Pacing

Since I began running a little more than a year ago my idea of pacing has been to listen to the rhythm of my body and let it find the perfect pace for each mile, or each hill. It's worked really well with some fantastic runs in that realm.

I'm now heading towards a race in a few weeks and asked my friend Marty for some advice on final preparations. He was kind enough - and I am quite grateful - to offer his wisdom from so many years of running. The primary workouts Marty has planned for me are pacing workouts - holding a specific pace. Being able to monitor, assess, and hold a consistent pace will be key to keeping my energy strong and heading towards a solid finish.

I haven't done this type of focused pacing for perhaps 20 years, but so far it's been another thrill to really tune in to my body. I'm having to focus effort to within a few seconds over a half mile or a mile, and then do that again and again. Or in some cases go 2-4 seconds faster over the next interval. Finding that precise rhythm has been fun even with its challenges and newness again.

In one of the movies about Steve Prefontaine, Pre as he was called, finishes a race, a 5000 meter race I think. In that race he sets a personal best (and maybe even an American record, but I can't remember). After the race Pre walks over to his coach, the famous Bill Bowerman and the first words from Bowerman are 'you could go 10 seconds faster.' Pre stands there dumbfounded and even a little pissed after running the race of his life. Bowerman then proceeds to rattle after precise quarter mile splits. If Pre had paced right the race he just finished would have been even faster.

Putting all that together has given me a new appreciation of the importance of pacing, and a finer sense of the rhythms of my body on a run which I'm really enjoying.

Surprise

I heard it last night – drops of moisture
as I dozed off to REM land.

On waking, my legs ached to moved

time for a run.

Temperature – colder than it’s been

hat and gloves, not worn in weeks.

Opening the door, standing at the threshold

moisture falls from the sky.

Hesitation, doubt, questioning

do I want to go out there?

A step into it

not rain, not snow, dry and fresh.

A quick change

something to deal with damp.

Off I go

with my warmup steps.

Whitish grey clouds redefine the horizon

a smaller bubble of a world today.

White specks falling, blowing

not rain, not quite snow, beautiful.

Legs gliding, lungs offering its own mist

arms in a rhythm, feet gracing the earth.

An internal peace, a playful smile

gratitude flows, a deep stillness pervades.

Back home, watch stopped

the end of another striking run.

What a way to begin a new day.

Two feet versus Two Wheels

I'm still recovering from a few minor injuries incurred from too much enthusiasm several weeks ago. Muscles are recovering, loosening, and rebuilding, and reserves are growing again.

Even with the firm recovery efforts, I'm still feeling plenty of good energy to go, but right now my body can only handle so much running so I've done a few bike rides to keep muscles moving and loose. I've been out the last two weekends in the beautiful early-spring being brought to Colorado.

I've ridden tens of thousands of miles on a bike, thousands of hours in the saddle all over the US and the world. In all weather, all times of the day, from an hour to 8 day events. I am completely comfortable on a bike, my legs know how to spin, my body knows how to move. All this becomes evident every time I swing my leg over a bike and clip-in.

With all the distance riding I know the elements of stillness and peace within my body and soul. It has it's own clarity for me. I've been able to bring all that experience and knowing from the bike to my running. Running has become my meditation.

But two wheels are very different from two feet on the ground and this became evident again this weekend. I love the speed of the bike, being outside, feeling the wind, seeing the world at a slower pace. It's also a floating sensation, skimming over the ground, feeling the elements but with the only earthly connection through a couple tiny patches of rubber onto man-made surfaces.

Running puts me directly in the elements and connected to the earth, especially running on trails. That connection makes all the difference to me and one of the reasons I'm now a runner. I've been able to bring all the experience and stillness from the bike to my running. and it's so much more meaningful now with the stillnesss and that earthly connection.

I get the cyclist, but running moves me.