Thor's Running Journal

 I've been off my feet for...well, Friday, Saturday and so far today, Sunday. Two days and it already feels like for ever.  I rode my bike yesterday for 10 miles so at least I had some movement, but being out of rhythm is strange feeling. It is as though everything is happening in slow motion. When I wake up my instinct is to put on my clothes, drink some water, and head outside. As challenging as the program is, it gave some predictability to my life that now is disturbed. Not running for a few days is the right decision, but it doesn't mean it is an easy decision. I know my fitness will stay high, but mentally doubts start to creep in and if I don't hit my target I'll have to wonder if it is because of this moment or if it is something else.  Thankfully, I am on the mend. I can feel the regeneration of my body responding to the rest. There is still a ting of tenderness in my legs, but the need to drag myself all over the place has lifted over the past two days. There ...

 This morning was a disaster That is not understatement. I woke up and my legs didnt feel quite right, but after 2 days of rest I figured I'd give things a go. The first mile still felt uncomfortable, but tolerable. mile two things started to shake out in my left, but my right calf got progressively worse. By mile 4 I needed to make a decision to continue in pain or turn for home. I made the conservative (wise?) choice to go home. I tried slowing my pace, but it didn't mater. The pain just kept stinging my leg. Finally at mile 5 I saw a car idling in the church parking lot. At this hour this could only be trouble or the police.  I slowed turned off my head lamp and approached the police. I explained the situation and asked for a lift home. He agreed. And dropped me off at my driveway.  I went to hard and now I'm paying for it. The best consolation I can think of is that this healing is happening now and not a week before the race. There's time for recovery. It's fru...

My legs gave out today. They've been giving out slowly over the past week or so, but it reached a tipping point where I recognized if I took one more step I'd be stepping in the wrong direction. The culmination of the miles added up and I couldn't reasonably keep going without doing more damage than good. The weeks and weeks of work would just crumble if I crossed the line today and simply admit my legs couldn't handle the work load.  I've been working on finding my limits this training cycle. I found another limit today.  A spotty marathon practice on Thursday, a 16 mile long run followed by being cramped up in a car for 2.5 hours, followed by Monday's easy but hilly run followed by a 2.5 hour car ride back home just didn't leave enough space for good recovery. I've felt this moment coming, but successfully pushed the thought of pressing pause to the back of my mind in lieu of "just get through this next work out and things will be fine".  Wal...

 Today marked only the second time in this training cycle that I’ve had to run outside of my usual environment. Spring Break brought me to northern Michigan, where instead of the thaw I was hoping for, I woke up to several inches of fresh snow. The town we stayed in—blanketed in white and cradled by hills—offered up an entirely different kind of running experience. So this morning, I found myself on a dark, hilly, snow-covered road, winding through unfamiliar country terrain. It wasn’t my first choice of running conditions, but without a pace goal in mind for this easy effort run, I didn't mind. In fact, I embraced the adventure. The road ahead was quiet, lined with thick woods and low-hanging branches kissed with snow. The only light came from a distant, glowing red dot—possibly a taillight or a crossing signal—that blinked faintly at the horizon. It was eerily beautiful, a moment suspended in cold, still air. As I ran, I couldn’t help but think how different my training cycle wou...

 Some workouts require putting mind over matter. I know I can run 16 miles, but it takes some gusto to take the first step. It’s especially hard to get started when, after all these weeks, it’s still real cold out. That is today’s story. I didn’t try anything fancy or create any wild route. I just tried to hit a rhythm and stick to it. The first few miles were pretty straightforward. By the time I got to miles 5–7, I was on the other side of the river, so the scenery created a bit of a distraction. I still felt good heading into mile 10, but needed to tell myself, “Only 6 more miles.” In the distance, I saw the flashing lights of police cars, which pushed me forward to investigate. Just a traffic stop or something more interesting? At 3 a.m., I suspected something more interesting. They were outside Olive Garden. Maybe someone wanted some more breadsticks. I know I could have done with a breadstick or two. The last 5K (3.1 miles) of the run are always the hardest mentally and physi...

 A mile from the corral Suburban exploration Middle of the night Wheel went out No way back home Left to be found in the morning Empty Depleted But Happy