Training Officially Begins

The past month has been lovely. I was able to begin my training on my own terms, with my own system and I am seeing some serious results. However, I was also privy to my own misconceptions in terms of the whole walk/run ratio, which was a wonderful surprise when I began the real solo training. I am into a whole new territory here.

Before I talk about that though, I have to say that I woke up at 5:30 on Saturday morning (when I should have been hungover like any other self-respecting 29 year old). I ate a healthy breakfast and dressed in my best synthetics so I could go freeze at the lakefront while the training team gave us the same information for the third time. Then we all got to run for three miles. Yay.

The first thing I did was make a new friend. We're supposed to run at a conversational pace, so converse we did for three miles. I plan on making another new friend next week-- it won't be hard considering I am in the smallest pace group. There are three of us. I may or may not be the pace group leader-- I had to leave after the run, but before that was established. Upon leaving, I did offer to have them circle my name, yet the outcome of that is still unknown.

Now, I have to talk about training today... So after this whole 'find your pace group' deal we were given our run/walk ratios. This is essential to the Galloway method, where you run for a spell and then walk-- supposedly you get a better time with this method and it has a higher rate of success for finishing.

My ratio is 3:1. So I run for three minutes, walk for one, run for three-- you get the idea. Well the ratio I had been using was a nice 1:1 ratio. I figured that was nice and balanced... Apparently that is not even a pace group option. Needless to say, today's run and subsequent strength training were a little more vigorous...

Character

My roommate Cindy used to fill the ice cube trays up every day because she hated doing it. She said that by doing something you hate on a consistent basis you build character. It's been ten years since she's told me that and I don't think I will ever forget it.

This is my ice cube tray. Even though I don't like running I'm coming to appreciate it. I am enjoying the sheer act of protracted will power. I'm paying for it too; all i can say is "ouch!" as I sit here lathered in Pain Buster II Cream guzzling down water in hopes that it will flush the impurities out. In a few minutes I will embark upon yet another Epsom Salt bath. I swear by these things-- although if you're going to try it I highly recommend adding some moisturizing bath beads. Otherwise your skin might get salt-puckered. Desert-like epidermis aside, the salt bath is like taking two muscle relaxers without any of the drugs (and impurities that I'm furiously flushing). It is second only to a massage.

On a completely different note, today Rachel (my friend and trainer and one-woman personal support system) told me that a lady had pointed me out and said "that girl really looks good." It made me feel like some of this pain is worth it. We'll see how I feel about that when I'm moanin' and groanin' tomorrow.

I Hate Running :)

Running pretty much sucks. It takes a big chunk out of my day. It's searingly painful on the limbs. And did you ever hear people talk about how you just run through muscle cramps? Well, that's a load of crap.

Although, I'm still successfully managing to force myself through this and it's getting a little bit easier every day. Now my calves burn after 15 minutes instead of 4. I think of 3 miles as a breeze, which it is when using the Galloway method of alternating running and walking. Plus I have cultivated a wonderful relationship with my new Zune music player. Billy Joel injects his infectious brand of enthusiasm and lyrical insight with each step. It's his song 'Second Wind' that I have named my blog after because I believe it is one of his masterpieces. The theme of letting go of mistakes rings through the pleasant driving melody, and the metaphor of a second wind-- getting back up after being down-- I find wonderfully relevant. Because I hate running and I fight myself every second my legs move. Kind of like in the song, there's an internal debate buzzing between the optimist and the defeatist, and the moment the optimist wins-- even if it's just briefly-- that's the second wind.

Now I just need a third wind, a fourth wind, a fifth wind... you get the idea.

Calves on Fire

"Calves on fire..." does not refer to a gruesome bovine incident in rural America, even though that would probably be more interesting. Instead, it just refers to my legs, which I have been stretching, massaging, and rolling out relentlessly to no apparent avail. They burn terribly after about 4 minutes of run/walk training and once they start, they just get worse. I find myself hopping around like a little jackrabbit on the treadmill trying to shake some ice into the fire.

You can imagine how excited I am to learn of this little "glitch" in the whole training system. "Oh, searing pain... that's nice." Despite the pain (and sarcasm) I have been able to force myself to stick to my running schedule so far. I'm trying to get into the whole discipline thing, but I find there are more appealing things to get into than that. Like wine tasting-- now that's something I can get into-- but discipline, well, that one's a little harder to get excited about.

What is so difficult about discipline? The root of the word is 'disciple,' which implies a whole lot of committment. Disciples are some seriously devoted folk. So no wonder discipline is not easy to come by-- you have to resemble disciple-like behavior to be disciplined. And I don't exhibit that kind of behavior yet, so I don't think I have yet become disciplined. It will come, though, as I continue to push myself-- as my calves burn less and less (hopefully), something more will burn inside.