motivation

generally after a race and the accompanying runner’s high has worn off i usually find myself in a post race funk. feeling drained and unmotivated often leads me into a state of depression. to avoid this i need to run. running lifts my spirits, relaxes me and makes me a happier person to be around - it's my drug of choice and i need it. so does my family.

after a race however i usually find that while the mind is more than willing and i want to run i am unable to create the physical willpower needed to actually lace up my shoes and head out the door. with experience though i know that once i get back out there and start running i will feel better after a few days.

this time around though my motivation is fueled with failure. my dream of having a good run at six foot didn't eventuate and it has ignited my running juices. the upcoming adventures of my running friends have also inspired me to think about my own new challenges.

i have to be careful though as i have a tendency to take on and do too much although as steve prefontaine would say “to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”. well i think it’s time for me to give it my best. what does this mean? for me it starts with a commitment to get out of bed early. no more snooze button and earlier nights to bed.

getting out of bed early requires discipline, commitment and a goal (i.e. race, adventure, challenge goal). i’m trying to get into a habit of getting up at 4:30am everyday so that i can get my training in each day. if i fail to get up and put the run off saying to myself that i will run at lunch or after work i know that i end up cutting the run shorter or missing it altogether due to competing commitments.

so this week signals the start of the 4:30am wake up call.

it's been a good week to start. here's the last 7 days...

saturday: 15 km - 1:15 - stairs
shoes: asics hyperspeed 3 sleep: 5 hrs

headed out for the run about an hour or two after soccer. a long warmup before hitting the stairs at knapsack. just ran up it once today at a hard intensity but will add another climb each week. reached the top with only a single walk break (~10 seconds). looped around both lookouts before heading home via the lagoon.

sunday: 18 km - 1:30 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 4.5 hrs

managed to get out for two easy runs today. second run at night with my wife up to warrimoo and back along the hwy via the underpass was a much missed experience. felt tired towards the end.

monday: ~ 29 km - 2:30 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 5 hrs

spent some time thinking about my running goals for the next few months which helped when setting the alarm for a 4:30am wake up. first run was a 75 minute run around the darkened streets of home - up to warrimoo, down the highway to glenbrook and return past the lagoon. a good 16 km loop. second run was in the heat around work out and back into one of the new developments. struggled through the middle section of the run as i started succumbing to heat exposure and dehydration. took it easy for about 10 minutes and surprisingly felt great over the final stretch finishing at a slightly faster than tempo effort.

tuesday: 12 km - 1:00 - hillwork
shoes: nike pegasus

every second tuesday i'm at home with my two year old so i manage to squeeze in a run on the treadmill in the gym while he's in the creche. i find the treadmill incredibly boring which leads me to playing with the speed and incline. today was no different. warmed up for about 25 minutes and then set the incline to 10%, the speed at 10kph and grinded out for about 20 minutes (at 85% effort). recovered for 5 minutes with the treadmill set at 15% and power-walked. setting the incline back down to 1% it felt like i was running downhill. finished up with 200m repeats at max speed (20kph). the iPod was cranked with some heavy tunes...

ended up being a great session and one i'll definitely be keeping in the schedule. think i will continue to add time each week to build up to about 60 minutes of climbing. legs are getting stronger...

wednesday: 10.6 km - 0:50 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 5 hrs

easy run up to warrimoo and back. legs felt good.

thursday: 25 km - 2:00 - easy
shoes: nike pegasus pack: nathon hpl020 (i think)

didn't feel like running when i got up but felt better after an easy run to work. the run home was much tougher as the heat and humidity built up before an impending storm. ran along the river and up the to glenbrook via the trail to lapstone station and up the back roads to home. looked for all the hills and felt strong. sub 4 min/km pace over the final 600 metres left my legs feeling very shaky. cooled down in a cold bath to help with recovery. kids were very helpful and found it amusing to poor cold water over daddy - i was less amused.

friday: 30.5 km - 2:30 - long
shoes: nike pegasus sleep: 5 hrs

woke up at 4:30am and with a moments hesitation pulled myself out of bed and into my running clothes. woke up with a coffee and headed out. felt super comfortable running up to winmallee shops and a little further before turning around and heading home. it was very humid and my hydration was less than optimal. i should have been carrying a water bottle as i couldn't find a tap in the dark. a lesson learned!

totals: running - 140.1 km