Once A Runner

Today's subject heading is actually the title of one of the best book's that I have ever read by John L. Parke, Jr. It is the account of a college runner, Quentin Cassidy, and his quest to become a dominate runner. The book basically embodies everything I love about running, and I guarantee if you read it, you will want to go out there and just run as fast as you can. Mainly due to quotes like this one:

A true Runner ran even when he didn't feel like it, and raced when he was suppose to, w/o excuses and with nothing held back. He ran to win and would die in the process,running to him was real, the way he did it the realest thing he knew...hard as diamond,it made him weary beyond comprehension, but it also made him free.

But today, the heading will serve as the lead-in to my update on running entry.

As a I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I have been employing the 10% training method in order to resurrect my running career. As a result, two weeks ago I ran 12 miles, last week I ran 13, and this week I will cover 14 miles. I am rounding down the percentage so that I will do less mileage in order to build my strength at a slower rate. In training this way, I hope to avoid injury and build a solid base.

So far everything is going just as I had hoped. I am not running that fast mainly due to the humidity, which is the worst weather for me to run in and makes it very difficult for me to breath. I am, however, getting quality runs in and remaining relatively injury free. I did experience a little shin tenderness yesterday for first time yesterday, but I have backed off a bit and things should be ok. Plus, I am stretching a hell of a lot more.

Tonight's run, which made me realize an update was in order, was the first time that I pushed it above the four mile mark. Tonight, I ran 6.5 miles in a relatively slow time, but more importantly, I felt really good and really comfortable for the majority of the run. The run itself took me over the Williamsburg Bridge and back. This is a run that if you live in this area should be done atleast once a week mainly because it allows you a great run over the East River with an amazing view of both lower and upper parts of Manhattan. Plus, you are running on a pedestrian walkway and thus, do not have to deal with automobiles and all that bull shit.

As for my progress so far, it is hard to gauge exactly how fast I am running or if I am improving at this point mainly because the weather is not exactly conducive to me running my fastest times or for me to feel totally comfortable, but from what I can tell, I should be able to start to incorporate some speed workouts once I get above the 15 mile mark for a week. Once I am there, I will have a better handle on what races I am going to do in the coming fall season, which is my favorite time of the year to run and what kind of speed I will be able to exhibit during these races.

One positive so far, is that I definitely do not feel like on every run I am trying to push through being hungover or that my lungs spent the evening before smoking three packs of cigarettes. I will take that upside any day versus the past feelings during a run.

Finally, this weekend, I may try and get out and run a cross country race at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, one of the premiere venues for cross country racing. It is a four miler and would be a lot of fun. I have not run a cross country race since I was in high school and this would be one of the coolest things that I could do for my Labor Day weekend I truly love cross country racing over any other type of racing because there is a true "animalistic one with nature" quality to it that makes me feel like I am competing not only against my fellow man but the course itself. It's a pretty primal experience.

Now, I must relax and recover from the today's pounding of the pavement.