Life is a beautiful thing

I have not been racing of late, because here in Florida, it's 100* in the shade starting around 7 am, and most normal people are in the AC. Me? I'd rather be racing. So in the mean time, I have been putting in hours on the road and on the trails with old and new friends. I found that this down time has made me grow, mature and think.......alot.  

I have played many sports in my life, but I love the fact that running has changed me in ways that I could never have done other wise.  Running has a way of forcing you to over come many things and also slow you down enough to appreciate the little things. In baseball (a sport I played for many many years) it's about the team and strategy. You hold each other up like bricks in a wall. Each taking some blame for the failure or victory in the sport, regardless of the who or why. Same with football, hockey, soccer and other team sports I played over the years. Running though, is a Drill Sgt screaming at you while you fail, reminding you that it is only you out there, alone, screwing up the whole thing. Screaming in your face to push further and harder in that failure because it's only objective is to make you a stronger person from that failure. To show you all will be ok when you overcome.

Now don't get me wrong. Running is strategy too. Pacing, nutrition, hydration, endurance. But running is more so about just you and the road under your feet. YOU are the only one accountable for what is done. YOU are the only one to blame for the failures or victories. It also embraces you in your victories and makes it that much better because of the failures it shoved in your face. And yes, some might have teammates out there with them and yes those teammates will pick you up when you fail or hold you high when you succeed, but one can not force blame onto those teammates in the end like in other sports and as in life. Running is accountability. That horrible "a" word that no one can seem to place into their mouths.

I have now, and always, put my lessons learned from sports into my daily life. But lately, I have begun to realize that the lessons learned from running, run deeper. I find myself calmer. More in tune with others around me. Their feelings or opinions, and I listen more. I am happier with my life and am not afraid to face fear of failure. I realize, and embrace, that failure is not an option, it's just a fact of life and with failure comes growth. Because with that growth comes love for ones self, and with that love for ones self comes respect for the beauty that surrounds us everyday. And with all of that, along with lessons of accountability, one can allow love, respect, beauty and many other things we never did allow into our lives.

I will now go out and learn and appreciate more of what life has to offer. I will embrace my victories and my failures and I will keep my head held high. I will do this because I love what running really does. It not only makes your outside strong and beautiful, but it works on the inside too. It really does show you that, life is a beautiful thing. Now, if you don't mind, I am going out for more lessons in accountability. Why don't you join me?

Experimentation of the "Dreadmill"

Recently I have been forced to do alot of my training indoors. And as most know, or may not, I am NOT an indoor person. I get chills of dread when just looking at a treadmill or any other machine that forces your feet to go numb and will train in most conditions just to stay outdoors. I have run in -0 temps and in thunderstorms. I have run at high noon on days when you wouldn't even put your dog out for fear of heat stroke and in the wee hours of the morning with fear of getting jumped. But lately, conditions beyond my control have forced me in. I AM HATING EVERY SECOND!!! But the training needs to get done, so it will.

With that being said, I have found that the "dreadmill" is still dreaded. The first day I got on one, the numbers on this evil machine said that I was a Kenyon and I was the fasted person on earth. On the board, it had me running a speed of 9? Really? And what is a 9? I always thought I was a 10 (hahahaha J/K).  It said I was running a 5:45 pace and when all was said and done, it said I did 7 miles in 30 min. Ya....you do the math...... A few days later, I was once again forced to run indoors and as I did, the numbers were once again messed up. This time, according to the machine, I was running a 11:15 min/mile and after 45 min on the machine, I ran only 3.7 miles. Ummmmm.......really? Both times I just geared it up until I felt like I was at my road pace (which is around an 8 min mile give or take the day) and both times I just left the gadgets alone. I let it go on a 0 incline. I later asked my Lt when the machine was bought, and he stated it was less than 2 yrs old, and to quote him....."Have you SEEN the guys you work with?? NO ONE uses that thing!"

So I was left scratching my head with wonder and questioning the unanswered question of all time........How accurate is that thing?

 So. Off I went, pad and pen in hand, with determination in my soul and a look of craziness in my eyes, I started my experiment. Over a period of a month, I went around to different locations with mills, and ran them, logged it and ran them again. I ran the mills by "feel", meaning I have been running long enough outside and just anal enough to be able to tweak and push so my numbers are accurate.  I found that some mills were consistent, but most weren't. Even the one's that are in gyms that I KNOW service their equipment and take care of it too. I would say that on the average, the dreadmill had me running faster (by the numbers it threw at me) than I really do run. As I said, I am a normal 8 min/miler and the mill had me on the average of a 6 min/mile. Sometimes the time on the machine would match the "average speed/mile" but mostly, after doing the math and counting steps, doing THAT math, then realizing the numbers didn't jive with the numbers on the monitor. (ummmmmm.....I DID say I was anal......... LOL)

So, where did all that experimentation leave me? Did it answer that age old question of "How accurate IS that thing anyhow?"

It left me with the answer of NO on accuracy and an answer of "I absolutely HATE the dreadmill.......STILL!!!" But now I DO know, for me anyhow, if I MUST train indoors, do as I have always done. Put a towel over the monitor, run by feel and thank the Lord that I was able to run that day.

With all that being said, the advise I always give friends or strangers that ask me, is, "The treadmill is great if you are just beginning, or have no other choice in the matter. It gets the job done, but remember, it is without accuracy. Never pay mind to what the monitor says, because it is a machine. Just a machine. One that you can easily step off of and it will keep going, tracking time without knowing if you are on it or not. It is a great way for beginners to "get used to running", but NOTHING takes the place of the good ol outdoors."  If you want to run serious, lose more weight, or just plain enjoy running, then move it outside. It is a different animal in the real world. Noises, smells, the way your feet hit a ground that doesn't move for you, stride, heat, cold.....all of it. It is the reason for running. To take you away from it all. Train in what you work in. It's the only way you will ever get it done. 

So, if you are a "Miller" and you think that the huge jump you made from a 13 min/mile to a 10 min/mile overnight is awesome, just remember, it takes years of training and dedication to move SECONDS off of your times. So I challenge you. Get outside. Do an experiment of your own and see how accurate YOUR mill is........