not telling myself that I should be doing other things. Just being where I'm at. That is something that any physical practice teaches--how to settle into doing just one thing. It's why yoga is so restorative--you're emptied out and focussed in and it forces you to stay where you are and rest there.
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I've picked a race but have been unable to sign up for it yet. The triathlon site seemed to indicate they were still working out issues with their online sign-up form, and I emailed for more info, but haven't heard back. When I sign up officially, I will post it here!
And one more note: I swam for a full kilometre using the alternate breathing. One-two-three. One-two-three. Since I don't have years of a different method routed into my brain, it hasn't been that difficult to make the switch. Still, when I need an easy length, I return to the same-side breath. But the other method is definitely growing on me. It's a keeper.
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