Quieting the Lion

I have a hard time being happy without running.    

 

That doesn't make sense to a lot of people.  Most of the time, when I talk to people about running,    they have a hard time disassociating it from gym class or sports where you had to run laps if you made a mistake.  To many, running  is punishment and to do so voluntarily is  bewildering.

I've got a noise in my head that that I refer to as “the roar”.   It’s the thousand things that I need to do, people I have made promises to,  snippets of commercials that won’t go away,   regrets, decisions, regrets about decisions,  and a whole myriad of  noise.    Imagine a noisy bar where there are twenty different people trying to get your attention  and you’re trying to read something.  That’s my headspace a lot of the time.  My mind is often flitting about like a humming bird on amphetamines, bouncing from sound byte to snapshot, looking for something, anything.    It doesn't take long before I start becoming antsy.  Then I become irritable.  Then grouchy.  Then I get thrown out of the house with the instructions to not come back until I’m ready to behave.

I don’t like who I am when the roar in my head is at full volume.

Running is the mute button.

When the roar becomes deafening, I can lace up my shoes and blow out the door like a wild man.   Soon the rhythmic footfalls and steady breaths are all I can hear.   The world of fast food, rock stars, phone calls, and new cars gets washed away in a moment and I’m able to focus on the things that matter.   Sometimes I focus on the basics of survival like body temperature and food. Sometimes I focus on running mechanics and technique.   Sometimes, I think about the important things like my spiritual health, my marriage or my father’s failing health.

And sometimes, I just let it all go and think about nothing.  Clear, empty, quiet.      The roar is gone for a bit and I can smile.

A rebirth and running

Well, it seems like now is as good a time as any to dust off this blog. Admittedly, I was prompted by a tiny bit of envy when I read my sister’s new blog post.  I’m not sure what will become of this effort, but I’d like to believe this will result in a few more posts than the last effort.  Of course, I carry those good intentions every time I begin writing a journal.  

Me and my awesome sister.  Note that I am a morning person and she is not.

In an effort to make myself look a little less petty, I’ll explain the envy I mentioned above.   You see, despite the fact that Whitney got several positive comments (I’m not sure anyone besides our mother has read mine....) I’m far more envious of her clarity when it comes to running.

I wish I had a short, acceptable, and understandable answer when asked why I run.   Whitney might not have a short answer, but her post tells you a lot about her motivation.  When people ask me why I run I stutter, mumble, and generally evade the answer. That’s because the short answer never seems to hit the mark.

“Because I don’t like the person I am when I don’t run.”

“I really like the discomfort and suffering.”

“I have a hard time being happy without running.”

Those are the type of one-line responses that bounce around in my head. Those sentences can make me seem like a masochist with low self-esteem and little other joy in life.   Fun stuff, hey?   Sentences like that are what you use when you want to end a conversation at a cocktail party.

One of my favorite trails at the Maybury State Park

I’m going to use this blog to dig into the “why” of my running and training.   I can’t promise any definitive answers, but I can promise that I’ll try to keep it interesting.  

Run for your life,
Chris

Riding, lots of riding!

So, after what seemed like an eternally wet spring, the trails are finally dried out enough to go ride. And I've done lots and lots of riding, both in a car and on the bike. After the last post, Lauren and I jumped in the car and drove to MArquette for Whitney's graduation, and commencement ceremonies. I'm still really proud of her for finishing her nursing degree. Yay Whit!

Lauren and I drove home on Sunday (the drive from Marquette is a day long endeavor) and the next morning I set out for Tremont, Illinois to visit my friend Brad. This time, I brought my mountain bike. 18 miles of brutal single track on Tuesday and another 14 miles of easier riding on Wednesday were really good training. Then another day-long drive home on Thursday.

After a chore day on Friday, we drove up to my parents (only a short 2 hour jaunt) for Whitney's Bridal shower. Then back home again Sunday night for a total of almost 2300 miles in 10 days. My butt hurts and not from riding my bike.

Yesterday I went for a long ride. Well, at least that was the intention. I wanted to do a 5-6 hour ride, but in the process of waiting for my new biking shoes, I didn't get out the door until uch later than I wanted. About 15 minutes in I went over the handlebars and cut some good scrapes and bruises. No serious damage but it definitely made a big difference in how I attacked the trail. It also put a nice little hole in the sidewall of my front tire. The Caffelatex sealed it right up, but I forgot to do something really basic - check the air pressure. It turns out that the tire dropped from 30psi to about 10 psi while the puncture was sealing. That 20 psi difference made the front end feel like a boat anchor by the time I was working on my third lap.

So, after three laps I called it quits. 33 miles in 3 hours and 10 minutes wasn't too shabby in my book even though I was hoping for 40-50 miles.

Double Post!!! Today and yesterday

Ok, so it's been interesting trying to getback on track.

Yesterday:

3x5 pushpress: don't remember the progression, but I ended at 115#

3x3 split jerk: 95#, 105#, 115#

3x1 behind the neck split jerk, 95#, 115#, 115# should have gone higher

Today: No crossfit, but YAY intervals

4 x 5 min

Distance [mi] - 1.58, 1.59, 1.53, 1.56

Back to it....

5x5 Good Mornings - 65,95,105,115,115
5x3 Power snatch - 75,95,110,110,110

For time:
30 Burpees
30 Pull ups
6:38

First Ride!

First ride of the season tonight, and I'm blown away. I crushed my previous best lap time by 20 minutes and I still had a lot of gas in the tank so to speak. This was my first chance to really get my new bike out on the trails and I can't even begin to describe how much fun it is. It just goes. Goes fast, goes where I point it, and goes up hills like a billy goat. I really REALLY like my Fu Bar handle bars . The high amount of sweep just feels so natural. It's a shame that they're so heavy (and shiny, I don't like shiny) compared to my carbon bars.

I'm just amazed at what my training during the off season has done for my ability to ride long and hard. CrossFit Endurance mayj ust be the way to go after all. We'll see in about 6 weeks when I strap in to go 100 miles in a day.

Here's the stats:

Trail/Miles: Lakeshore Park -10.44 miles. I really ought to calibrate my odometer.

Time: 56 minutes

Tires/Pressure: Rear- Rocket Ron(32psi) Front- Raven(25 psi)

Shock Pressure: +160/-150

RRRAAWWRR!

Squat 7-7-5-5, #185,#205, #225,#225

Power Clean 5-5-3-3 #135,#155,#155,#165

Press 3-3-1-1, #95,#105, #115, #125

Rest 90-120 seconds between each lift

3 rounds of:

10 squat jumps

15 Knee to elbow

20 DUs

10:41. THose Knee to elbows killed my time.... everything else was pretty quick.