8:00 AM - After a long week of work, had to get up early, despite wanting to sleep in. Feeling a little worn out after only five hours of sleep last night, but so much work to do that I couldn't afford to sleep in. Went on the treadmill so that I could read today's case study for class and thus kill two birds with one stone. I find it easier to focus and mull things over while I am walking - shuffling oddly enough. It gives me time to think about how I want to go about addressing the topics.
Began with usual walk for the warm up, then eased into 2 miles of jogging in 21:23 @ 10:41 pace. Then cooled down walking for a mile at about 15:00 pace. Once again, pain free :). Things are looking up! Stay positive fellow bloggers. We will get through this together! With a little faith, hard work, and determination we can overcome any obstacle.
Total Time: 51:12 Total Distance: 4 miles Average Pace: 12:48 / mile
1:00 PM - Went for another walk after a long morning of getting homework done for my night class. Just a short 15 minute walk. Gorgeous out today in the upper 40s or low 50s! On a side note, first 5+ day total in almost 2 months!
Total Time: 15:00 Total Distance: 1.02 miles Average Pace: 14:42/mile
Am reading Sacks Psychology of Running (1981) still. Just finished actually. A couple interesting quotes I woud like to share:
I. With regards to running addiction: "The bottom line in the development of addiction to running is adherence. You can't develop addiction to the activity unless you participate on a regular basis... Running has become a compulsion, a habit, an addiction. When days are missed, withdrawal symptoms become immediately apparent and generally powerful. Running has become much more than a means to the end of getting in shape; it has become the end itself. The need to run becomes omnipresent." (120-121) I think this was the hardest part (and arguably still is) about a forced break from running. We truly take for granted just the ability to lace up and head out the door for a run when we are sidelined, and I give Emmy and everyone else that had to deal with me during my lay off extra points for putting up with my moodyness. It's amazing how the human body adapts after conditioning.
II. Also in regards to that as a follow up, and something I think I have suffered from comes from Ch. 21 " A High Prevalence of Affective Disorder in Runners": runners reported an improvement in mood and a reduction of tension after running; many of them had past histories of depression which had improved since they started running... As well as relieving depression, running (or the lack thereof) can itself cause depression. Some symptoms include depression, insomnia, fatiguability, irritability, and tachycardia (238-245)
It's amazing to think that books written on running, even 25 or 30 years ago are still so relevant today. I found it funny when Sacks mentioned that one sign of running addiction is the chronic reading of anything and everything about the sport. But I think as long as I keep myself in check, it is not necessarily a bad thing. | 