Marathon a Month

When I woke up on Tuesday morning (the day after my 4k) I found it very difficult to muster enough motivation to even pick a day to work out again.  I figured that since I had been running every other day for a month, minus a two day break or two, I would easily be able to keep up the pace of running six to eight miles per week.  Boy was I wrong.  Even though I was planning to use Tuesday as an off day anyway I was happy when I got an email from a friend asking if I'd play on his softball team that night.  I was happy because I knew I could use the excuse of playing softball as exercise and I could put off my day of running for another day (more on the softball game later.)  I finally got on the treadmill Thursday night figuring I'd knock out 20 - 25 minutes no problem.  I was a running expert by now right?  Let me just say that I felt like I was going to die after the first 2 minutes of running.  I ended up alternating two minutes of walking with four minutes of jogging (what is the line between jogging and running?) for a total of 26 minutes and it took all I had not to quit after 6 minutes.  I'm not sure why I had such a rough time.  Maybe it was what I had for supper, maybe it was a letdown after having a goal to train for.  Whatever the reason I was pretty sure I was done with running.

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon when I got the itch to get some exercise so I jumped on the treadmill not sure what to expect.  Amazing enough I felt great and, after one minute of walking, I ran/jogged for 20 minutes straight before finishing with two minutes of cool down walking.  Color me confused.  I'm interested to see what the next session is going to be like and I'm also interested to find out when it will be as we are leaving for Montana tomorrow night for vacation.  I hope to get out a few times during vacation but if not I'll have to go at it strong when we get back because my new goal is...a marathon a month!  OK, let me clarify what I mean.  I'm not going to actually run 26.2 miles in one day every month but rather a total of 26.2 miles (or more) per month.  While I was training for the 4k in June I ran 29.33 miles.  I think I actually ran a bit more than than because I absolutely believe that treadmills are not accurate when it comes to distance.  For example, to run an eight minute mile (as I averaged for the 4k) I would have to set the treadmill speed at 7.5.  I'm not sure about you but if I set the treadmill to that speed I will be in a dead sprint and plain dead after two minutes.  I recently bought a Nike+ sport kit so, once I get the shoelace sensor holder, I will see how accurate the treadmill really is.  

Softball.  The image that comes to my mind is a bunch of overweight, middle aged men drinking beer in a dugout arguing about who has to play the field.  Not because they want to play but because they want to sit in the dugout, out of the sun, watching the other guys boot ground balls and pull hamstrings.  Why, if this is the case, was I so nervous to sub for my friend's team on Tuesday night?  Probably because I knew that the team would be made up of athletic guys in their mid 20's who still think they should have made the major leagues even though they didn't make their high school team because the coach had something against them.  Don't get me wrong, my friend's team wasn't like that but I've played in enough leagues to know that other teams are like that.  Teams that have full uniforms including stirrups and eye back, with full time base coaches and a stat keeper.  Luckily the team we played against was at the same as us and were friendly.  I was still nervous not wanting to look like a guy that hasn't played softball in three years.  I played the field fine but my four ground balls (I did beat out the throw on three of the swinging bunts) left a lot to be desired.  I always forget how patient you have to be at the plate and couldn't help but swing before the ball even had a chance to cross the plate.  My legs were also SORE the next day.  I guess my 4k training didn't prepare me for the sprinting around the bases and outfield as well as I thought it would.  My arm and back were also sore from not throwing a ball for so long.  Getting old is not fun.

T minus 26 hours until the vacation starts!