I usually don’t feel my age (about 20 days from 55) but this week ran me down. It is day 6 of a 2 week run focus, a 34.5 hour return from San Francisco to Dallas kicked my ass, a Thursday track workout in 88 degree heat and 90% humidity took more out of me than it should have and I decided to carbo load last night on Bass Pale Ale - seemed like a good idea at the time. Did 3000 meters early and then headed out on a 13 mile run about 8:00 AM. Conditions were brutal. Over 90% humidity and no wind at all which is weird for Texas. Did my usual 4 mile short loop so I could reload my bottle before I headed out for the long stretch. At a little over 3 miles the system failure lights were flashing big time. Not good. I needed a plan for the next 10 miles or this was going to really suck.
Step one in any such situation is 200 mgs of caffeine because I live in a caffeine free body and it really kicks. Done - but that was not enough. As I headed back to the house to reload the plan came to me and the spousal unit was in the front yard with the hounds looking concerned at my physical state (I was drenched)and suggested that I run to the gym and do most of the rest on the treadmill in the AC. Let’s see, 10 on the treadmill or a root canal. Hmmm, tough call.
I announced Step 2 (Paulo) of my plan: “Chopper and Paulo say Harden The F–k Up.” (HTFU). This earned me “The Look.” I then went to Step 3 (Jodi) and asked her to get me a rubber band from the study. She did and after 39 years together had the good sense not to ask why. So off I go - whenever I am off the pace its HTFU time and everytime I think how bad the conditions are I snap the rubberband - which really smarts after about the tenth time. Somewhere around 8 miles the HTFUs started to exceed the rubberband snaps.
I have never been real big on positive thinking stuff - more of a put my head down and grind it out person - but I think this stuff works. It was a decent run all things considered. Didn’t feel real good but hit the pace I was supposed to do.
the ruber band thing is a trick i gave jodi for her ironman. you have a ruber band around the wrist and when a negative idea come to your mind, you snap the elastic band and that bring you back to focus thinking and positive thinking… no place for negativity…or SNAP!!!
“who came up with the rubber-band thing originally?”
I’ve heard some Buddhist monks do something similar, for the same reason. Brings you back into the present moment and not with a mind drifting away. They may slap a student. They know it’s rather hurtful but there’s no intention of meanness: the intent is simply to make sure you are ‘present’ : “be in THIS moment”
This is the same reason that someone might count his/her breaths, or say, “one-two-one-two”. It just makes you be RIGHT THERE.
I can run on grass “in the present” but not on the street: I talk to myself too much on the street, thinking about traffic, etc. I think trail runners may be more in the present, watching the ground, roots, etc.
I’ve been doing the rubber band thing for four or five years now. It was especially handy when I was writing my thesis. Around 1 or 2 am, I’d really need it to help keep my wits about me. I’ve never used it during a run anywhere near as frequently as I did during those days.
perhaps you wouldn’t have needed the rubber band if you were sleeping at 1 or 2am, like you should be
I keep shuddering at the thought of snapping myself with a rubber band… I generally don’t have many negative thoughts though, racing or otherwise. The skill of “reframing” is wayyyy too ingrained in my head, as the result of about six years of therapy
“The skill of “reframing” is wayyyy too ingrained in my head, as the result of about six years of therapy”
I do it as ‘mindfulness’ as a Buddhist practice. It’s very useful to remind myself “I am having a ‘thought’. It’s not necessarily factual”. This really helps me in everyday life - this means I don’t have to believe every thought I have. However, I CAN use my ‘feelings’ as a base of comfort/discomfort, and examine my thoughts from there.
This is very interesting to be ‘in the present’ and not have “a thought” other than sensory input (roots, branches, keeping running alignment, pedaling well…) The mind can’t play tricks on you if it’s only processing ‘the present moment’. Of course, this is easier if you aren’t training/racing in pain (for example), but if you can onloy focus on your immediate intent (“in 5 minutes I will have another gel…”) and not on some race-drama (“if I don’t have another gel I will die – they will find me a corpse at the side of the road…”).
Some people who use training as a psychological tool find that training is the only place they can ‘be present’, without other difficulties creeping in – like depressive thoughts. Their training or racing is the only place they are ‘free’…
Hey, everyone be careful out there. When I got home from the run I saw my neighbor who lives about 4 houses up the street and he had on the dreaded sling and I immediately knew what happened. He didn’t break his collarbone - he crushed it in 2 places and broke 3 ribs. A 14 mph accident with a speed bump. You just never know. He is a pretty good duathelete and is a pretty tough guy. 2 days in the hospital earlier in the week and he is still on drugs. My personal nightmare as a card carrying member of the geezer division (as is he) and will be on my mind as I roll out of the driveway at six tomorrow morning……
Hey Cooter. I’m almost the exact same age as you, nearly to the day, and I know what you mean about having some tough workouts. But I love when you say you usually don’t feel your age. Me too. I still think I’m in my 30’s. Hopefully reality doesn’t hit soon :<)
