Everybody likes to get better at whatever they're into. Whether it's your ability to play the tuba or to water ski, improvement in your skills generally leads to a happier, more satisfied you. So how do you cope when you have to purposely let your skills, knowledge or fitness slide?
That's the question I'm dealing with, as I've dramatically cut back on my running within the last three weeks. I've gone from training for a marathon (about 35-40 miles a week, including a 17-to-20-mile long run on Sundays) down to less than 15 miles of running a week, and at a much lower intensity. I've also reduced my cycling.
No, I'm not injured. I'm just trying to get my hormone levels back to a more normal place. But enough of that... the gist is that I'm doing very short runs at a more leisurely pace (lower heart rate). What's the big deal?
Well, the funny thing about training is that the less you do it, the slower you get -- and the harder it is to accomplish, physically. Today, I ran six miles about a minute per mile slower than I ordinarily would, and I felt tired. And emotionally, it just stinks to see some guy run right past you, looking very fit indeed while you feel like a snail.
In fact, that's a big part of the challenge. Not only are you getting slower as you get detrained, but you face a visceral sort of angst. It's almost grief.
"I used to be fast. Now I just waddle. I'm one of those people who waddle! Oh no!"
"I could be faster if I were training to be faster. But I'm choosing to be slow right now."
"It's ok, really. Running is not my priority right now. Other things are more important. Really. They are."
It's all about affirmations. Yes, it is.
Wow, I'm really sorry to hear that. That must be really hard to take. I guess I (like most people) always run to my ability, so it would be really weird to have to purposefully slow down on runs. It would almost make it hard to run, because I would be so tempted to run faster on runs because I know I can. I hope the hormone levels get back to normal so that you can get back to your running self. Good luck with the process, runners definitely know what you mean in this post.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's tough because I already feel myself slowing down. Even though I'm still running, I'm losing fitness. It doesn't help things that I've been trying to gain a little weight (nothing big, just a few pounds)...and when you gain weight, you slow down more!
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you are so bummed about this. Are you mainly just trying to gain weight by running less? You mention hormones- and I have just dropped by here for the first time...maybe you have written on this before. Do you need to cut back for any particular reason? Doctor's advice? Sorry to be so nosy- just that I'd hate to see you lose your joy! You can maintain weight (or even gain it) by upping your calories- It seems like you would be happier!
ReplyDeleteHi Small Town ... yes, last year we had a miscarriage, and since then, my cycle has been really messed up. Part of it is likely the load I've put on my adrenals and the way the endurance sports (especially the running) has altered my hypothalamus/pituitary function. So I've completely toned it down; no more speedwork or tempo runs, and in general, I run 30 minutes on two days a week and about 45 minutes on a third day in the week. The rest of the time I'm lightly biking. I've also altered my diet so that I'm drinking whole milk, plus eliminating processed foods. Hopefully it will help. BTW once I let the racing go, I realized that it doesn't hold the meaning to me that it once did. It's kind of liberating!
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