Still running (or trying to)

Before I get into the main topic of this post I need to rethink a previous post.  I summarized my Ironman journey as "Easy".  I detailed how I approached the training and how with the help of many and good fortune how easy the endeavor was.  I really think describing it as easy was a poor choice of words.  In an entirely unrelated topic was described by Pastor Todd Harris as simple but not easy.

I think that was a much better was of describing the process. Yes it was simple.  I did what I was told when I was told to do it.  Getting up at 04:30 (yes that is AM) to get in 2500 yards of swimming before work is not easy!  Six hour bike rides on a hot Saturday Morning: not that easy.  Interval runs, weights, more biking more swimming more running, simple but not easy.  Thanks to Pastor Todd for the insight!

Back to runnin'

Having grown up in the Great white north, saying that I learned to skate before I learned to run would be a bit of an exaggeration.  I could with  100% confidence say that I was taught to skate before I was ever taught to run.  Whether or not this has anything to do with my inability to run fast it does play into any run analysis.  Skating was the only way I have ever analyzed the way my body propels itself.  It is my only baseline.  The only run technique I ever remember hearing about was back in the late 70's.  It was the classic heel strike with a roll.

here is a quick article regarding the dangers of heel strike

Then along comes playtri and a new way of running.  Oh the joys of a mid foot strike.  The fun of  unlearning 40 years of doing something one way (running),  The basic form is this:

1.) Begin by standing upright.
2.) Lift one leg.  When you lift your foot comes up in a line that is perpendicular to the ground.
    i) Your heel should be directly under you "butt"
3.) Keep your body in a straight line lean forward.
4.) As you lean you get to a point where your foot that was raised proceeds downward.
5.) As the raised foot goes down the other goes up.
6.) Repeat for the duration of the run.

I started this post with an explanation of easy and simple.  Especially when demonstrated this is simple.  Performing it after 40 years of doing it wrong, now that is NOT EASY. I have been at this for 4 years and I still have not perfected it.  Not even close yet.

It is interesting how much this can be attributed to physical change and how much to mental.  I am not the most gifted athlete (far from it).  Still, I am coordinated enough that I can repeat a series of steps if demonstrated and explained.  Just because I can repeat them does not mean I can"preform' them.

About the only analogy I can think of is when my accuses me of not listening and I repeat verbatim what she said to me.  Just because I can repeat the words spoken I have not actually "listened" to her.  Words are simply words when I repeat but when I listen those words have tone and context the heighten there meaning.

Merely repeating the 6 steps above is like hearing but not listening.  Every step above is done in context to all the other steps.  Not lifting the leg properly means that the lean is not straight which leads the downward motion to land the foot either to far in front or behind etc. etc..

In the end it is the mental as much as the physical that must change neither of which is easy.  Simple but not easy.

Back to Business

Christmas is over.  It is time to get to the business of training.

Kind of funny, don't you think.  Mostly because my training continued through the holidays.  With family visiting I still found time to sneak away and get some training in.

The business of training contains a number of basic steps.  Letting my coach know my future availability for training,  receiving and reviewing the training plans, and providing feedback to my coach.  Just the basics.  I guess following the training plan is a part of it too!

Since my theme this year is train to attack (last year was train to survive)  the basics are just not good enough.  What is beyond the basics?

It is not just more training, more and longer workouts.  If more and longer were the only keys to any successful endeavor there would be 1000's of multi-million businesses everyday, there would be far more successful musicians and a lot more gold medal winners.  Many have worked long and hard to achieve success.  Their efforts are  applauded but not always rewarded.  Not every hard working musician makes it big,  not every entrepreneur makes millions (even if he has a better mouse trap).

Now do not get the impression that there is an easy way to achieve big things.  It is not just the only thing.  This is a coy way of saying that:

 "Practice Does Not Make Perfect.  Only Perfect Practice Makes Perfect."

Most of us grew up with the opposite of the first part of the previous statement.  In fact a quick google search on the statement "practice makes perfect"  brings up an entire industry of responses.  From self help books to academic journals everyone has an opinion regarding Practice makes perfect.  I guess that that is true for most things.  Everyone has an opinion.

Simply put if you practice something the wrong way you /may end up getting very good at doing it wrong but never good at doing it right.

Here is my example of that.  For the last 3-4 years i have been diligently working on my running.  If I could get my run times to just average I could place much higher in races.  My work has paid some dividends.  I am faster.  I am no where near average yet.  At Ironman Louisville I did place reasonably well but that was mostly because of the large number of DNF's.

I still am unable to generate any more raw speed than I did 4 years ago. Even after dropping about 20 lbs I am still a very slow 40 yard guy.  I felt I was doing everything right; still no speed.  I have never been a fast runner.  One of the reasons I gravitate to distance running is total ineptitude at sprinting.  I must be doing things wrong.

So back to the basics.  At club workouts I badgered the coaches to watch me very carefully.  At every movement of every drill I made them pay close attention to me.  Am I doing this right?  Is this movement fast enough?  I had them watch me enough until they finally pointed out an exercise that I was very poor at.  Without going into all the finite details we came to the conclusion that I still "push" too much when I run as opposed to lifting.

I was doing about 90% of it right but is the 10% that was slowing me down.  Has it fixed it, am I now generating the raw speed.  NO!  just because I have identified the weakness does not mean it is fixed.  Now comes the fun part, deciding how to fix the problem.

Since Christmas  I have coaches watch me a number of times.  After all I am paying my club membership fees.  Still no definite fix.  Still working on it!!!