That Old Balance Thing Again

To me, it seems that a pendulum is most effective when swinging through the middle position. In the below diagrams, that position is called the "equilibrium" position, and it's noted that "velocity is maximum."

Sorry to get all physics class on you, but my possibly poorly illustrated point is that extremes, when it comes to physical activity, are often the least effective when it comes to balanced physical fitness. I'm saying this anecdotally, of course.

I have a tendency to take extreme approaches to exercise. When I decide I'm going to run, I go all-in. When I want to become strong, same thing, that becomes the narrow focus. And yet I know that, for me, these approaches almost always lead to burnout and/or injury. I know this sounds very anti-goal oriented...which I'm not, by any means...but this is a lesson that has been very hard for me to learn and incorporate in my approach to fitness. There are some amateur athletes, even in my age group (late 40's) who seem to be able to defy the odds and push to the limit for extended periods. I'm not one of them.

For someone so interested in physical fitness, I'm pretty fragile. If you've followed this blog over the years, you'll know that I've experienced just about every common running injury out there. And, when I've shut down the running and picked up the heavy weights, I seem to eventually pull or strain something.

With that said, I have achieved goals. I ran and completed my first (and so far, only) marathon in May of 2010. During one of my injured periods, I met a fellow runner's challenge of getting six-pack abs. I've achieved a set of 20 overhand pull-ups, deadlifted 320 lbs., bench pressed 222 lbs, etc. Not that any of these are impressive, but they're goals I've met, despite my fragility.

There are still physical goals I have yet to achieve. I believe we all must have them, and they must be personal. Doing something just because someone else has done it or is doing it isn't a reason to shoot for something. If your goal is to do 10 perfect pushups, that's no less important or significant than someone trying to run a sub-3 hour marathon.

However, as I get older and my focus gradually shifts from attempting impressive physical feats to being as fit and healthy as I can be, my approach needs to change. I'm still in the process of figuring out exactly what that means. I know it will involve doing a little of everything, rather than "all running" or "all weight lifting," or any other unbalanced approach I'm good at taking. That approach, unfortunately, isn't terribly inspiring when it comes to achieving goals.

Getting personal, there are a few things I do want to achieve in the near future. I'd like to get a lean waistline again. In my effort to build strength this year, I've become sloppy with my diet and have put on a belly that I can no longer accept (I've already started eliminating processed sugars. Again.) I'd also like to be able to do several pull-ups once again. I do miss running, too, but I know I'll probably never be able to run like I once did. Even while running a slow 2 miles with the dog today, there were frustrating aches and pains. On the flip side, my efforts to increase my deadlift have led to a lower back that has been "out" for the last few days. Alas, I don't think I'm meant to be a powerlifter (which is likely an understatement.) I still may attempt to enter a deadlift-only meet with my daughter in January, but that will be dictated 100% by my back. And whether or not I think I can lift more than most of the women at the meet.

So, to hopefully wrap up a rambling post, I need to figure out a way to stay motivated and inspired, while approaching exercise and fitness in a much more balanced way. The goal of "being in shape and not injured" sounds great, but it's far too amorphous. I've considered having weekly quotas, such as a certain number of pushups, pull-ups, miles run or ridden, weight lifted, etc., but I haven't really fleshed that out yet.

In any event, more balance (which I believe was my "key word" back in 2011 on this very blog) and less specificity will have to be a major part of my approach going forward.

The Most Awesome Awesomeness

My wonderful wife gave me a Valentine's Day gift. It was an unusual gift. It involved a two night getaway to a cozy cottage on the Wenatchee River, just outside of the quaint Bavarian-styled village of Leavenworth, WA. What's unusual about that? Well...it's a getaway for ME ONLY. It took me a couple of months to cash in on the gift, due to my workload. In fact, that's what the gift was all about – giving me a chance to decompress after 5 months of craziness with my business. At one point, I threw down a stretch of 40 days without a day off. Let me just say that I'm having a blast enjoying the scenery, solitude, and the hot tub on my deck overlooking the Wenatchee River, watching Osprey flying by in search of a juicy fish.

Nice, you say, but what does this have to do with running? Well, today I took advantage of the dirt & cinder trail by the river and got in my longest "run" in my current rehab cycle. It was two miles of a run/walk (1 min. each). It was incredibly satisfying, even aside from my compliant heel. During this run, I had a bit of a revelation. Not incredibly profound, but a moment of clarity about my immediate future as a runner. This ties in with my "Balance" mantra I wrote about at the beginning of this year. Running is still my passion (exercise-wise), and will remain so. But, knowing that I'm typically an "all-or-nothing" type of person, I'll be focusing much more on staying strong overall with a varied approach...and for the first time in awhile, I'm perfectly okay with that. In fact, I plan on building up, gradually, to a point where I test my speed in shorter races, using my approach of no more than three runs per week (along with a long bike ride and a swim, plus two days of weights). I wouldn't use this approach to train for a marathon (or even a half), but I won't be training for those anytime soon. I'm actually excited about this, whereas before I looked at it as a necessary evil in order to not re-injure myself (or not stay injured, as the case may be). I'm not there yet, but by later this year, I hope to start upping the intensity a bit, while moderating the volume and frequency of my runs.

So, unless it's the elation of this head-clearing getaway talking, I'm excited to see what happens!

Balance, Cont'd

To follow up on yesterday's tease, Balance is the word I'm focusing on in 2011. I'm not a big resolution guy, but I always set goals for myself.

After putting all my eggs in the ‘running basket’ last year (until my injury, anyway), this year will be a transition year for me. I'll be focusing my athletic efforts over a wider spectrum. Basically, I'll be training more for general fitness and less as a hard-core runner. Cross-training will be de rigueur (aren't I fancy?) this year. I've been hitting the strength training pretty hard the last few months. Depending on whether I'll go under the knife for my heel or not, I'll continue with that (on a reduced level), along with more cycling, walking, hiking and swimming (maybe).

It's probably obvious why I'm going this route in 2011. I will always identify myself as a runner before any other athletic designation. I plan on being a runner the rest of my life, so being patient is more important than if I were training for one major event, then retiring. That said, I'm focusing my efforts this year on getting into, and staying in, good physical condition until I can transition back into being the runner I'd like to be.

When I started running again in 2009, I did a good deal of cycling that year (mostly because I was training for the bike leg of a triathlon). I didn't run a ton of miles, but I was injury free the entire year. When I'm cleared to do so, that will be my mindset this year. Loosely, my plan will be 2-3 days per week of cycling, 2-3 days per week of running, 2 days per week of strength training (not incl. daily bodyweight exercises), with any of these being substituted with hiking, swimming or other outdoor pursuits. Staying with a consistent routine will be the key.

If I end up having surgery, I'll just do what I can until my rehab is complete. I still plan on running some races this year. If and when I train for them, I'll probably base my training plan on the Furman First program, and continue to cross-train. No, I won't be a great runner this year, but I'm looking toward future years, after my body is healed and ready.

I'm also instituting the Balance philosophy in my personal life (less TV, more books, less computer, more family time, less processed sugar, more fruit & veggies, less politics, more drawing & painting, less stress, more music...you know, the standard stuff).

I'm excited to see what I can accomplish physically in 2011, even with limited running. Maybe 2012 will be a more running-centric year. We'll see.

Word for 2011

Balance.

Been a busy weekend. More elaboration later...