Today I finished a 1.4 miler in 14 minutes, averaging 10.04 minutes per mile. My pace increased in the last .4 miles to a 9:42 min/mile avg. So I am finishing faster than I started.
This morning it wasn't too hard to get up - my eyes popped open at about 0550, and I rolled out of bed at about 0605, and was on the road by 0630. I don't like having to use an alarm, since the abrupt noise is really jolting. Waking up with a start doesn't feel very good - that surge of adrenaline in response to the sudden noise while in the drowse/snooze state isn't very motivating. This morning I was in that halfway state - I opened my eyes at 0550, check the clocked, and closed my eyes. I should probably just get moving once my eyes open, but there is that part of me that wants nothing more than to stay in bed, warm and relaxed.
I'm playing with my stride. I took a "Chi-running" basic skills class a couple of years ago - whether or not you believe any of the anecdotes within the books about it being a revolutionary running style, the overall mechanics involved do make for a lessened felt impact. The mechanics of the style are pretty simple, and follow the way that Taijiquan and Xinyiquan practitioners move - your spine is aligned, head is erect and chin tucked slightly, and you lean forward slightly to set your speed - the further forward you lean, the faster you go. And instead of lifting your knees on the forward stride and striking the ground with your knee, your feet rarely come forward of an imaginary vertical line drawn from the tip of your nose to the ground. Which means you take more and shorter strides, and all of the impact is supposed to occur at the ball of your foot. There are other details about the style, but it is very similar to the styles out there that focus on running barefoot.
Which I think that I am heading towards. I already own a pair of Vibram Five Fingers, and have run on trails in them. You very quickly learn not to heel strike at all, and to run "lighter." I think the biggest barrier to my jumping into my VFFs right now is the fact that I basically just bought a brand new pair of running shoes, and I don't want to feel like I have wasted my money. We'll see - I have a 3 miler scheduled for tomorrow AM, and then a 1.5 on Thursday - I'll pull the VFFs out on Thursday for the short run.
I am trying to change my attitude while I am running. Why am I training for a Marathon? My initial impetus is probably centered on a friend's illness, and having a physical outlet for my stress - but if the physical outlet stresses you out as well, then it probably isn't helping. I should probably run because it is fun and an exploration of my limitations - there is nothing physically stopping me at the moment. I have no reason not to.
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