Redefining a Couple of Nasty 4-letter Words
Well, it's been a minute, hey? :) When I last wrote, I said that I wasn't really sure what my plan was for the frequency of my posts going forward. I didn't intend to take a 4 week break, but after 5 months of near weekly posts it was nice to have a little reprieve. Now that I'm back, my aim is to post every 2nd week going forward, starting with tonight. So for the 5 or 10 people who were pining for some new reading material (it's ok Kiley!) you can rest easy! Haha
My topic for this week comes from two separate sources. The first was a tweet by two-time Olympian Reid Coolsaet back in May, and the second was a Facebook post that I made in June 2017. The idea behind the two was very similar, although we were taking issue with two different words; Reid was attacking the word "just", and I was taking aim at "only".
Anyone who has spent even a small amount of time in the world of running has likely heard these words. As Reid's tweet pointed out, "just" is quite often used when referencing the shorter race distances at a race weekend event. "I just did the 5k", or "I just did the half-marathon". And no, the context isn't "just" as in recently completed! :)
In my post, I was discussing "only" in a similar context, although it is probably more frequently used to describe pace, "I only ran at 5:00/km today".
The interesting thing about both of these words is that rarely, if ever, are they being directed at us by someone else. They are almost exclusively used as a form of negative self-talk. And as I pointed out in my post last year, if someone else WERE to dare use those terms towards us, we'd likely be highly offended. So why do we let ourselves away with it?
Running is an extremely fun activity, but it can also be a grind. It's easy to feel defeated at times. And it's also very easy to look at someone who is running farther or faster than you are and feel a touch of insignificance. To feel like it's so much more difficult for you than it is for everyone else. To feel like the work you are putting in is not providing the results you desire. We have all experienced some of these feelings at one time or another I am sure.
My suggested solution is to take these negative words and turn them in a positive direction.
If you've run the shorter distance at an event, don't say you "just" ran less than those who did the longer distance. Remind yourself that you "just" ran a lot farther than if you had never stepped up to the start line in the first place.
If you have a tough workout and you "only" ran at a certain pace, remind yourself that you can "only" do what your body is capable of that day. Also, when you are running and your mind is working against you, always remember that you can "only" run the kilometer you are currently in, and that you can "only" give it your best.
Some may find this kind of message a bit simplistic, and that's fine. All I can say is that when it comes to running, keeping your mind in the right place is essential to performing up to your potential, so to me anything that can turn a negative thought into a positive one is worth it.
And, as is quite often the case, this advice translates extremely well to other areas of life as well. Translating running lessons into life lessons is one of the greatest gifts this sport has given me, so it never hurts to look for other places where these things can apply as well. :)
Weekly Summary (May 28-June 3)
Mon.: Off
Tue. (Lunch): 10.5 min warmup, 1 x 20 min + 1 x 12.5 min (4:26/km / 4:25/km) w/ 3 min recovery, 9 min cooldown (Workout total: 11.3 km, 55:08, 4:52/km pace)
Wed./Thu.: Off
Fri. (Lunch): 9.5 min warmup, 3 x 2 km (4:14/km / 4:18/km / 4:16/km) w/ 2.5 min recovery, 9.5 min cooldown (Workout total: 10 km, 49:42, 4:58/km pace)
Sat.: Off
Sun. (Morning): 20.6 km, 1:50:38, 5:22/km pace
Total: 41.9 km
Weekly Summary (June 4-10)
Mon.: Off
Tue. (Evening): 9.5 min warmup, 1 x 15 min + 1 x 10 min + 2 x 5 min (4:19/km / 4:22/km / 4:27/km / 4:00/km) w/ 3 min recovery, 9 min cooldown (Workout total: 12.7 km, 1:02:22, 4:55/km pace)
Wed.: Off
