Objective: General aerobic, form elements Weather: High 30's, lots of fog 20 min core & weights - AND! I'm trying this program out. I love a challenge.
Nice run today. I just love fog. Even in the dark, which is really stupid, because the headlamp reflects all that light back and you can hardly see 6 feet ahead. There was one weird patch of clear air down by Stellar Park, where suddenly I was running under a starry sky and quarter moon. My legs feel much better today, but still not 100%. I had scheduled hill sprints for today, but I'm not ready for those yet. So I just concentrated on cadence and form, and ended up with a bit faster pace than I thought I was capable of today, about 20 seconds slower than MP. On the recommendation of friends, I finally checked out Chi Running from the library and have been reading it this past week. I was already a fan of the leaning stance for running, ever since I read Thomas Miller's Programmed to Run. Chi running is centered on that same theme, but with several other elements (and a lot of rubbish, imo) thrown in. I know there is quite a debate about leaning, and I appreciate the logic of the non-lean argument. But there is just no doubt that I run faster with less effort when I do the lean. It's right there on the Garmin. The only effort I used to have to add was reminding myself to do it; now it is automatic.
I like Miller's presentation of this running style much better than Dreyer's, whose constant references to Eastern philosophy irritate me and muddle the issues. But I did learn some new concepts, both simple (like the shoe tying method** - genius!) and more complicated (like the notion of opening up one's stride to the back instead of the front). Overall, I think it is worth reading, though I'm glad I could get it from the libary rather than purchasing it. ** Shoe tying: Instead of doing a double bow tie (which can be hard to undo, especially with cold fingers), tie a regular bow but go around the first loop twice before pulling the second loop through. It will stay tied while running, but pull apart easily just like a regular bow.
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