Slow Down (Read 1910 times)

Oh, and ExPhysRunner is one of the better posters on RWOL. The guy who claims he's a Level 3 coach is an a-hole and an idiot. One of the BEST sites for training information and discussion is Jim2's website. He posts on RWOL, RT, and a couple others, and has saved a number of threads related to various topics. Here's the address: http://mysite.verizon.net/jim2wr/index.html Check it out if you get the chance.

This is a very interesting discussion, however, Trent's original post "Slow Down" simply included a link to a post aimed at new runners ... "Please Newbies--do yourselves a favor--SLOW it down. Run--walk--skip--relax--have fun. I read so many posts that folks are working way too hard: doing too much--too soon--too fast." As many have said there is no definitive right way to train that applies to everybody. As a new runner, I am drawn to information that sounds like it can help me in my newbiness. I've read a number of articles by Joe Henderson that sound logical to me. Here are a few of his quotes that I like... "Life is complicated, so run to escape the complexity instead of adding to it. Keep your training simple, low tech, and low key. Training simply balances three needs: long, fast, and easy. Train long enough (but at a slower pace) to prepare for your longest race, fast enough (but at a shorter distance) to match the speed of your shortest race, and easy enough (many days of this) to recover between your hard runs. Limit the hard days to one a week-be they long, fast, or races. This is all that most of us can tolerate or can fit into life's schedule." -- Joe Henderson "Runners typically begin with fitness goals, reach them and graduate to chasing racing goals, and then finally advance to a goal of running to keep running. Fitness and racing aren't abandoned at that final stage but become byproducts." -- Joe Henderson "Make today's run a good one. Make sure you finish wanting to and being able to come back for another, and tomorrow's run will take care of itself. The running life is a pacing exercise, just as a run or race is. One day in the life of a runner is like one step in a marathon, a year is like a mile. Don't do anything in the short term that puts this long run at risk. All that lasts in running is the lasting." -- Joe Henderson Everyone is wired differently. The, "Go hard or go home" attitude appeals to many. So does the motto, "Live hard, die young." Well I'm no longer young. My motto now is to "Live well", and for me that means not getting hurt so I can keep running, LOL! If I had to run hard every time I ran I'd throw in the towel and go back to walking. For others, telling them to do anything less than their best on every single run is an insult. Vive le difference! Thanks for keeping things interesting ~ Arlene

I feel oddly honored now. Nothing wrong with the good ol' RTYP runs. Although, I usually save that for races.

Speaking of getting to know people well, why does it not surprise me that JK was inspired to run 'til he puked by a thread entitled "Slow Down"? By the way, in case you're interested, Scout7's description of philosophy (and JK's new tattoo) is very similar to William James' attitude towards philosophy (my old avatar). It's what we in the biz call pragmatism--a typically American style of philosophy.

No, not surprised. Hey, you take that back!! Oh, wait.....I don't think I'm being insulted this time. Yeah, pragmatic....That's pretty much me. I had an English teacher tell me I was dead inside because I said that the space on the wall taken up by a piece of art would be better served with some shelves or another light fixture. And I love the fact that you call it "the biz".

By the way, in case you're interested, Scout7's description of philosophy (and JK's new tattoo) is very similar to William James' attitude towards philosophy (my old avatar). It's what we in the biz call pragmatism--a typically American style of philosophy. The new avatar is Gilles Deleuze--contemporary French philosopher, metaphysician of experience.

Running for my college (small school), we had a good cross country team but a pretty horrible track team compared to the rest of our conference, with a bare bones squad with only a couple sprinters and field eventers thrown in. Completely ragtag. So not being able to win track meets, we just had to take our small victories where we could get them... Anyway, when we were voting team T-shirt ideas, most of the designs had inspirational quotes, quotes challenging taunting other teams, and the like. My favorite (didn't win the vote) would have had the name of our team on the front and, across the back: "Pragmatism."

Haha I am totally in the same boat as Bear_Poop. I've got my HRM set up with 145 to 170 as my *zone* based on my known max of 194 (this is the highest I've clocked on there when sprinting). Today during my three mile run this thread continued to go through my mind, slow down, slow down. I set the treadmill to 4.4, which is barely jogging but kept my HR at 170 or under for about 2.5 miles. By the end I was up to about 180bpm. It's hard not to be focused on bettering the pace/time! I want to get faster but I don't want to get injured so I guess the tradeoff is just accepting that my time/pace is going to suck for a while until I build up the endurance?

I just want to run, distance is my goal, not speed. I run to be physicaly fit, lower the blood sugar, raise the HDL, lower the LDL. I took some advice from Jakenight and stop using the HRM, and enjoy my runs more now. My competitive days are way behind me.