Thu. (Evening): 10 min warmup, 3 x 2 min (3:50/km / 4:04/km / 4:04/km) w/ 2 min recovery, 15 min cooldown (Workout total: 6.6 km, 34:57, 5:19/km pace)
Fri./Sat.: Off
Sun. (Morning): 2.8 km, 16:28, 5:52/km pace [USR warmup]
10 km, 43:56, 4;22/km pace [USR 10k race]
2.6 km, 16:57, 6:31/km pace [USR cooldown]
0.92 km, 7:17, 7:55/km pace [USR 1k race]
Total: 35.6 km
Weekly Summary (June 11-17)
Mon.: Off
Tue. (Lunch): 9 min warmup, 6 x 1 km (4:07/km / 4:07/km / 4:06/km / 4:03/km / 4:06/km / 4:02/km) w/ 2 min recovery, 10.5 min cooldown (Workout total: 10.8 km, 53:59, 4:59/km pace)
Wed.: Off
Thu. (Lunch): 10 min warmup, 17.5 min + 12.5 min + 7.5 min (4:23/km / 4:17/km / 4:15/km) w/ 3 min recovery, 10 min cooldown (Workout total: 13.3 km, 1:03:28, 4:46/km pace)
Fri..: Off
Sat. (Morning): 8.7 km, 46:29, 5:20/km pace
Sun. (Morning): 18 km, 1:40:45, 5:35/km pace
Total: 50.8 km
Weekly Summary (June 18-24)
Mon.-Wed.: Off
Thu. (Evening): 10 min warmup, 2 x 20 min (4:32/km / 4:42/km ) w/ 5 min recovery, 13.5 min cooldown (Workout total: 13.2 km, 1:08:22, 5:10/km pace)
Fri..: Off
Sat. (Morning): 7.4 km, 1:10:49, 9:32/km pace [PRC Amazing Race]
Sun. (Morning): 4.9 km, 31:09, 6:21/km pace [Run for Women warmup]
10 km, 56:06, 5:38/km pace [Run for Women 10k]
Total: 35.5 km
That's obviously a lot of numbers. I posted them all partially for completeness, but also because I wanted to talk about the last 4 weeks of my training as a whole.
When I last wrote, I had just missed my first workout and long run of Tely training due to a cold I acquired on my vacation. Since then I have spent the better part of the last month feeling tired. All. The. Time. I'm not sure what the cause is, whether it was not taking enough time to recover from the cold, accumulated fatigue from my training, or just other factors wearing me down. Whatever the cause, it's been tough to manage.
At peak training, I attempt to get 6 runs in a week: 2 workouts, a long run, and 3 easy/recovery runs. If I'm tired, I'll generally drop 1 of the recovery runs and still get 5 runs in. The first two weeks of this block, I "only" got my 2 workouts and my long run in. The third week I managed to squeeze in one easy run and make it to 4 runs for that week.
And then, I woke up this Tuesday feeling even more tired than I had the previous 3 weeks. I honestly felt like I was likely to get sick again. So I took Tuesday off, and Wednesday too. I still wasn't feeling great Thursday, but since I hadn't started getting sick I decided to push through with my workout. The combination of the fatigue and it being the first really warm run of the year led to me being between 15-30 seconds slower than normal on my tempo pace.
Thankfully, when I went home Thursday night my body decided it was time to recuperate. I fell sound asleep, and didn't budge for 9.5 hours. I woke up Friday morning feeling refreshed for the first time in a month. Then, as can often be the case, life provided me with some mental rejuvenation to complement the physical side.
Saturday morning, the Paradise Running Club held our first ever Amazing Race event, and did it ever live up to the name. The executive, led by the tremendous efforts of Shelly Gosse, put off an event that was incredibly well-organized, professionally executed, and soundly enjoyed by all involved. I think I speak for everyone who participated in saying that I hope this is an event that returns in the future!
Then this morning, I ran the Run for Women event for the first time. The event was an overwhelming success, with 1000 runners registering and over $50,000 being raised for the various causes. As can be seen from the pics below, our running club was out in full force. And if I do say so myself, we were quite well-dressed! I've received compliments during races before, but I it's safe to say that 3 guys running down the road in yellow tutus garnered more compliments than all my previous races combined! :)
So, after a tough month of training, this weekend was "just" what I needed! And even though I may not have gotten in every training run I wanted to these last 4 weeks, I could "only" do what my body would let me.
