Momentum didn't take a few months ago. Since my commentary on Second Chances, the reset button has been hit. I revisited my chiropractor and massage therapist to fix the pesky right hip issue. There’s a new coach in the picture, and a new view on what needs to be done. Much of the past month has been spent reflecting on the training for Chicago and what needs to be done differently.
Coach K is more than qualified, but her program had me pushing too hard (see right hip issue above). The new coach is a former co-worker from when I worked for a law firm in New York City just out of college. We both went on to law school, and neither one of us is practicing law. She left the life of lawyering and started a fitness studio in upstate New York. A few weeks ago I reached out for suggestions on how to find a coach in Orlando, and learned she coaches runners and triathletes. She offered to help and for the past few weeks, what she’s put together has worked well.
The “road to Boston” also took on more focus, with lessons learned from the experiences of others. I read the book Running Away by Robert Andrew Powell and his attempt to qualify for Boston on his first try, similar to what his father did in the late ‘70s. The Runner Academy podcast by Matt Johnson is also a recent addiction. Matt regularly interviews different guests and offers tips for runners of all abilities, and his podcasts have been played daily for the past couple weeks.
With all this new knowledge, it’s obvious why the Chicago Marathon finish was somewhat a disappointment. The pace for the first half was fairly impressive, but the second half kicked my ass. My body wasn’t ready for it after taking an entire month off the training program because of my Achilles issue, the result of poor running form.
So now I’m on a plan that makes good sense, and already has me stronger and more flexible since before training for Chicago. The workouts aren’t as fast as January, but that was too fast too soon. Along the way there’ll be a focus on cadence, speed work, hills and other things that were not any part of the training for Chicago. But between now and then, the mission is to quit competing with ANYTHING and just log the miles to get a solid base. It’ll mean running with the snails, but that’s the only way to keep moving and run injury-free. Slow and steady won't win the race, but it'll set a strong foundation for speed.
Coach K is more than qualified, but her program had me pushing too hard (see right hip issue above). The new coach is a former co-worker from when I worked for a law firm in New York City just out of college. We both went on to law school, and neither one of us is practicing law. She left the life of lawyering and started a fitness studio in upstate New York. A few weeks ago I reached out for suggestions on how to find a coach in Orlando, and learned she coaches runners and triathletes. She offered to help and for the past few weeks, what she’s put together has worked well.
The “road to Boston” also took on more focus, with lessons learned from the experiences of others. I read the book Running Away by Robert Andrew Powell and his attempt to qualify for Boston on his first try, similar to what his father did in the late ‘70s. The Runner Academy podcast by Matt Johnson is also a recent addiction. Matt regularly interviews different guests and offers tips for runners of all abilities, and his podcasts have been played daily for the past couple weeks.
With all this new knowledge, it’s obvious why the Chicago Marathon finish was somewhat a disappointment. The pace for the first half was fairly impressive, but the second half kicked my ass. My body wasn’t ready for it after taking an entire month off the training program because of my Achilles issue, the result of poor running form.
So now I’m on a plan that makes good sense, and already has me stronger and more flexible since before training for Chicago. The workouts aren’t as fast as January, but that was too fast too soon. Along the way there’ll be a focus on cadence, speed work, hills and other things that were not any part of the training for Chicago. But between now and then, the mission is to quit competing with ANYTHING and just log the miles to get a solid base. It’ll mean running with the snails, but that’s the only way to keep moving and run injury-free. Slow and steady won't win the race, but it'll set a strong foundation for speed.
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