Day 1 -- Interval Training
So, here goes...day 1.
I'm not trying to set a precedent here, I'm just trying to be true to my commitment and to follow through with what I set out to do for the next 365 days. So please forgive me if this post isn't as monumental as one might expect for a day 1 of a year long resolution.
Today, I am thankful for the interval training that I did in the middle of the day.
If you are not a runner, maybe you don't know what intervals are. Interval training involves bursts of extremely high intensity work followed by a period of recovery. They are tough, no doubt about it. As a cross-country coach, I can tell you that when we announce that a day is an "interval day", the announcement is usually followed by much groaning and gnashing of teeth from the athletes.
Today began in a kind of funk for me. No real reason, just not on top of my game. By the time midday came around, I didn't even feel like running, to be perfectly honest. But, I did. I donned my running skins, my Gore-tex shoes, and my Smart Wool cap and did a mile warm up followed by 400 meter repeats. Six of them. These are faster than race pace, so you should be hurting by the end if you're doing them correctly. Believe me, I was hurting. But, hurting during interval training always makes me think of that John Cougar Mellencamp song, "Hurts So Good":
I ain't complaining
What you're doing you see
'Cause this hurting feeling is
Oh so good for me
There are so many beautiful parts about running for me. One prime example comes during interval training when you are so fatigued that you are forced to make a choice. Either continue to push yourself, or let up. It's that simple. I love it when I get to that point and I make the decision to push through. It's exhilarating.
The other beautiful part about running is the post-running high. After my 30 minute workout, my funk was completely gone. I enjoyed the rest of the evening with my family and friends to the fullest. Without having gone through the pain, exhilaration, and recovery of my workout today, I am confident that this day would have turned out much differently.
Thank God for Interval Training!
Thank you, Lord, for the beauty and pain of interval training. Thank you for giving me the ability to run at all! Thank you for using it as a way for me to work through the battles in my own mind. Please continue to bless me with this ability and to give me the strength to push through when things get difficult. In your name, Amen.
I'm not trying to set a precedent here, I'm just trying to be true to my commitment and to follow through with what I set out to do for the next 365 days. So please forgive me if this post isn't as monumental as one might expect for a day 1 of a year long resolution.
Today, I am thankful for the interval training that I did in the middle of the day.
If you are not a runner, maybe you don't know what intervals are. Interval training involves bursts of extremely high intensity work followed by a period of recovery. They are tough, no doubt about it. As a cross-country coach, I can tell you that when we announce that a day is an "interval day", the announcement is usually followed by much groaning and gnashing of teeth from the athletes.
Today began in a kind of funk for me. No real reason, just not on top of my game. By the time midday came around, I didn't even feel like running, to be perfectly honest. But, I did. I donned my running skins, my Gore-tex shoes, and my Smart Wool cap and did a mile warm up followed by 400 meter repeats. Six of them. These are faster than race pace, so you should be hurting by the end if you're doing them correctly. Believe me, I was hurting. But, hurting during interval training always makes me think of that John Cougar Mellencamp song, "Hurts So Good":
I ain't complaining
What you're doing you see
'Cause this hurting feeling is
Oh so good for me
There are so many beautiful parts about running for me. One prime example comes during interval training when you are so fatigued that you are forced to make a choice. Either continue to push yourself, or let up. It's that simple. I love it when I get to that point and I make the decision to push through. It's exhilarating.
The other beautiful part about running is the post-running high. After my 30 minute workout, my funk was completely gone. I enjoyed the rest of the evening with my family and friends to the fullest. Without having gone through the pain, exhilaration, and recovery of my workout today, I am confident that this day would have turned out much differently.
Thank God for Interval Training!
Thank you, Lord, for the beauty and pain of interval training. Thank you for giving me the ability to run at all! Thank you for using it as a way for me to work through the battles in my own mind. Please continue to bless me with this ability and to give me the strength to push through when things get difficult. In your name, Amen.
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