With that, I'll sign off on this one. There are 4 weeks left until the Tely, and my plan is to make a post in two weeks with some Tely tips for any new (or newer) runners to the race. It's a compilation of tips from some posts that members of our club have made in the past that I sent along to some friends last year, and I feel that it's quite beneficial. Until then, thanks for reading. Cheers!
My topic for this week comes from two separate sources. The first was a tweet by two-time Olympian Reid Coolsaet back in May, and the second was a Facebook post that I made in June 2017. The idea behind the two was very similar, although we were taking issue with two different words; Reid was attacking the word "just", and I was taking aim at "only".
Anyone who has spent even a small amount of time in the world of running has likely heard these words. As Reid's tweet pointed out, "just" is quite often used when referencing the shorter race distances at a race weekend event. "I just did the 5k", or "I just did the half-marathon". And no, the context isn't "just" as in recently completed! :)
In my post, I was discussing "only" in a similar context, although it is probably more frequently used to describe pace, "I only ran at 5:00/km today".
The interesting thing about both of these words is that rarely, if ever, are they being directed at us by someone else. They are almost exclusively used as a form of negative self-talk. And as I pointed out in my post last year, if someone else WERE to dare use those terms towards us, we'd likely be highly offended. So why do we let ourselves away with it?
Running is an extremely fun activity, but it can also be a grind. It's easy to feel defeated at times. And it's also very easy to look at someone who is running farther or faster than you are and feel a touch of insignificance. To feel like it's so much more difficult for you than it is for everyone else. To feel like the work you are putting in is not providing the results you desire. We have all experienced some of these feelings at one time or another I am sure.
My suggested solution is to take these negative words and turn them in a positive direction.
If you've run the shorter distance at an event, don't say you "just" ran less than those who did the longer distance. Remind yourself that you "just" ran a lot farther than if you had never stepped up to the start line in the first place.
If you have a tough workout and you "only" ran at a certain pace, remind yourself that you can "only" do what your body is capable of that day. Also, when you are running and your mind is working against you, always remember that you can "only" run the kilometer you are currently in, and that you can "only" give it your best.
Some may find this kind of message a bit simplistic, and that's fine. All I can say is that when it comes to running, keeping your mind in the right place is essential to performing up to your potential, so to me anything that can turn a negative thought into a positive one is worth it.
And, as is quite often the case, this advice translates extremely well to other areas of life as well. Translating running lessons into life lessons is one of the greatest gifts this sport has given me, so it never hurts to look for other places where these things can apply as well. :)
Weekly Summary (May 28-June 3)
Mon.: Off
Tue. (Lunch): 10.5 min warmup, 1 x 20 min + 1 x 12.5 min (4:26/km / 4:25/km) w/ 3 min recovery, 9 min cooldown (Workout total: 11.3 km, 55:08, 4:52/km pace)
Wed./Thu.: Off
Fri. (Lunch): 9.5 min warmup, 3 x 2 km (4:14/km / 4:18/km / 4:16/km) w/ 2.5 min recovery, 9.5 min cooldown (Workout total: 10 km, 49:42, 4:58/km pace)
Sat.: Off
Sun. (Morning): 20.6 km, 1:50:38, 5:22/km pace
Total: 41.9 km
Weekly Summary (June 4-10)
Mon.: Off
Tue. (Evening): 9.5 min warmup, 1 x 15 min + 1 x 10 min + 2 x 5 min (4:19/km / 4:22/km / 4:27/km / 4:00/km) w/ 3 min recovery, 9 min cooldown (Workout total: 12.7 km, 1:02:22, 4:55/km pace)
Wed.: Off
Thu. (Evening): 10 min warmup, 3 x 2 min (3:50/km / 4:04/km / 4:04/km) w/ 2 min recovery, 15 min cooldown (Workout total: 6.6 km, 34:57, 5:19/km pace)
Fri./Sat.: Off
Sun. (Morning): 2.8 km, 16:28, 5:52/km pace [USR warmup]
10 km, 43:56, 4;22/km pace [USR 10k race]
2.6 km, 16:57, 6:31/km pace [USR cooldown]
0.92 km, 7:17, 7:55/km pace [USR 1k race]
Total: 35.6 km
