Lesson 2: Training

Yesterday was a very hard day on the track. Today was a base run on the short side (non-runners, base basically means just a normal run), but we took it quick (6.5 miles @ 6:10ish pace in the SoCal heat). Tomorrow will be another hard-ish day on the track, with a morning run.

In highschool, this three-day stretch would be astronomically difficult. Now, all I can think is "I should be doing more." Kenyans train 3 times a day, or so I've heard. If I were to do that now, I would run myself into the ground, get hurt, and my season would be over.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the fundamental angst associated with running. I can build up to running, HARD, three times a day. But to get to that point will take SOOOOO LOOOOOOOONG. I'm talking 3-5 more years AT THE VERY LEAST.

The Pain is not just something to push over, its a quelling force. It's your body telling you to stop what you're doing, before you say fuck it and kick off the bend.

Training helps diminish the Pain. But the Pain is a sneaky little bastard, it knows the next place to go, the next weakness you have to exploit.

Good at short intervals? The Pain moves to LSD's (long slow distance runs). Train Train Train Train Train. Good at LSD's now? The Pain moves to Tempo runs. Train Train Train Train Train Train Train. Good at Tempo runs now? The Pain moves to long intervals on grass. Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train. Good at long intervals? The Pain moves to Fartlek workouts. Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train Train. Careful now......are you still good at short intervals? Were you ever good at short intervals? Do you EVEN REMEMBER?

Train.

Running is a mix of all of these. The Training is the mallet in the hand of the whack-a-mole player, but if you're not quick enough, the same damn mole pops its head up before you can whack it back down. Sometimes, you let the closest mole pop its head while your hitting the ones that are harder to reach (aka base training), because you know that you can easily return to smash that little fucker when the time is right.

Or can you?

Better sharpen your mallet skills.