History Repeats

"You know Bill, I've noticed when you don't have a training plan, you just do more." - Mike Jarrard

Mike and I don't always agree on training philosophy, equipment, or the value of foreign-made vehicles, but he's one of the smartest observers of human behavior (occasionally) that I've met, and probably the owner of some of my most treasured coaching quotes. This was one of the gems he shared with me years ago regarding my training, and it's as true today as it ever was.

Don't think I'm alone on this, ladies and gentlemen; there are several of us who fail in this manner. Can I get a witness? With eyes closed and heads down, can I see hands raised by those who see themselves this way? Yes, yes... I see you Miller. I see you Troy. I see you Scott, Roy...

A compulsion to train to some extent is necessary (and healthy). It keeps you honest, keeps you out there, keeps you busy. The bad side of compulsion comes when it is married to wishful thinking. Never, ever underestimate the human mind's ability to believe what it wants to believe.

My growing frailty as I age is something I've not fully come to grasp. My mind keeps saying, it's a small thing, it's temporary, you'll get through this, you ALWAYS get through this... except, more and more, I don't. Ignoring even the smallest of nagging ailments is courting disaster.

Last week we had the bad weather, including the snow and ice. For the most part I stayed smart; I ran on the treadmill in the gym. It was as dull as anything could be, but it was not a problem, except for the insanity factor. When it got to the point I couldn't stomach another inside run, I ventured out. It was slick, and really, it was a mistake. I tweaked my right hip, felt it when I did it. It was minor, and I was sure I'd get over it.

The next few runs found the hip still kind of sore - nothing serious yet, but the sensation was beginning to move down my leg. The last couple of days it was resting in front of my shin, like a toothache pain. It didn't hurt to run, and I couldn't feel it at all on the ride, so I went on.

We can argue whether or not the 81-mile ride yesterday helped or hurt. Put me in the camp of "It didn't help, but it probably didn't hurt." What DID hurt was the decision today mid-run to extend the workout. The day AFTER the 81-mile ride was a poor choice. I was taking what would have been a 5-miler to the 10k mark. I was getting greedy, I'll admit it. I wanted to boost the daily mileage a little. Still, doing it the day after the longest ride I've had in months likely wasn't very smart.

Bear in mind, this isn't an admission the ride hurt me, rather it's acknowledging I didn't respect what the ride took out of me. The pain started as a spasm and quickly grew severe. It all happened so fast I couldn't even comprehend what was going on. It was just... there. I thought it would pass, but it didn't, and eventually I had to walk in the rest of the trip. Here's the bad part - it happened a smidge after 5 miles. Had I stayed to the plan, likely as not I wouldn't be writing this right now.

So what now? I think that depends on how I feel tomorrow. If it is sore, I likely won't run. If it isn't, I'll run on a treadmill. That allows me to stop the second it hurts, minimizing my risk. If I don't run, well, there's always the ride. I shouldn't have any trouble keeping the cardio up, so I'm not really worried about fitness as much as being able to run. What is becoming clearer is I'm going to have to be super careful about my running from here on out. I can't take anything for granted, no matter how much I want something to be true.