Weekly Summary (June 11-17)
Mon.: Off
Tue. (Lunch): 9 min warmup, 6 x 1 km (4:07/km / 4:07/km / 4:06/km / 4:03/km / 4:06/km / 4:02/km) w/ 2 min recovery, 10.5 min cooldown (Workout total: 10.8 km, 53:59, 4:59/km pace)
Wed.: Off
Thu. (Lunch): 10 min warmup, 17.5 min + 12.5 min + 7.5 min (4:23/km / 4:17/km / 4:15/km) w/ 3 min recovery, 10 min cooldown (Workout total: 13.3 km, 1:03:28, 4:46/km pace)
Fri..: Off
Sat. (Morning): 8.7 km, 46:29, 5:20/km pace
Sun. (Morning): 18 km, 1:40:45, 5:35/km pace
Total: 50.8 km
Weekly Summary (June 18-24)
Mon.-Wed.: Off
Thu. (Evening): 10 min warmup, 2 x 20 min (4:32/km / 4:42/km ) w/ 5 min recovery, 13.5 min cooldown (Workout total: 13.2 km, 1:08:22, 5:10/km pace)
Fri..: Off
Sat. (Morning): 7.4 km, 1:10:49, 9:32/km pace [PRC Amazing Race]
Sun. (Morning): 4.9 km, 31:09, 6:21/km pace [Run for Women warmup]
10 km, 56:06, 5:38/km pace [Run for Women 10k]
Total: 35.5 km
That's obviously a lot of numbers. I posted them all partially for completeness, but also because I wanted to talk about the last 4 weeks of my training as a whole.
When I last wrote, I had just missed my first workout and long run of Tely training due to a cold I acquired on my vacation. Since then I have spent the better part of the last month feeling tired. All. The. Time. I'm not sure what the cause is, whether it was not taking enough time to recover from the cold, accumulated fatigue from my training, or just other factors wearing me down. Whatever the cause, it's been tough to manage.
At peak training, I attempt to get 6 runs in a week: 2 workouts, a long run, and 3 easy/recovery runs. If I'm tired, I'll generally drop 1 of the recovery runs and still get 5 runs in. The first two weeks of this block, I "only" got my 2 workouts and my long run in. The third week I managed to squeeze in one easy run and make it to 4 runs for that week.
And then, I woke up this Tuesday feeling even more tired than I had the previous 3 weeks. I honestly felt like I was likely to get sick again. So I took Tuesday off, and Wednesday too. I still wasn't feeling great Thursday, but since I hadn't started getting sick I decided to push through with my workout. The combination of the fatigue and it being the first really warm run of the year led to me being between 15-30 seconds slower than normal on my tempo pace.
Thankfully, when I went home Thursday night my body decided it was time to recuperate. I fell sound asleep, and didn't budge for 9.5 hours. I woke up Friday morning feeling refreshed for the first time in a month. Then, as can often be the case, life provided me with some mental rejuvenation to complement the physical side.
Saturday morning, the Paradise Running Club held our first ever Amazing Race event, and did it ever live up to the name. The executive, led by the tremendous efforts of Shelly Gosse, put off an event that was incredibly well-organized, professionally executed, and soundly enjoyed by all involved. I think I speak for everyone who participated in saying that I hope this is an event that returns in the future!
Then this morning, I ran the Run for Women event for the first time. The event was an overwhelming success, with 1000 runners registering and over $50,000 being raised for the various causes. As can be seen from the pics below, our running club was out in full force. And if I do say so myself, we were quite well-dressed! I've received compliments during races before, but I it's safe to say that 3 guys running down the road in yellow tutus garnered more compliments than all my previous races combined! :)
"We're So Pretty! Oh So Pretty!"....Or something like that. Haha
I'm very fortunate to run with such an amazing group
So, after a tough month of training, this weekend was "just" what I needed! And even though I may not have gotten in every training run I wanted to these last 4 weeks, I could "only" do what my body would let me.
With that, I'll sign off on this one. There are 4 weeks left until the Tely, and my plan is to make a post in two weeks with some Tely tips for any new (or newer) runners to the race. It's a compilation of tips from some posts that members of our club have made in the past that I sent along to some friends last year, and I feel that it's quite beneficial. Until then, thanks for reading. Cheers!
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