After hurting my calf last week, I am trying hard to be patient and not run hard on it until it is feeling better. It's difficult though. The 2009 version fo the Logan marathon was on Saturday. So I have less than a year to prepare. I realize a year is still a lot of time, but I am anxious to start seeing progess. So it is really hard to not go for a good solid run.
This morning I got up and ran on the treadmill. I only ran two miles, and saying I "ran" is even a stretch. I would run, then would walk anytime I felt tightness in my calf. So I did get two miles in, but it was slow. It really tested my patience.
However, as I mentioned in my last post, patience is something I really need to learn. The only thing I will do by running hard right now is set myself back even further. So I am learning patience as I prepare for the run, and as I work towards recovery.
Total Miles Run: 19
Days until qualifying marathon: 363
Days of Sobriety: 39
Days until one year of sobriety: 326
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Setbacks
I guess I went too hard in my speed workout, because my calf is really giving me problems. I went for a 4 mile run, and on the way out I felt great. But as soon as I turned around, I felt a twinge in my calf and it really tightened up. So I had to slow way down and walk and jog back. I ended up doing 4 miles in 39 minutes, but the frustrating part was the calf muscle. I've had problems with it before, but I thought I had let it heal completely. Now I will have to stay off it for a few days and break back into the running slowly.
I don't take setbacks well. I tend to want to run through them or give up. So yet again, only a few weeks into my marathon preparation I am learning a valuable lesson from my addiction recovery. Setbacks are a part of life. Learning how to handle those setbacks is essential to the emotional maturity required for living a healthy, addiction free life. Unfortunately, addiction is all about covering up frustrations. I've spent 20 years making myself numb through my addiction, and I have never learned how to handle obstacles in a proactive, productive way.
So I will recognize that this injury is frustrating. I will understand that recovery from the injury will take patience. I will realize it's ok for me to feel a little frustrated about it, and I will choose to move on and handle the situation with patience and maturity.
To a non-addict this may sound like common sense. To an addict, any small setback can lead to a spiral which leads back into a familiar pit.
I am grateful for lessons learned.
Miles Run: 17
Days to Qualifying Marathon: 367
Days of Sobriety: 33
Days to One Year of Sobriety: 332
I don't take setbacks well. I tend to want to run through them or give up. So yet again, only a few weeks into my marathon preparation I am learning a valuable lesson from my addiction recovery. Setbacks are a part of life. Learning how to handle those setbacks is essential to the emotional maturity required for living a healthy, addiction free life. Unfortunately, addiction is all about covering up frustrations. I've spent 20 years making myself numb through my addiction, and I have never learned how to handle obstacles in a proactive, productive way.
So I will recognize that this injury is frustrating. I will understand that recovery from the injury will take patience. I will realize it's ok for me to feel a little frustrated about it, and I will choose to move on and handle the situation with patience and maturity.
To a non-addict this may sound like common sense. To an addict, any small setback can lead to a spiral which leads back into a familiar pit.
I am grateful for lessons learned.
Miles Run: 17
Days to Qualifying Marathon: 367
Days of Sobriety: 33
Days to One Year of Sobriety: 332
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A Long Way to Go
I have done a lot of reading about marathon training, and one article that resonated with me was about learning to run at marathon pace early in your training. So with a year still to go until the marathon, I figured I might as well give it a shot. I ran a workout of 3X800 at marathon pace of 3:43 per 800. And boy do I have a lot of work to do.
It was tough, it was draining, I really struggled. I couldn't believe how fast that pace felt. I finished each 800 completely drained and had to rest nearly 4 minutes before running the next.
I ended the workout a bit frustrated. I had hoped it wouldn't be as difficult as it was.
But then I realized something...one of the reasons I wanted to use marathon training as I work to recover from addiction was to learn lessons like I learned today. Training for a marathon doesn't happen in one day, it happens workout after workout, day after day. Recovering from addiction doesn't happen all in one day either. It happens with my decisions day after day. "One day at a time".
One of my weaknesses is I want instant gratification. I want to be completely healed from my addiction today. I want to never suffer weakness or temptation or struggles. But that's not how it works. It happens over time with patience and hard work.
So I will be patient. I will enjoy the struggle as I train and work towards qualifying for the Boston Marathon. I will look back on this workout today as a stepping stone to get me where I want to go.
Days to Qualifying Marathon: 372
Total Miles Run: 13
Days of sobriety: 29
Days to one year of sobriety: 336
It was tough, it was draining, I really struggled. I couldn't believe how fast that pace felt. I finished each 800 completely drained and had to rest nearly 4 minutes before running the next.
I ended the workout a bit frustrated. I had hoped it wouldn't be as difficult as it was.
But then I realized something...one of the reasons I wanted to use marathon training as I work to recover from addiction was to learn lessons like I learned today. Training for a marathon doesn't happen in one day, it happens workout after workout, day after day. Recovering from addiction doesn't happen all in one day either. It happens with my decisions day after day. "One day at a time".
One of my weaknesses is I want instant gratification. I want to be completely healed from my addiction today. I want to never suffer weakness or temptation or struggles. But that's not how it works. It happens over time with patience and hard work.
So I will be patient. I will enjoy the struggle as I train and work towards qualifying for the Boston Marathon. I will look back on this workout today as a stepping stone to get me where I want to go.
Days to Qualifying Marathon: 372
Total Miles Run: 13
Days of sobriety: 29
Days to one year of sobriety: 336
Saturday, September 5, 2009
"Long" Run Saturday
Saturday is long run day, so I put in a whopping 4 miles. Hey, the long runs have to start somewhere.
