Friday Morning Coffee and Chat

Friday, February 24, 2017 · Mike Davis

Good morning,

No doubt that it being Friday is more meaningful for some of you than it is me. My days are a lot less structured since retirement and so some days do not hold the same significance as they once did. Though today, I am working like most the rest of y’all, but only until 1pm. After I get off I will hit the fitness center for some rowing and then if all still feels good, maybe some later afternoon golf. Sounds like a great day, if it plays out that way. It certainly is a blessing to have the opportunities that I have. Anyhow, grab your coffee and pull-up a stool!

Yesterday I got back in my running shoes and hit the road! I actually ran along the golf courses and paths that take me a pretty fair distance. As I said Wednesday, I was recovering from either a cold or allergies and did not want to push through. Well, yesterday’s run was about as poorly managed as a run could be. The weather was beautiful and I was excited to be out and moving, so I moved a little faster than I should of. Typically, my first mile of every run is close to 9:45 range and then I do a decent job of getting to a 9-minute overall pace (maybe slower some days). Yesterday my first mile was about a 9-minute pace and that’s with some decent incline! By mile 2, I felt totally drained and was breathing quite heavily, so I checked my heart rate and it was much higher than it typically would be at that juncture. My pace dropped off considerably and I admonished myself for not being thinking out the effects of not being fully recovered. Instead, I had just zapped the little glycogen (fuel) I had and now was trying to get through the run. My initial goal was a 60-minute run, and as I hit mile 2, I determined it would be a 50-minute instead. I turned at 26 minutes and was feeling like it might be a 30-minute run! I kept moving and tried to focus on form, but that trick wasn’t helping a whole lot. Finally, around 45 minutes, I slowed to a walk and decided to enjoy the remaining distance. While I am annoyed at myself for not pacing myself correctly, I was happy with getting out and moving. I am so blessed to be able to exercise and I must remind myself of that whenever I get obsessive about my workouts.

Currently in our Exercise Science class, we are studying the “pelvic girdle”. This is really where things get interesting for a running coach. Already, I have learned the importance of an aligned pelvis and how weakness or tightness in the hip flexors can cause a chain reaction to other functions. Your lower back may be hurting or tight and through following the chain of movements, your glutes are found not to be firing, and why aren’t they firing? You spend much of your day sitting at a desk, and that results in your hip flexors shortening, and in-turn that causes your glutes to turnoff and without your glutes firing, that stress must go somewhere. In this example, it moves to the lumbar (lower) section of your back. That is just one example of finding the cause of a problem, a good distance from the symptom. While physical therapist are the experts in much of diagnosing injuries, as running coach, it will certainly help as we look at running form through gait analysis. The pelvis is so important to runners and this is why I am in this class. This course is challenging me unbelievably, but the knowledge is priceless. The newfound knowledge has me feeling like the kid with the new toy!

Diet update: Salmon is now a regular on my weekly menu not once, but twice. I won’t say that I get excited about having it, but it is much more enjoyable than I ever thought it would be. This is a big accomplishment for a guy who thought he was set in his food choice ways. I will continue to use the Mediterranean diet as my ultimate guide, but I am definitely not there yet. I am doing well with some aspects but, my sweet tooth is my biggest challenge. I am pleased overall, so I will build on that.

Time to get ready for work. Have a great Friday, and thanks for having coffee with me!

God Bless!

Mike