There’s a version of yourself that (in your mind) performs at a certain level, and then there the version of yourself that’s actually performing. Sometimes the two of them just aren’t going to agree with one another.
I can’t say that runs like the one I had tonight are some of my favorites, but I don’t seem to hate them as much as I used to. In fact, even with as rough of a beating as my ego took, I still managed to pull off both my best average and overall times. Imagine how much time I could have shaved if I hadn’t had to walk damn near half of those three miles.
15 1/2 is far better than where I began, but it’s still more than three minutes shy of my average goal. So it looks like I will be eating a BBQ sandwich full of 12-minute words this weekend.
I could feel down about it. In fact, I did before I looked at the stats. Even though my record times were unintentional and unexpected, I’m too much of a narcissist to not take some pride in them. Still, I guess I should explain why I didn’t expect this.
As much as it pains me to set my ego aside and admit, the morning I spent last weekend getting reacquainted with my friend the shovel put a hurting on me. I woke up Saturday morning with hurt muscles I’d forgotten I had. I was mostly good after a day or so (other than my left elbow and lower back), but I still had to cut my runs down to two this week. Other than that, every run has become a bigger challenge since I started working to improve my times.
Each time I start out, I know that I have a goal that day of 3.1 miles and that I’m working each day to bring my time closer to 30 minutes overall. Still, I feel like these sessions are much less structured since finishing C25K. Maybe it’s just in my head though. I was more tired than usual tonight. (sleepy tired, not exhausted tired) Plus, I just wasn’t really “feeling it” by the end. Any “just keep going” encouragement I gave myself tonight was more out of just being ready to be finished than trying for a sense of accomplishment.
The tempo playlist I built has obviously been helping, but my legs keep involuntarily dropping out of overdrive and walking on their own. I don’t mind it so much when they take over and keep running, but this “OK, we’re gonna walk now whether you’re cool with it or not” shit has got to stop. My ego and pride are taking big hits each time it happens. I’m pretty sure they’d both thank me if I took them back to flat ground just once.
Tomorrow’s another day, and Monday’s another week. And now it’s time for pills, pages in a book and pillows.
Best Thing I’ve Seen This Week 040612
I can’t lie. The best things I’ve seen this week were emails from Bandcamp and Paypal informing me that orders had come in for my new CD. “Imagination Vacation” by The Silent Sounds on TheSilentSounds.bandcamp.com (in case any of you were wondering).
A close runner up was finding a copy of “A Dance With Dragons” on my doorstep (Thanks Amazon!).
While those are both awesome for me, I suppose the rest of you would like something a little more accessible.
It’s not really a “Best Thing” type of story, but some helpful information to know about is the java update Apple put out this week in response to the Flashback Trojan. For a more in-depth explanation, check out this article from 9to5mac.com. They explain it better than I could, but the moral of the story is, if you’re a mac user, run a software update.
This information has probably been available for a while, but I only came across it this week. I’ve been waiting on the Xbox 360 version of one of my favorite faux heroin needles for a few months at this point. With an official release date of May 9, we’re only a month away from losing hour upon hour of time that should be spent on something more productive. 1,600 Microsoft points is a little pricier than most arcade games, but after building a few worlds on my laptop, (and being utterly disappointed by all the knock-off games currently available in the XboxLive Marketplace) I can safely say that your $20 will be well spent if you download this soon-to-be-your-new-favorite-game.
And for those of you who still feel like you need something more interactive in order for this to feel like a “real” Best Thing post, enjoy these crazy mother fuckers from the Out of Africa Wildlife Park playing with full grown tigers like they’re house cats.
Shaving time … not my face
Time is a completely different monster when you’re trying to use less of it. I’ve spent so long coaching myself to run longer, and now I’m doing the opposite. It’s like getting the lowest score in golf has suddenly become a bad thing.
It’s still the same though. I had to push myself more than I ever had in order to run for longer periods of time (or even to run at all), and now I’m having to pushing myself even harder to cover more distance. However you look at it, I was able to shave off more than 12 minutes and end up just four seconds shy of my best average time from C25K. Not bad at all if you consider that those extra four seconds were also coupled with an extra six-tenths of a mile.
One thing that helped was mapping the BPMs of my iTunes library and then creating a smart playlist of songs between 150-170 BPM (beats per minute, for the non-musical). It’s relative due to people having varied stride lengths, but 160BPM seems to be the average number for hitting a 10-minute mile. With the playlist I built, I’m allowing myself small “breaks” when the tempo dips toward 150, and then forcing a little extra push when it rises up to the 170 range. If you’re a math wiz like myself (and rhythmically literate), then you’ll know you can include songs between 75-85 BPM as well, as long as you run to eighth notes instead of quarters.
The pace was so much faster that the one I’d been keeping that I did have to walk about four times yesterday morning. I was able to make it through the first kilometer, so the goal next time is “no walks until at least my third interval.” I’ve heard people talk about being upset because they couldn’t “run” the entire distance, but I’m in no danger of throwing one of those pity parties. Even with the walk breaks I took I was still able to finish in under 50 minutes, when just a few days earlier it took over an hour to “run” the same distance.
