I'm In A Hurry To Get Things Done!

Sunday, August 31, 2014 · Mike Davis

Good morning! What happened to August? Today is not only part of Labor Day weekend, but also the final day of August. Goodness I truly we skipped from July to September or that August only had a few days in it! For me it was probably all about training groups and clients which left little time slow it down. Now we are certainly facing fall head on though I know, not officially until later in September. My goal will be slow down the next couple of months as best as I can as I have a deep fondness for much of what the next few months bring. Slowing life down isn't an easy task with a calendar full of activity even if those activities are some that I enjoy. Slowing down is something I would like to work on in my life both in and out of my running shoes. The legendary country music group Alabama sung a song many years ago called "I'm in a Hurry", that talked about being in a hurry but don't know why? Recently a current country group did a remake of that same song, though not nearly as good as the original, the message remains timeless. Everyone seems to be in a hurry and life moves at a pace that blurs the previous days that we just left behind. Similarly the weakness most runners struggle with is with pacing and the inability to slow things down. Preaching to all the runners I work with about the virtues of slowing it down is probably dominates more of my coaching than most any other subject. When I say that "every step matters", primarily I am stressing about those early steps and miles that have significant effect on those final steps and miles. Another effect of "every step matters" is that today's run not only has a direct impact on your next run, but also on that race you might be training for. Every time our foot strikes the ground there's a cause and effect and while we focus on the immediate outcome, understanding the effect is multi faceted. I am no different than most runners in that I enjoy the feeling of moving faster and even sometimes relate running faster to being a better runner. Does running faster make me a better runner? Certainly it indicates that I have trained my body to endure the elevation of VO2 (oxygen intake) and increased lactate levels, while working my legs at a greater turnover. All of which are challenges that come with running faster for longer periods of time. However does all of that make me a better runner is still the question. I guess if being a fast runner isGood morning! What happened to August? Today is not only part of Labor Day weekend, but also the final day of August. Goodness I truly we skipped from July to September or that August only had a few days in it! For me it was probably all about training groups and clients which left little time slow it down. Now we are certainly facing fall head on though I know, not officially until later in September. My goal will be slow down the next couple of months as best as I can as I have a deep fondness for much of what the next few months bring. Slowing life down isn't an easy task with a calendar full of activity even if those activities are some that I enjoy. Slowing down is something I would like to work on in my life both in and out of my running shoes. The legendary country music group Alabama sung a song many years ago called "I'm in a Hurry", that talked about being in a hurry but don't know why? Recently a current country group did a remake of that same song, though not nearly as good as the original, the message remains timeless. Everyone seems to be in a hurry and life moves at a pace that blurs the previous days that we just left behind. Similarly the weakness most runners struggle with is with pacing and the inability to slow things down. Preaching to all the runners I work with about the virtues of slowing it down is probably dominates more of my coaching than most any other subject. When I say that "every step matters", primarily I am stressing about those early steps and miles that have significant effect on those final steps and miles. Another effect of "every step matters" is that today's run not only has a direct impact on your next run, but also on that race you might be training for. Every time our foot strikes the ground there's a cause and effect and while we focus on the immediate outcome, understanding the effect is multi-faceted. I am no different than most runners in that I enjoy the feeling of moving faster and even sometimes relate running faster to being a better runner. Does running faster make me a better runner? Certainly it indicates that I have trained my body to endure the elevation of VO2 (oxygen intake) and increased lactate levels, while working my legs at a greater turnover. All of which are challenges that come with running faster for longer periods of time. However does all of that make me a better runner is still the question. I guess if being a fast runner is the definition of a "better runners", then yes, but I am not so sure. As the years pass ever so quickly I see more value in slowing things down and taking in all the beauty that God so graciously surrounds us with and while it is exciting to run a personal best at a race, we often lose sight of all that a particular race offers. Speeding through a course leaves little time for the details of a course, the people running around you or even the fun. Instead we often get caught up in splits, maintaining pace and getting to the finish line. Finishing a 5K in record time is quite exciting but ultimately you end up paying varied amounts of money for running less and less time. Don’t get me wrong, we train many people to improve their 5K times and on up to marathons, but hopefully we also training them to find a greater meaning to their running. The combination of helping people to be stronger runners and find a greater level of joy in running is critical to a long healthy love of running. Another benefit of slowing it down is one that many runners never really grasp. If you want to get faster, you most likely need to slow it down. As I have stated many times, 70 percent of training runs should be between one and two minutes slower than your race pace. This is not just a rule for recreational runners but also for those that are amongst the world’s best. Slow and easy develops those slow twitch muscle, trains your body to manage glycogen and develops greater cardio capability. All the while it does not task your future capability which is critical as you continue training or just running for fun. The remaining 30 percent of weekly training is where you focus on speed if that’s part your ultimate goal. Many that come to NFLR often share their current plan with me and in most cases they are running most runs near or at their race pace. Often this leads them to a plateau in their training, burnout or injuries. Right off I change the training plan drastically and then set out to change the mindset of the individual. Can you guess which is easier? The success that ensues in shear time is awesome, but the enjoyment that our plan brings about is far more rewarding. Our bodies cannot take running miles upon miles at the same speed and continue to maximize performance. Controlled training is imperative to a successful training program and to healthy recreational running in general. Slowing it down enables us to kick it in and sustain it when prepared properly. My goal is to slow things down the best I can during the month of September both in my running shoes and out of them as well! I hope you have a great rest of your Labor Day weekend. Slow things down, enjoy your loved ones and take in the moment. God bless! Mike