The Wamego Runner

Great Run

2009-07-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since my last post. I've still been progressing with my running and today has had to be the best day yet.

Some of you might have heard the term "muscle memory". When I went to school for personal training we touched on the subject just a little. It intrigued me so I studied more about it on my own. I have never really had an opinion either way as far as if it's true or merely in your head.

There are actually studies that show boths sides of the equation. The majority of these studies show that it's coincidental and all in your head.

A good example would be a person who has been body building for several years. He decides to take a few days off to recover because he's feeling a little burned out. A few days turn into a few weeks. A few weeks turn into a few months. Before he knows it, it's been a year.

His size has significantly shrunk. His arms are not as full as they once were. He starts his lifting regime again and a few weeks pass by. Then a few months. He's back to the point that he once was at. This time it took a few months vs. a years amount of time.

Was it muscle memory or was it in his head? You could actually fight this either way. If you look at it logically when he first started lifting he probably wasn't very comfortable with weights. He may not have been sure on how much he could have lifted so he started out slow with very little weight. Over time he became comfortable with the different lifts and the gym. Time passed by and he was lifting pretty heavy in a years amount of time.

However, this time when he gets back in the gym he's comfortable. He has a good understanding of the gym and how much weight he should be lifting. He knows this time that he can start out using heavier weights than what he did when he first started. This could indeed be the reason for his quicker gains instead of muscle memory. By starting out at a heavier weight his gains came a lot quicker than before.

Why am I rambling on about all of this? Well for the first time I have experienced this phenomenon. However it wasn't with lifting but with running. As I mentioned in my earlier posts I had let myself slip into a rut. I was running less and less. I have now started to pick up my pace with running and I'm finding that it is very different than when I first started running years ago. I'm finding it easier to make gains, easier to run, and best of of all I have never been huffing and puffing as I originally did. And for those of you who hate running because of the huffing and puffing it's great to not have to worry about it.

In the last few weeks I feel like I'm almost back to the point that I was when I started my decline. I'm not quite there yet but as far as my cardiovascular system is concered I'm there. I have more energy throughout the day and I feel like myself again. I have no problems just picking up and running a quick three miles. No leg pain or fatigue.

Is it muscle memory or is it in my head? You decide.

A Runners High

2009-07-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

The title of this post says it all for me. Today I had one of the most amazing runs. I often find some of my best ideas and solutions to my problems when I run. Today I had a very nice runners high. Those of you who run will know what I'm talking about. For those of you who don't, a runners high is a state of euphoria while running. You feel like your working at your maximum performance and you feel on top of the world.

I love these runs. I know that it varies for many people but I will usually get a runner's high after running for a certain period of time. Mine is usually anything after 45 minutes. These days for me are very motivating. As I said above I find solutions to problems, have great ideas forming and usually feel like nothing can touch me. Whatever was bothering me before is out the window.

I know that you can't have a runner's high everyday but it sure would be nice. It's also part of what keeps me motivated to run. I look foreward to these times.

I guess we will see what tomorrow brings..................

A new day

2009-07-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

I've never been a writer and especially not a blogger. However, I thought that this might help me in my journey to reclaim myself as a runner. I have to admit I have fallen off the bandwagon. I have never completely stopped running, but the amount of miles I have been logging is less than par.

I remember the days not so long ago when I would find myself getting upset If I didn't log atleast 40 miles a week. Now I'm logging 10. When Addison was born my thought process changed. I found myself saying that there wasn't enough time in the day, or I will run at later, yada, yada. I went from making running a top priority to having too much on my plate to think about it. That was my first mistake.

I know that this is no excuse. Real runners know that there is always time in the day to run. If there isn't....you make time. If that means getting up at 4:00 in the morning then you do it. If it means running over your lunch break or late at night after the kids go to bed, you do it. You make time.

To me running isn't a thing you do for weight loss. It isn't just a way to exercise. Riding a stationary bike in the gym is a way to exercise. Running is part of my life. It is something that I do to find stress relief. It fights anxiety, kills depression, and keeps me from getting colds all winter long.

I know that last one might sound funny but this last winter I was sick from November-March. I had constant sinus infections. This is also when my running began to steeply decline. I would find myself only running a day or two a week. The previous winter I wasn't sick once. I have never experienced anything like that before.

Before I fell into this nasty rut, I would find myself excited to get out and run. I was less stressed, and overall a more happy person. In the last month I have started to get those same feelings again. I honestly was wondering if they would ever return again and why I lost them in the first place.

All I know is that I'm happy that they have returned so I can reclaim myself again. Those of you who have been blessed with the experience of running know exaclty what I'm talking about.

What I have to tell myself is that some days those feelings might not be there. Those are the days that I have to remind myself why I'm running and to believe it. As long as I do that I can't go wrong.

I'm also looking forward to running with my oldest daughter Audri. I have had a few races with her and to be honest with you I enjoyed those two races better than when I ran my first Marathon. She get's so excited and has a blast running. I'm very blessed to be able to run with her. For her benefit and mine I need to keep logging more miles so I can be there to teach her along the way.

In all I hope this blog will help to keep me motivated and to help others who need motivation. I will be adding posts where I'm rambling like this one as well as information on weight loss and my own thoughts on my journey.

Until next time..........