DOWNHILL F.L.Y.S.

Well so another week begins and so does my miniscule running schedule! Gee, I'm only running three days a week! Alas, it is my plan....36 1/2 minutes today in the bitter cold and blustery North winds. A good day to treadmill it, but I fried mine! This is constituting a 10% increase over last week.
I also did five hill repeats and because of the additional snow on the ground I was hesitant about trying my downhill training.
However, I have developed a strategy for downhill training. We know downhill running is a great time for recovery, and we know that we have to be continually braking or else we speed up. How can we use downhill running as a training element? Okay I'm still working on all the answers but I have initially developed an acronym-FLYS- forward lean- least time-yank heel-
Yes, maintain a forward lean or you begin to brake! Yes, don't allow your feet much contact time with the ground! How? Yank your heel and stretch for yards-here's what you'll see- a quicker turnover and a cry for help!!! Good luck...I'm gonna try it as soon as the snow melts!
Peace-

Running is Healing!

Healing- to make sound or whole b : to restore to health 2 a : to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome. Running does this!!
Obviously this isn't always the case is it? We often run into injury, but in many ways running is healing. I have noticed this phenomenon lately as I've been obsessed with hill repeats! Oddly my heel and ankle are feeling better than ever? My strength is returning as well as my resolve?! In many ways I see running as a source of healing. However, so is rest!!
Today was the strongest I've run in three months! 33 minutes and four hill repeats. I was thinking what the benefits would be if I do reverse hill repeats? Running down as hard as I can and walking up? Maybe I'll try? Peace!!

I've got it BAD!!!

Nasty, nasty day today!! Snow first, then sleet, then cold drizzle. I finally got out of a meeting and off the stinkin' phone, got home and began to justify not running. However......I have a renewed spirit! Even though it's nasty, Sandy arrived home, I decided to hit it!
33 minutes outside running. I did 14 hill repeats! The hill is a nice secluded lane on my property that is 473.21 feet long, that's about 158 yards. Nearly a 1/10th.
I chugged the rises and jogged the descents. As I was on the downhill my neighbor drove by, they use the lane as an easement, she said, "You've got it bad if you have to exercise!" Interesting statement? I guess I do! My plan is to keep increasing 10% a week up to around 40 minutes a run then I'll add a run and cut the time. I'm taking it slow because I want to be stronger than ever for my next marathon. I feel like I've run the last three beat up! Today my body felt better than ever! Hope the weather is decent where you are...I long for the hot Summer, running while the katydids sing and the sun is low in the western sky, where you taste the salt and find yourself fully immersed in the joy of the run....hey...I can do that in the Winter, too....where the snow covers the ground, the cold rain soaks to your bone, and the Bluebirds are hunkered down four to a house! 33 minutes of running fun! Peace!

Stabilized

I love the Olympics! The Downhill Skiers are awesome! Watching one take a tumble is a fearful thing! That's kind of how I've felt in regards to my running for two months! Tumbling downhill! Finally, I think I may have come to stop...stood up...and looked back up the hill!

This week is a beginning. I will start adding 10% to each run this week. Therefore I ran for 33 minutes today with 4 hill repeats. The roads are still wet and slushy in spots but not bad at all. The achilles feels almost as good as new! Ah....hope springs eternal!!

A funny thought occured to me when I woke up today? I wondered how many days I'd been alive and which number today was? Turns out today is number 19,950! I'd like to run more miles than days lived. I'm behind by over a 1,000! I'm an odd bird...huh?

33 minutes of running bliss! Peace!

New Work-out-"The Snow Plow"

So we ended up with around 8 inches of the fluffy white stuff. Since my treadmill toasted, I was knocking off 8 min miles when it stopped, I'm relegated to outdoor cardio.
Doesn't look too runnable out here yet. My driveway is long and wide so I tackled it with my trusty snow shovel. Now being 54 years old I'm a great candidate for the ole' heart attack, right?
I started slow, got warmed-up and developed a new work-out called the "snow plow". I finished in under two hours dripping wet with sweat! And my driveway is clear! Guess I could run up and down it?!
I was hoping to take another hike but this effort will be enough for today. I will probably not run until Monday, but what matters is getting the heart rate up there and sustaining an effort. I will be back to racing form even if it kills me....?
Other notes- We have five bird feeders that are very active. Yesterday we noticed two hawks that were preying on our birds! Amazing and spectacular is nature!
This snow reminded me of many good times I had as a child and as a Dad. Somewhat melancholy because of the empty nest and no one to play with....Sandy's not much for building snow forts!. Peace!

Into the woods-

We have about 5 inches of snow now and it's still falling. I decided to go for a hike. What better time to explore the woods? You leave tracks so you can't get lost! So one hour of hiking in the Ozark Mtns! A wonderful time. No noise! Peaceful!! Somewhat treacherous, though. Hidden logs, rocks, root wads, had to go slow and careful.I had an idea of where I could explore and where I might cross the highway, I was right. I came out on W south and headed home. I was passed by three vehicles! The first was a nice elderly Ozarker in a little black truck. He stopped to see if I needed a ride. I told him I was hiking. The next encounter was two guys out jeeping. They were kind hearted too and asked if I was okay. When I said I was hiking they said "cool!" The third vehicle was a snow plow. I got way out of the way!! I'm thinking about another hike tomorrow! Hope you're not having to deal with this kind of weather. O well...Summer is inching closer!! Did I say I love Summer? Peace!

Others!

Today, driving home from the church, I saw other runners on my roads!!!!!! I am not alone out here!!! I am so excited! I wanted to stop, get out and chat....but I'm a runner and that would've been weird?!
The two of them were coming down my road as I was hauling firewood into the garage but I think they turned around as the dogs began to bark and chase them, I was going to assure them they wouldn't attack! Remember all my experiences out here with the neighborhood attack dogs!
Anyway, I am kind of glad I am not alone out here! Today was a good day for me on the roads. I felt better today than I have in a long, long time. My pace was stronger and my body seems to be responding to recent runs.
I still am keeping all my runs at 30 minutes with hill repeats. I did five today! Well, the big snowstorm is on its way. We are expecting 6-12 inches. Hope all's well with you! Peace!