Today's run (street): 2.7 miles at 9:38
Most mornings I wake up before my alarm goes off and that makes it easier to get up. The vestiges of sleep are already gone by the time I make my way down to the kitchen for my coffee and I'm already thinking about the route I'll run. Today I needed the alarm and as I poured my cup, my still-sleepy mind lobbied for just another rest day. The thought of returning to bed was tempting but I view ad hoc rest days warily. Too many of them could lead to a permanent change to my running schedule. It's a slippery slope. I just called on my favorite motivator, guilt, and was quickly out the door.
When I stepped outside I saw that conditions were good, with cooler air and low humidity. I'm not focused on speed right now so I felt no pressure to push my pace (and I didn't.) I did a variation to my normal route and that kept it interesting. At the two mile point I actually felt stronger than when I'd started and I took a slightly longer route to finish my run of 2.7 miles. The lengthy run on Saturday with 15 total miles over the weekend put me in a different state in terms getting through today's run. I found it easy to go on auto pilot and think about other things as I went along and this made today's run even more enjoyable. Tomorrow I am out of the office and I plan to run a little longer in the morning and build some more mileage.
There was an article in today's NY Times about the Army's new methods of training that involve less traditional exercise like sit ups and more yoga and Pilate's. It's not about the Army being more new age-y, it's a necessary change to accommodate the more out of shape recruits that are coming on board. The article also had this quote: “We haven’t eliminated running,” General Hertling said. “But it’s trying to get away from that being the only thing we do.” I hope they don't continue in that direction. Yoga and Pilate's may be beneficial, but for a soldier, running is essential.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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Not having ever been a soldier, I do think that the ability to run, not just be in good cardiovascular shape, is pretty key to survival if you are in a dangerous situation.
ReplyDeleteSaw a goofy zombie movie recently (never had but this was lighthearted, believe it or not) and the hero's first rule to living in the land of zombies and surviving? Cardio. Literally rule #1, spelled out on the screen. All the fat/out of shape people got killed and eaten first. I thought that rule was a) a riot and b) quite realistic, given the situation.
I also think if you can lift yourself/climb UP something, that'd come in handy re: scrambling options.
When I lived in Washington state I ran AND did yoga regularly, I felt more physically healthy and balanced than I think I ever had. They are very complimentary, in my experience. Also helps you focus and be calm under stress, which can be very useful. Just my 20 cents. =)
Besides being an effective tool for avoiding zombies (I think that may be more of a west coast problem : ) I've found running to be the best "universal" exercise I've ever done. I know it leaves a void in upper body strength training but other than that it's been a great way of staying in shape.
ReplyDeleteI know a number of people who are devoted to yoga and I respect the work that goes into doing that regularly. I've done core exercises on and off and always benefit from that. There's no sport, workout or discipline that provides everything you need for complete physical health. I've found doing what I love most (running) motivates me the best.