Running

Exercise is for people who can't handle drugs and alcohol.
- Lily Tomlin

I haven't written much about running for a while. That's not because I stopped. In fact, it's been going surprisingly well. My IT band problems finally receded, and my hips, knees, and ankles all seem to be cooperating. I have some arthritis in my feet but it's manageable.

I've settled on a routine that my body seems to tolerate and yet is sufficient to improve a little. I run three times a week, usually Tuesday, Thursday, and a longer run on Sunday. In theory I alternate easy weeks (e.g. 5k, 5k, 10k) and hard weeks (e.g. 10k, 10k, 20k) but I'll break my rules and do multiple long weeks in a row as long as my body seems ok with it. (Or conversely, stick to easy weeks if I've got any issues.) I also try to keep my long run not much more than I've run during the week, e.g. avoiding 5k, 5k, 20k as that seems to be harder on me. For longer runs (e.g. 10k or more) I usually run-walk (e.g. 7 min run, 1 min walk). I resisted doing that for a long time because it seemed "wimpy". But I think it has helped me stay injury free, and surprisingly doesn't make much difference to my overall speed. (you "lose" about half a minute out of 8 = 1/16 which is about 6%, but gain that back by going faster between the "rests".) (And yes, I'm a geek that likes numbers.)

My watch (Garmin Fenix 5S+) was pretty excited when I finished my long run today. (Insofar as a watch can get "excited"). It announced that I had made 6 new "achievements" - personal bests (since I've had this watch) for 1 km, 1 mile, 5 km, 10 km, 20 km, and half marathon (21 km). I won't inflict my times on you, they're only really relevant to me. They're no doubt faster than some people and slower than others. I can't help comparing them, not very favorably, to my younger self. (And yes, I realize that's not realistic.)

I've run 21 km a few times lately, but I noticed my watch said I hadn't run a half marathon. That seemed a bit odd, but then I realized that a marathon is 42.2 km, so I was 100m short on my runs. Damn literal minded gadgets! Today I made sure to run the extra 100 yards.

My estimated VO2 max also went up a point. It's probably not a very accurate estimate, but it gives me some idea of my relative overall fitness. It was depressing to see it gradually drop over the winter, but not surprising. I've got it back to within one point of my high from last summer. Supposedly that puts me in the top 1% of my age group, which is good for my ego. (Not that my ego needs to be any bigger.) It also says that makes my fitness that of an "excellent 20 year old". That probably says more about the average 20 year old than it does about me. I assure you I'm not as fit as I was when I was 20.

The watch also has a "race predictor" which I find quite ridiculous. For example, it predicts I could run a 10k in 39 minutes and a marathon in 3 hrs, neither of which is even remotely within my current capabilities. I'm not sure how it comes up with those numbers. I don't think it "realizes" I'm already running pretty much as fast as I would in a "race".

In any case, numbers and fancy watches aside, I will continue to enjoy my running as long as my body lets me.

"Nothing in the world is permanent, and we're foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we're still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it."
- W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge