Adjusting my Run

All of my runs these days, brief as they are anyway, have been an exercise in concentration. I'm constantly thinking about cadence, foot placement, stride length, etc. Running has suddenly become very technical.

This puts me in an awkward position. Not the good kind, unfortunately. Part of the appeal of running for me was that I didn't have to think. I could just "be". It was one of the few moments in my life where I didn't have to be inside my head. Actually, it was one of the few moments in my life where I enjoyed being outside of myself. The girl who rather sit inside and read for hours on end suddenly enjoyed being outside in the elements, just running. Unlike in my previous life as a dancer, I didn't need to worry about technique. There was no "right" or "wrong" way to do it.

Well, I guess I was incorrect. Apparently there is a a correct way to run and it wasn't the way I was doing it. So now I'm trying to adjust. And adjusting for me means finding a compromise between counting my foot-falls and just being out there. It means distinguishing between speed and cadence. It means deciding that, yes, maybe this is more technical than I wanted it to be, but I still want to be out there.

I had a decent run on Monday, which turned out to be a good progression run. I ran for 30 minutes and dropped from a 10:17 pace to a 9:54 pace.

And if you are a girl, or a girly-man, you should check out the wonderful Copia verborum's blog today. She is having a contest for Sweaty Bands, which I kinda need now that I think about it, since I'm rocking a reverse mullet these days.



Be jealous.