The route I ran has a slight up hill on the way out, so I get the advantage of downhill coming back. I ran out in 19 minutes and back in just under 17, for a total of 35:46. I sometimes have trouble staying controlled during my long runs. I try to run to hard, try to win the race right there in my workout. So even though this run wasn't all that long, my goal was to treat it like a long run. I wanted to stay under control and relaxed the entire run.
In Advanced Marathoning by Peter Pfitzinger he talks about running your LSD (Long Slow Distance) runs at marathon pace + 10% to 20%. This run was almost exactly 20% slower than the Boston Qualifying time pace, so while I was on the outer range...I'm at least in the range. As I expand the mileage on my long runs, I will try maintain the pace as well.
It sure feels good to get up and run in the morning. I start with a whole new outlook on the day, I start out feeling like today will be a great day. "One day at a time", it works for marathon preparation and addiction recovery. And today is a great day.
Days to Qualifying Marathon: 378
Total Miles Run: 7
Days of Sobriety: 22
Days to One Year of Sobriety: 343
The route I ran has a slight up hill on the way out, so I get the advantage of downhill coming back. I ran out in 19 minutes and back in just under 17, for a total of 35:46. I sometimes have trouble staying controlled during my long runs. I try to run to hard, try to win the race right there in my workout. So even though this run wasn't all that long, my goal was to treat it like a long run. I wanted to stay under control and relaxed the entire run.
In Advanced Marathoning by Peter Pfitzinger he talks about running your LSD (Long Slow Distance) runs at marathon pace + 10% to 20%. This run was almost exactly 20% slower than the Boston Qualifying time pace, so while I was on the outer range...I'm at least in the range. As I expand the mileage on my long runs, I will try maintain the pace as well.
It sure feels good to get up and run in the morning. I start with a whole new outlook on the day, I start out feeling like today will be a great day. "One day at a time", it works for marathon preparation and addiction recovery. And today is a great day.
Days to Qualifying Marathon: 378
Total Miles Run: 7
Days of Sobriety: 22
Days to One Year of Sobriety: 343
Thursday, September 3, 2009
And it begins...
You have to start any goal somewhere. My effort to quality for the Boston Marathon started today. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill in 28:15. Do I have a long ways to go to be ready to run a 3:15 marathon? Yes I do. Does it feel good to get started? Absolutely.
I did not sleep well last night, so the 5:15 alarm seemed awfully early. But there really is no better way to start a day than with a run. I feel great now, ready to face the day.
The run felt mostly good. I chose to run inside because sometimes my need for instant gratification gets in the way and I run to hard outside. I have also had a sore calf the past few months and I wanted to make sure I could stop and stretch it out if I needed to. I had to push a little at the end to keep up the pace, but I can't complain.
Overall it was a good run, a good way to start the day, and I am on my way.
Days to Qualifying Marathon: 380
Total Miles Run: 3
Days of Sobriety: 20
Days to One year of sobriety: 345
I did not sleep well last night, so the 5:15 alarm seemed awfully early. But there really is no better way to start a day than with a run. I feel great now, ready to face the day.
The run felt mostly good. I chose to run inside because sometimes my need for instant gratification gets in the way and I run to hard outside. I have also had a sore calf the past few months and I wanted to make sure I could stop and stretch it out if I needed to. I had to push a little at the end to keep up the pace, but I can't complain.
Overall it was a good run, a good way to start the day, and I am on my way.
Days to Qualifying Marathon: 380
Total Miles Run: 3
Days of Sobriety: 20
Days to One year of sobriety: 345
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
How will this goal help me in my recovery?
I am a recovering addict. I have been an addict for over 20 years, and while I truly feel I am in recovery, the fight to overcome addiction is a battle that requires everything I have. I have done a lot of reading and some serious self contemplation. I have learned that one of my character weaknesses which enables the addiction is a desire for the quick fix. I want instant gratification. This terrible habit leads directly into my addictive behavior.
As part of my recovery, it is important for me to learn maturity as far as delayed gratification and how hard work and diligence can lead to great success. Recovery involves more than will power, it requires a change of lifestyle to unlearn the habits and weaknesses which have been developed.
I thought deeply about a way to change my life which could help me overcome this glaring weakness. I decided what I needed to do was set a long term, difficult goal. One which I would have to work with all of my might to achieve. The thought seemed like a good one, so now the question is, what goal to set?
Recently I spent some time in Boston with my wife and we loved the city. Walking around this historic town it hit me. It was more than just a thought, it was an inspiration...the goal for me is to quality for and run the Boston Marathon.
There are many benefits to this goal, and I will describe those in later posts. But for now I have the strong inner resolve that I will achieve this goal, and in doing so will learn something about maturity, and something about discipline, both of which will help me in my recovery.
So here we go...
---20 days of sobriety
---0 Total miles run.
As part of my recovery, it is important for me to learn maturity as far as delayed gratification and how hard work and diligence can lead to great success. Recovery involves more than will power, it requires a change of lifestyle to unlearn the habits and weaknesses which have been developed.
I thought deeply about a way to change my life which could help me overcome this glaring weakness. I decided what I needed to do was set a long term, difficult goal. One which I would have to work with all of my might to achieve. The thought seemed like a good one, so now the question is, what goal to set?
Recently I spent some time in Boston with my wife and we loved the city. Walking around this historic town it hit me. It was more than just a thought, it was an inspiration...the goal for me is to quality for and run the Boston Marathon.
There are many benefits to this goal, and I will describe those in later posts. But for now I have the strong inner resolve that I will achieve this goal, and in doing so will learn something about maturity, and something about discipline, both of which will help me in my recovery.
So here we go...
---20 days of sobriety
---0 Total miles run.
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