How many of you work out to stay in shape, or for any other
purpose other than for the love of that activity? Have you ever told yourself
that you should go work out, because
your body will like you for it, and you’ll feel better about yourself? Perhaps
it’s even something that you enjoy doing, but you just can’t seem to get
yourself off the couch to do it? Well have I got the product for you! It’s the
all new…ok ok, I won’t scare you with the threat of another cheesy infomercial.
I assure you that I’m not selling anything here. In fact, I’m right there with
ya, folks. Motivation can be elusive, even for the things you know you’ll enjoy
once you’re doing it.
Running was like this for me ever since I started in late
high school. It doesn’t help that I hated it when I initially joined the
cross-country team senior year, joining mostly because I injured myself during
soccer tryouts and couldn’t play. My initial experience with distance running
was not fun – in fact it was quite painful – and it definitely put a blemish on
the years to come, even when I came to enjoy running more. In college and
beyond, there were certainly the days when I longed to get out in the sunshine
and run a few solid miles along the river. It was invigorating, and a great way
to crosstrain. I never saw it as a means in itself, however. I ran mainly to
stay in shape in the off-season, to supplement the soccer season and compliment
the climbing season, adding cardio endurance to brute strength. I threw in a
few 5k and 5-mile races here and there as well to keep it fun and enjoy some
competition, a trait of my personality that I’ll never shed.
As I’ve mentioned more than a few times, my experience at “The Big Juan” last summer changed everything
for me. I saw running from a completely new perspective after that. Running
became an adventure, not just something that people do to stay in
shape or because they just love running. I had never learned the love of
running for the sake of it, so this new love was enlightening
for me, and the key to keeping me interested and motivated.
Since then, I’ve altered my approach to training. I try not
to pick a route that’s easy or close by and run it just for speed (although I
still do that sometimes), but rather I use the running as a means to go new
places, see new things, and explore the unknown. I’ve explored new sections of
my neighborhood and beyond, finding all kinds of cool little points of
interest, including the Little Free Library and the tiny locales that I didn’t know existed. The grandest adventure
I’ve had thus far was last weekend, when I finally put into fruition a plan
that I hatched a while back.
I’ve been more interested in point-to-point runs lately,
because it doesn’t require repeating parts already traveled, and as comedian Lewis Black points out when lamenting about the
pointlessness of treadmills; “It seems to me if you’re gonna be running, when
you’re done, you should be somewhere else!” Now, I have no problems with loops,
but for some odd reason, doing a 12-mile point-to-point seems much cooler than
a 12-mile loop, so I set out to find some feasible p2p’s that fit into my
training program. Just for the hell of it, I checked to see what the distance
would be to run from my house to my parents’ house in the suburbs, and it
turned out to be 12.6 miles on foot. Not only was it a great distance to throw
into my training, but as I checked routes, I discovered that I could do the
majority of it on trails, separated from traffic, neighborhoods, and general
civilization.
My plan was set. I called my folks to see if they wanted to
hang out and have dinner on Saturday, and informed them that we would arrive
early afternoon. Anna did her long run with her running buddies early that
morning, so we timed it so that she would be showered and driving my direction
to meet me shortly after I arrived in White Bear Lake. With a great feeling of
adventure and challenge, I set out with my Camelbak and pouch belt stuffed with
Gu, foot care items, my phone, ID, and credit card, just in case. The run was
almost magical. Crossing through previously unseen areas of St. Paul and across
the freeway, I hit the Gateway trail and took a moment to consider my task,
feeling a new twinge of focused excitement. It’s hard to believe that in the
middle of the city, one can feel as if totally secluded in the woods. Although
I was still amid civilization, this was the closest to an “unsupported run”
that I’ve ever had. Cruising along, I hooked up with the Bruce Vento Trail – a
trail I didn’t know existed until I started searching routes – and chomped on
my gel to keep me moving. The trail was practically desolate, and being alone
with just the scenery and my thoughts drove me onward in an almost aloof state,
and yet I felt focused the whole time. Of course, the “brain iPod” was in full
effect with this song, strangely
enough. Hey, it’s got a great bpm for setting a pace. When I hit the backside
of the Maplewood Mall shopping district, I knew I was home free. Back on the
roads again I picked up the pace, finishing it all off with a sprint to and up
my parents’ driveway. Although in the eyes of ultrarunning I had just completed
a “normal run,” this was the longest distance I’ve ever covered, and I did it
all with just 3mm of rubber underfoot, so I relished my accomplishment.
The best part, however, was walking into the house, my
parents looking at me rather quizzically in my running clothes and sweaty,
red-faced state, asking me with an almost sarcastic tone, “What, did you run
here?” Yep. Then the cognitive dissonance began; “Wait, you REALLY ran here?
Where did you start? You ran here from your house?” I like surprising people,
and this was just the icing on the cake. That, and the fact that I did my run
at a 7m36s/mile pace, quite a bit under my initial 8min/mile goal for the half
marathon at the end of April. Altogether, it was a great redemption to the
failed 11-miler the weekend before, and proof that making the run an adventure
helps more than one might realize. The final fruit of my point-to-point labor,
however, was the delicious steak dinner that my folks prepared for us. A grand
adventure run, followed by a great (free) meal and beer. That’s what makes it
all worthwhile. Thanks Mom and Dad.
Does every run need to be a grand adventure? Certainly not,
but by adding new elements and challenges to the run, you can get your mind off
of the dull routine of “the workout.” Adding personal challenges and unique
twists of various sorts create a distraction from the regular, and they might
be as simple as exploring new territory to see how far you can go, organizing a
fun point-to-point run (and possibly surprising friends or family), or doing
sprint pickups along your route based on landmarks or people in front of you
(“I’m gonna pass that guy before he passes the big tree 15 yards ahead of
him”). Part of what made the run to my parents’ house so fun was the element of
the unknown, running farther than I ever have before in unknown territory and
completely alone. “Do one thing everyday that scares you,” proposed Eleanor
Roosevelt, and she was absolutely right. Organized or intentional scariness, as
it were, can make for a great adventure that yields equally great benefits, as
long as you are willing to take on the challenge and be flexible with the
potential outcome.
On a smaller scale, if you’re training for an ultra or a
trail race, experiment with your gear and see what works best: hydration pack
vs. handhelds, various foods and gut response, etc. For some people, that might
be serious business, but because I geek out on stuff like that, it’s fun for me
to try new things and see what works best. You’ll need to use your creativity
to find what works best for you, and as long as creativity is the goal, you’ll
find something interesting and fun, which in turn will keep you motivated. It
can actually be quite addicting too, so beware!
As I wrap up, let’s boil it down to a few quick points,
shall we? Here are the facets of a true adventure in my mind:
- facing the unknown - unknown places, distances, limits, etc.
- taking on a challenge – test your strength and endurance, your ingenuity, your mental toughness, etc.
- facing your fears – What’s holding you back from doing what you really want to do?
- breaking routine – approach something with a fresh, flexible, creative perspective
One final note of importance is that structured training
plans and creative adventures are not mutually exclusive. Structure and
consistency are extremely important for successful training, in my opinion, but
there is always room within that structure to switch things up and vary the
workout. I’ve managed to use my training schedule as the base around which I
utilize my creativity, because it provides a starting point that can make
finding new adventures a bit easier. Now I look forward to whatever new and
interesting challenge I get to dream up, while knowing that I’m still following
a plan to make myself stronger, faster, and more competitive. Make a plan,
think outside the box, and get off the couch!
In closing, I will amend the words of mothers everywhere and
say to you, “It’s a beautiful day outside. Go out and find yourself an
adventure!”
