For Fun

I ran a 5K and a 10K this year. And I trained for both races, which was rad because it meant devising and sticking to a plan and checking off intermediate goals and taking it one day at a time, always with the end goal in mind, always focusing on the pace and the distance, taking steps each training session towards achieving the set goals. Training went well, and I achieved my goal pace in each race. Actually, I went faster than expected in each race, which is even more rad.

The 5K was on July 4th, and the 10K was a week ago on September 17th. I haven't signed up for another race yet, and in all honesty, I probably won't run another actual race till 2012. I'd also like to complete a sprint triathlon some time next summer, which will require even more training.

So it's the "offseason". I don't have any upcoming events, and for all intents and purposes, I can take a break for a bit and lay off the accumulation of fitness.

That being said, I really wanted to go for a run today. Schedules permitted and I had a chunk of time and Chase was with me and I love running with him because he's such great company, glancing up at me every once in a while or throwing both arms behind his head and chillaxing or making noises when airplanes take off from John Wayne and fly over the back bay trail we've run together a couple times.

And in the middle of that run... I realized how much fun I was having.

Yes, I was keeping track of time, and yes, there were people that I had in my sights to pass, and yes, there was still a target pace to be had. But it was fun. And not because I was training for something. It was just fun to be out and about in southern California on an overcast day running a beautiful back bay trail in Newport Beach with my almost 2 year old son and it started to drizzle and Chase fell asleep and it was a pretty dreary day actually... but it was a lot of fun.

I really enjoy running. Not just for fitness or to achieve health and race goals... it's genuinely fun for me.

And it's completely mine. I have about 3 or 4 activities that are truly mine and that had very little outside influence (relatively): golf, a genuine love of sports, music, and now running. These are the things I do for fun, the things that fill my day when I have extra time, the things I will stop to witness while channel surfing, the things I search for while I'm on the internet, the topics of conversation with my family, the interests I hope to share with my son.

Why can't what we do for fun be what we do for a living?

10K

Killed it today. 8:33 a mile, which is 12 seconds a mile faster than the pace I had set as a goal. And this was after taking 9 days off before the race and coming off a sickness that had me unable to talk from sores in my mouth...

But I know I can do better. If I train smarter and work in some speed work, I can do better. And that's the key to doing better: staying hungry. Pushing yourself, testing your boundaries, pushing up against your own personal walls, and breaking through them...

Let's achieve that triathlon goal next year, Glynn..

Ugh... I have to write about the Mayweather-Ortiz fight because it's bugging me so much. Yes, Ortiz was probably going to lose, get knocked out even. Yes, he headbutted Mayweather, which was a punk, chump, idiot, classless move. Yes, he should have been protecting himself at all times. But, damn... what a horrible way to end the fight. Pacquiao-Mayweather will probably never happen now because the next fight will probably be a rematch... and Floyd will win because aside from the fact that he's detestable... he's really, really good.

Ugh...

Drumming tonight felt good, tho. Yeah. Let's end this post on a positive note. Drumming definitely felt good. Starting to get a controlled bounce going. Power and lightness and coordination... Keep it up, Glynn...

The Beginning

I started working on drum rudiments today. And it was tedious and boring and not super fun and it's only the beginning so I know I have plenty of work to do before I start to see the results but then I thought about how difficult running was when I first started and now I'm almost done training for a 10K and I'm in the best shape of my life and if I can just apply that to drumming I wonder how far I can go?

Baby steps. Focus. Don't cut corners. It's just the beginning, but you have to start somewhere.

In other news, Primus is awesome. Seeing them in October!!!

I Just Didn't Feel Like Running...

And now I feel guilty.

But I've earned a rest day, right? I've been training so well and have upped my mileage every month and have put in the time to achieve my 10K goal and have gotten into much better shape and pretty much done almost everything I've set out to do when I started running again back in May...

But I still feel guilty.

Which is good because it means I'm still hungry, still not satisfied, still pushing to do better, still aware that improvements can be made.

I'm still ready to achieve my peak on September 17th.

The guilt is good. I'd be worried if I didn't feel guilty...

It's all mental...

A wise man recently said to me, "It's all mental."

Mind over matter. If you think you can, you have a fighting chance. If you think you can't, might as well not even try.

I ran today. Faster than I expected or planned. 8:50 a mile for 4.5 miles. 10 seconds faster than my planned pace for the 10K I'll be running next month.

It hurt. A lot. There were moments when I felt like I couldn't keep up the pace. I went out at 8:39 for the first mile, then tapered to 9:07 and 9:08 for miles 2 and 3. But then for the 4th mile, when I should have slowed down more, when I was more fatigued and my lungs were burning and my legs were filling with lactic acid and I should have continued to slow... I ran an 8:16 mile. Which for me is smoking fast...

"It's all mental."

I played a trick on myself. I knew I was supposed to be going more slowly. But I told myself that I was going to run an 8:30 mile. No. Wait. It wasn't even that I told myself I was going to do it. I told myself I could do it. It was possible. Yes, it would hurt. Yes, it would hurt. Yes, it would hurt. But I could do it. I knew that if I convinced myself I could do it, I was halfway home. I just needed to believe that I could do it.

"It's all mental."

And I didn't run an 8:30 mile. I ran an 8:16 mile.

 I wonder what else I can convince myself is possible...

Balance

I'm full on training for my first 10k, but I have to wonder if I would be as focused on training if Oh Girl was booking shows. It's hard to balance all the things you love. I'm lucky enough to have a wife that is understanding and a job that allows me to have enough energy to still train. I'm also lucky that when it comes to running, I'm a bit of a morning person...

Focus, Glynn. Not just on training, but on maintaining balance. Family, music, training, work... it's all important and it all takes time and you can do it if you set your mind to it.

Goals...

Weigh 150 lbs by 30...

Solo acoustic album by the end of the year

Oh Girl Singles Party done and either digitally released or pressed on vinyl...

10K at 9:30 a mile...

All these goals can be attained by the end of the year...

Another goal is to complete a sprint triathlon. I think I can nab that one by the end of next year...

The funny thing about goals... The more you talk about them with other people, the more likely you are to achieve them.

These are all realistic. These are all attainable. These will all require lots of work. These mean nothing without the love and support of my family.

It's not always about you.

GOAL: Family first.

One day, hour, minute, second at a time, Glynn.