Writing and Running (Running and Writing?)

Theme Song: “Army of Me” Björk

Projects of the day: Finish up stuff for Bright Hub, cut my firewalk article down, revise my philosophy and the lover article, write up an interview and an article on sports activism, get my hair cut 🙂

Recently, I’ve started a Couch to 5K training program.  Part of the reason I did this is that I was motivated to be able to take part in 5k runs for charity, part is that running is about as cheap as you can get when it comes to exercise, but the biggest part is that I’ve never been a runner (not by a long shot), and I want to be a runner. Runners are the people you see flying by your car as you sit at a stoplight. I want to be that person. Runners are focused on a goal, and they can wear sweatpants or yoga pants in public (after a run) without seeming like bums.

I’ve set a goal this year to compete in a 5k race. I don’t care whether I win or lose the race, I just want to finish the race without dying. I already did a 5k walk for CROP with Church World Service back in March. That was fun. I got to meet some cool people. For a long time, as it is often with me, I wanted to take part in a 5K.  This will be my year for that. I’ve still got 6 months – and it will happen.

There are things I’ve learned along the way in the past 3 weeks. Here’s the original list I posted on Facebook:

1. My shoes are awesome, and it makes a huge difference on the way running feels. Usually I wind up either with calf cramps or shin splints…not so in these shoes.
2. If I drink caffeine before running (like the other day) it seems to be easier to push myself when running. I had a rough start this morning, and didn’t go as far as I wanted to, but nonetheless completed the plan for today.
3. I’m really going to need new running pants soon (along with everything else…) so I don’t moon people. I bet I could have gone further had I not had to run holding my pants up. I’m also sure people were amused by the sight of such a thing.
4. It’s hard to think about anything other than running while you’re running. I started plotting my day in my head and got distracted when I needed to make sure I did not trip on a sidewalk crack and fall on my face 😛 (And yes…that’s a total Ronda thing to do! In grad school in Illinois I perfected the art of falling on my butt without spilling my coffee on my icy walk to class.)
5. At some point while running you no longer care what people driving by think.
6. Running in the rain is kinda fun.
7. I’m looking forward to my runs – it’s hard to wait for it to get light outside so I can get out there!

I have since thought of more things to add to this list:

1.  “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” (Henry Ford) – I’ve found that if I think, at all, “This is going to be hard” at any point in running, then that thought will take over and I’ll psych myself out and talk myself out of  pushing my body. I can’t think about the distance or time left to go. I just have to be in the moment. The mind is a very powerful thing.
2. If I drink alcohol the night before training, as I had a pint of beer last week after a former coworker’s memorial, I will not do well, I will drag. It will feel as though I’m moving in slow motion. That will suck. Alcohol is poison to your body – that’s why you get foggy when you drink. It really messes with your ability. As much as I enjoy red wine and craft beers every once in a while, I can’t drink them if I hope to do well the  next day.
3. If I eat crap the night before training, as I had a burger and fries last night, then I will drag. More than dragging, I will not be able to go for endurance or speed. Today I went 1.49 miles in 20 minutes. That’s a drop down to a 15 minute mile. For the last 3 runs, I was averaging  about 2 miles in 20 minutes. Today, I just couldn’t keep up the speed.
4. Whatever you focus on will happen. When I started out this morning, I saw pollen on the ground. I thought “Oh, no pollen! My asthma!” Sure enough, my lungs cooperated with that thought and felt tight for the duration of training. The result was that I wound up walking 3 minutes, running 1 minute five times instead of the 3 minutes/2 minutes intervals I’d planned on.
5. You’ve got to focus on the result. When I turned off my mind and just did – thinking about how triumphant I’d feel if I completed all 5 intervals, even if I was doing 3/1 instead of 3/2, I was able to finish all the intervals – even if I had gone slow at first. I pushed myself at the end, and more distance was covered in my last 2 intervals than in the first three.

A lot of the things I’ve learned about running can be applied to writing  (or anything you want to be successful at). Here’s how they translate:

• You’ve got to have the best tools for the job
• If you do one thing at a time (and not multi-task) and you’re present, you’ll get done faster
• You can’t care what others think
• You will perform how you think you will
• If you drink alcohol or eat poorly, you’ll drag and the day will go on forever
• If you focus on what-ifs, those what-ifs will be more likely to happen. Your actions follow your thoughts
• You’ve gotta focus on the result – it’s the only thing that will keep you going when you’re bored with the project, feeling stuck, or stricken by the urge to check Facebook. Just like with the Firewalk, if you stop in the middle of what you’re doing, you’re going to fall apart.
• You’ve got to be patient with yourself and go bit by bit. If I tried to run 5K all at once without training, I probably wouldn’t go back out to do it again. If I tried to write a book all at once, I’d probably give up. You’ve got to do it in stages and have faith that all the stages you go through will add up to be something greater. A run is made up of smaller distances, a book is made up of chapters. You put them all together and you’re at the finish line.

Are you a runner? Is there something you participate in that requires you to reflect on routine? Is there a goal you’ve been making steady progress toward? What are things you’ve learned in the process?