Smooth, Easy, Fast

The guy in THAT book (yeah, "Born to Run"), said the key to getting form right was to make it smooth, wait for it to get easy, then it'll become fast all by itself.

I wish I'd had a clock on today, because, it started slow and smooth, stayed easy, and clicked up into a really nice pace by the end. The "float" that I've talked about before came back and stayed. The sensation is very unusual - the sensations of running used to be all about contact and impact, now it's about my knees - that sharp, quick knee lift that gets the back foot up and starts the next swing - rather difficult to describe.

Today was a good run - for the first time in a while, I got a bit cold - there was a strong steady wind (it's Perth, after all) and a bit of light rain at my back on the way home. Not enough to make the Fingens wet, which is really uncomfortable and rubby, but enough to give them a little feeling of slipping on the road surface.

I wondered today why I got a few rather bemused looks on the paths (more than usual) - looking down, I did have a particularly short pair of running shorts and a shirt borrowed from Rita (sure I asked), so I may have looked like I'd been left too long in the wash. Getting home and fronting the mirror, though, told the real story - I hadn't shaved for a week, so I was looking like I was being overtaken by a patchy fungus for starters, and the rain and headwind had pushed my hair into a twin set of mohawks - wolverine style - which was not at all pleasant. Alas, the camera didn't come out for that sight.

New rule:  Wear a hat, shave, or run at night.

Back to the office afterward, enjoying my new sport of making jewellery using wood and stainless steel. The machine is whizzing away at a new 5-axis creation right now, which should be done in the next few days. I'd like to think this is an interesting diversion between massive contracts, rather than a potential means of generating survival income, but we'll worry about that next week, eh?

Jarrah and Stainless Steel, polished or beadblasted

LDR x 3

The Long Distance Run.

All these little runs are stirring the itch to don the waterbag and head for the trails. Alas, this means it's time to crack the piggybank for a pair of low-drop trail shoes, since the kinvaras aren't going to last long on the rocks.

My feet are feeling a bit hammered this week. The 13k on Sunday added a pair of nice blisters under the 4th toe of each foot, a sign of poor landing, I think, and since then they've just felt a bit generally sore. My first time on the bike in a month reminded me of how narrow my bike shoes are, too, with pins and needles from the first few minutes. There'll be no dipping into the pig for bike shoes, though - they're part of the "volagi reward package", that will be my treat for getting my business out of financial strife.

Anyhoo.... Back to the trails - it'll be dry and dusty out on the Bibbulmun, so it may be cooler to take the historic railway trail to York instead. I need to find a suitably masochistic training partner.

Thus, the other LDR - the long distance relationship.... Rita is ploughing through major workouts gearing up for IM Brazil, constantly making a mockery of the shambles I'm calling training just now, so it's fun to hear about. The long slow process of bring our worlds together continues, with fingers and toes always crossed for the bits of good news in our work lives that will set the scene for the future. Being away sucks like nothing else, but it'll sure be worth it when we're back.

And the last LDR? The kid kept up a good pace (and a solid conversation) for 13.5k on the bike (long distance ride? Ok. I know I'm stretching it) on the weekend, and is asking for more, with a view to one of the kids triathlons this year. That makes for a happy dad.

All is well.

Discipline

Time manamgement has never been a strong point of mine. I have fun. I get distracted. I lose sight of the looming enormities of everyday existence in lieu of something momentarily amazing.
That ain't going to get me through this year.

For survival, it's eating to a budget (in fact, often eating at all!). To nurture a long-distance relationship with Rita, it's working to a plan and making the most of fleeting moments. To grow a happy Kid, it's taking the time to do stuff and be a good dad. To avoid financial death, it's staying tight and working the hours for the jobs that earn money right now.
Everything is discipline.

This week's run bars - lots of good and a little bit of bad. Fantastic.

Keeping the running going is yet another act of discipline - often one of the hardest to pull off for me, when I'm tired, hungry, hot or anxious after work, or stuck against deadlines for the Kid (like dinner).
When it happens, though, it's a wonder that I would ever contemplate skipping it. Particularly barefoot - just touching the road is a refreshing thing.


Today's run was 13.3km across the Windan bridge and the Causeway - the old lazy loop - simple, smooth and non-challenging - great for getting the technique right and strengthening my feet. Tonight, though, it didn't go so great. Maybe the Kid on the bike was subconsciously making me go faster than normal, but I got badly rubbed by 11km and had to put the Fingens on over a couple of larger blisters - my first in a long time. These are both placed just behind my fourth toe on each foot - an unusual place - perhaps indicating that I'm twisting too much on landing again.

rotate! rotate!

Once the Fingens went on, though, the pace shot up to blast it home. One downside of this achilles trouble I've had (and almost gotten clear of) is an annoying, painless "click" in my ankle on almost every footfall. During the day, with a bit of chatter, it isn't noticeable, but at night, when I love the silence of barefoot, it's excruciating!

Sole Director

All running has switched back to barefoot, with the longer ones with the Fingens tucked in the back of the shorts. Barefoot for me seems to work much better as that pleasant meditative therapy that running ought to be right now - it's way slow, and it's gentle.

The running became a bit aimless for a while (the LA marathon plan disappeared with a surprise trip to Hawaii!), but it is starting to pick up again, as an escape from the focus of work. This year is a year of change and decision - with business, with life, with home. The change will only come with freedom, though, and that means paying off a shedload of business debt, so the night shift is alive and well, with an occasional midnight patter around the neighbourhood tossed in to clear the head while the Kid snuffles peacefully.

Tonight is about to receive one of those - short - maybe only 4 or 5 k, but soft and silent and totally alone on the paths. Stuff falls away.....

One of the midnight creations in progress - a spring-powered gyroscope car.