I might have to eat these words, but I think I can hit an average of 12 minutes (my second post program goal) within the next two weeks. Of course if I do have to eat them, they will be spelled out in barbeque sauce on a beef & link po-boy.
To give you an idea of what running at 160 BPM is like, listen to this song and think “1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and-left-right-left-right-left-right-left-right …”
New music time!
Traditionally albums have been released on Tuesdays. At least they were, when people still went to record stores to buy actual records. They might still though, and in that spirit, I figured I would take this Tuesday to tell those of you who were aware, that I have a new album available.
The Silent Sounds are myself and Chris Ahrens. We put this first EP together last month. We’re both pretty proud of it. We hope that you enjoy it, and that it tides you over until we put out the EP we’re currently recording.
The link above will let you purchase either a physical or digital copy of the album, and if you buy a physical copy, we’ll throw in a digital version, so you don’t have to wait a week to listen to it.
Most of the record is pretty chill & vibey. We’ve gotten some positive feedback, but give it a listen and judge for yourself.
Best Thing I’ve Seen This Week 040212
It was pointed out to me today that I’ve completely lost track of what day it is. So it would seem apologies are in order for not letting you know what was awesome this week.
I think it’s a given to anyone who’s in the know, that the best this this week was the Season 2 premier of HBO’s Game of Thrones (or at least the “OMG Game of Thrones returns this weekend” anticipation leading up to it.) I had the privilege last season of being one of the viewers who hadn’t read the books, so everything thing was new and awesome. I’m almost finished with book 4 at this point, so season 2 had me arguing with the screen once we got to Dragonstone and “new” characters were revealed. For some reason I always pictured Davos more like of this guy.
I also forgot how much new information is presented in book 2. So combine that with the new set locations, and the whole thing left me a little disappointed. I’m sure it’ll get better as the season progress, but someone needs to explain to the producers that this show is on HBO, not the SciFi channel. This bullshit level of CGI is unacceptable.
I didn’t really “see” it, but the best thing I heard this week was a set of Jimmy John’s radio spots that Mitch Hedberg recorded before he died. If they don’t make you laugh, then you’re dead inside.
First post-program run
5k. 
3.1 miles.
“That was a long motherflippin’ run Roy!”
There’s the tired you get from sleep deprivation, and then there’s the tired you get from working a long day. What I’m feeling right now is completely different. If you’re reading this on Wednesday morning then I guess I didn’t pass out before I published it, but I probably didn’t last much longer than that.
For a moment I wanted to be disappointed when I looked at those stats, but I re-framed my thinking. Sure, I completed the distance in twice the target time, but that’s not what’s important. The thing to focus on is the fact that my fat ass not only ran more than 3 miles, but also for a solid hour.
I kept my pace easy enough to stay “un-winded” for the most part, so I can knock some quick time off by pushing a little harder. I’ve got some work to do, but it’s gonna be cake … delicious delicious cake … mmm …
I did have three other things I was juggling today and had intended to finish them up after my run, but I’m gonna Nope right outta those responsibilities and read a book until my coma sets in. I think I’ve earned a little procrastination.
Done and Done.
Some people might start off a post like this by saying something like, “Words can not describe … blah blah blah … random puffed up bullshit.” Well F a bunch of that!
Words can all kinds of describe how I feel right now. Two of them, in fact — “fucking fantastic.”
I might not be busting out 10-minute miles yet, but after nine weeks (14 if you count my first attempt) I have every reason to celebrate. I didn’t finish with my best time of the program either. That honor went to W9D1. But I did push the hell out of myself.
Way back in June when I tackled Day 1 for the first time I had two thoughts in my head: 1) “There’s now way I can finish this” (and I was only referring to that day), and 2) “This is how I’m going to die.” Thankfully I was wrong on both counts.
Almost not being able to run (slowly) for 60 seconds was extremely humbling, and that has stayed with me through this whole thing. I can’t run 5k in a half hour (yet), but I can run for a solid 30 minutes (probably longer). That’s a long way from my embarrassing performance on Day 1.
I think I’m going to program a new workout based on miles. If I set 3 intervals of one mile each, I can just run until they’re finished and check the time afterward. I want to think that it will be easier to get faster if I focus on distance rather than time.
Moving on to the music paragraph of the post, Girl Talk’s “All Day” was my playlist on Day 1, so it seemed only fitting to use it again on the final day. And again, if you haven’t downloaded it yet, stop hating yourself and do it.
There’s a great post on the Onnit Labs site (great supplements by the way) about being “fit enough to survive.” None of us like to think about how soft we’ve become as a species, but we have. One of the requirements mentions running a mile in terrain in under eight minutes. I learned the difference between running on flat ground versus hills back in September. Chances are, none us us will have to run down a deer tomorrow in order to eat, but keeping in mind how brutal things used to be can be helpful when you need a little motivation … at least for me … maybe you’re different.
So I’d like to encourage everyone out there to work toward your goals. Some days will be harder than others — physically harder, harder to get motivated, harder to just get started. But if you just keep going, it will get easier.
And if you’re a bit too much like me and need some extra motivation to silence the whiner/complainer in the back of your mind that begs you to stop when you’re working hard and tries his damnedest to get you you put things off until tomorrow, show him this picture … every morning.
