Running with Respect
Running Files 005
I wasn’t sure about bringing the planned rest week forward in my training plan at the end of the last post. Today, I’ll provide the answer and write about different ways that respect plays a role in exercise.
But first, I’ll explain some additional changes I made and share observations about training adaptations that made me smile.
Respect science
I’m not going into too many details about planning and structure. I’m not an expert in any of it anyway.
However, I enjoy the work required to add intent to my training and find the science involved in sports fascinating.
I never chimed with generalizing rules, which you can find in running and exercise wisdom. Whether it’s the age-heart-rate formula or the 10%-mileage-increase rule, it doesn’t need much digging to realize there’s no scientific foundation to those.
Personal observations told me the same.
I don’t think I’ve ever experienced training at my maximum heart rate. Yet, using an ECG-style heart rate monitor, I’m regularly seeing readings 10- and even 20 beats higher than the result of that formula.
Because I enjoy diving into the science of sports, a topic I’ll expand on in a What I’m Reading post in mid-February, I leave a few links you might find interesting. They explore training load, injury risk, performance gains, and a breakdown for using training load ratios to guide one’s journey to more running volume.
It’s only logical I allowed a sprinkle of science inspiration when I planned my training.
But I also didn’t want to overcomplicate matters, and after a year without running, want to start cautiously.
Instead of losing myself in math riddles and spending endless time calculating what might be considered safe or unsafe, I took it run-by-run, week-by-week, and responded to how I felt.
That approach worked remarkably well.
But as the runs got longer, I felt that my body required more maintenance. I never got injured (knock on wood) and wouldn’t even qualify my body’s mild cries for attention as niggles.
But as careful as I was, I underestimated that I had steadily increased volume for seven weeks.
When I go through my running log, I’ve always experienced niggles when I succumbed to temptation and pushed a lower mileage week because it felt so good.
Realizing that and the foam rolling, stretching, and muscle-and-mind-calming yoga I was doing, I decided to lighten the load earlier.
Changing the plan
Looking at the rough sketch for my training past the first eight weeks, I realized that another seven-week block of steady increase waited.
That was a glitch in my original planning, which included regular down weeks. But the shuffle of weeks and a mileage-collecting mindset somehow introduced another long block.
The first change corrected that mistake. A down week after four weeks up is now penciled in and shall be enjoyed.
The second change brings me back to units.
My readings showed me that there are good arguments to base training on time instead of distance. The arguments make sense. The human body doesn’t know what distance is (or pace). It knows how long you put it through something.
And filtering through the arguments, it seems basing training volume on time rather than distance has more advocates than one might think at first, especially in cycling and triathlon. But even in running, it’s anything but unheard of.
However, more importantly, I realized the first four weeks felt more relaxed than the last three.
I obsessed (slightly) over exact distances while planning the weeks and individual routes. I didn’t want that. I want training to be fun, remember?
I decided to give time-based running another shot. I didn’t like it when I first tried it in 2020/2021, but I’m now a different runner and person.
My time with the bicycle, as uncomfortable as it has been to this point, taught me that time matters more and makes it easier to focus on the quality and enjoyment of training rather than the quantity.
Distance is a by-product that takes care of itself. I might summon it for specific workouts or goals.
A peaceful return
The down week is quickly summarized. It was time to make sure my body adapted fully to longer runs. I reduced to one (longer) run and waited until I felt my muscles had sufficiently recovered.
Sunday had arrived when I went out again. I decided to check out a new location for hassle-free workouts and enjoyed a peaceful 3 x 5-minute tempo run in a local park. The 20 minutes to reach the park work nicely for an overall volume of 60 minutes.
I didn’t meet a single soul at that park.
Later that day, I logged in my journal that the “warm-up was spot on and the tempo segments felt decent.”
Because I didn’t hear my legs complaining, I concluded, “I can start building again.”
Respect each other
The following week went according to plan. Intending to adapt fully to longer runs, I added a second 60-minute run to the same workout.
Despite some life stress and poor sleep, I enjoyed a decent workout and a run that brought me back to another off-road location I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Both runs, however, demonstrated nicely the troubles of enjoying peaceful outdoor exercise in densely populated areas.
Fear of dogs is a topic beautifully noted in this cycling video, but the wonderfully fluffy creatures can really cross an athlete’s plan.
More fairly articulated, the owners of those animals can when it’s evident the dogs aren’t trained, and the human shows little respect for fellow humans trying to enjoy the same recreational location without receiving their dog’s attention.
It’s not fear of dogs, either. When all you want to do is enjoy a bike ride or execute a run, it’s unsettling and distracting when an animal (you don’t know) comes charging at you.
Darkness adds another dimension to the story. When, in the middle of a dark park, you stare into a group of green blinkers a couple of meters in front of you only because of your own headlamp, the workout suddenly becomes secondary.
Bringing some light, active or passive, would help your fellow humans out, people. Just a thought.
On the second run, I almost made it. I was only a few paces from rejoining the street when I heard a barking blue collar charging my way. I also heard the exasperated attempts of the dog’s owner to stop the animal.
It’s a public foot and cycle path. Is it really too much to ask to be left in peace? But thanks for the lights.
Respect the elements
This winter has been confusing. What started with weeks of endless rain and temperatures much too warm has shifted to a decently cold spell and even some snow. I constantly felt like getting sick was only a matter of time.
I started the week with the tempo run. Mild snow residue and the biting cold made it a tricky morning. So did technology wobbles that made the data of that run useless.
The human element didn’t help, either.
Long story short, I’m giving up on that park for workouts and will be moving on to the next location where I’m hopefully less affected by other people’s actions.
I got a short second run in. The best one yet as far as feeling and signs of fitness improvements are concerned.
But the elements were getting to me. And as much as I would have loved to do the 70-minute long run, I knew it wouldn’t do much in the grand scheme of things.
I was up to 3 hours on a rolling 7-day average twice already. And my legs accepted that well. Even if didn’t fill this week up to the planned 2.5 hours, continuing as planned should not be a problem.
So, because I felt a slight cold in the making, I decided to rest up and recover instead of going out for an hour in -10 C conditions. A wise choice, I hope.
The positives of the last three weeks outweigh the negatives by far. My legs respond so well that I feel barely any tightness creeping in after running for an hour, whether relaxed and easy or with intensity.
Strength training has continued a bit more interrupted than I had hoped. But with the state of the legs now, I’m hopeful I can resume a more consistent routine. By the way, I’ve already added weighted upper body work again. Happy times.
That’s all the running words for now. The next update follows in four weeks. Later this week, I should have some winter photography to share.
