Running Secrets

Running has its ups and downs. We can be plagued with injuries or infused with victories.
After years and years of running the only true constant is the sound of my shoe as it strikes the ground.
Runners are dynamic creatures with many reasons to run. For me the reward is a sense of harmony with myself and the world around me. But lately my runs have become a battleground.

Restarting at a base training level may be a solution. 

As Jack Daniels so well put, “Training is often demanding and not necessarily fun, but it should always be rewarding!”

At the end of the run, I want to feel energized and ready to tackle the day.

Do you have any running secrets?

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Tiger Balm - An Old Friend

• “Originally named for containing tiger bone, an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine dating back 1,500 years to treat pain.”

Fortunately today, the ingredients exclude this component...
I have several jars (tins) of Tiger Balm laying about the house. I use it for an assortment of elements ... anything from a sore toe to an aching back. It’s like my own secret panacea!
It’s not just the warming action that is therapeutic but the scent. I love the smell. Sometimes I rub it on my temples to preempt a headache.
(Just don’t get this stuff in your eyes.)
The scent is from a combination of clove, cassia (cinnamon) and cajuput oils. I find it comforting and reviving.

Smell

• “It is the only sense that does not have to go through the digestive tract or spinal cord to be processed. It immediately goes to the brain and elicits a response.” – NAHA

What scents do you find therapeutic?

The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

FYI
Scientists estimate that there are now only 3,200 tigers left in the wild : (
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Are You Connected?

“Centuries ago, Western culture lost its focus on the interconnectedness between the body and the mind or spirit, and how each has the power to affect the other.”
The older I get, the more in tune I’ve become with my body. Somehow, when I was young, I lost the mind - body connection. I could easily ignore, pain, tiredness, hunger, etc. and still carry on. It was like being in survival mode - the ability to adapt was to disconnect!
Now, I take special attention to what my body is saying.
Running - I feel a twinge between my shoulder blades, I stop, pull my arms upwards and stretch.
Tired in the afternoon - I curl up with a book for 20 minutes.

The body gives out all sorts of messages - if you just listen.
However don't be fooled by your mind. It is a very clever entity...OOO you’re so tired - OK, I’ll just head home. Or OOO just one more chocolate - no one is looking! These are thoughts you should ignore ;}

Are you connected?

Around the Blogosphere

Matt provides a formula to find your VO2 using heart rate and activity.
Michael has completed marathon #3 (12 months - 12 Marathons) despite unwanted bedfellows.

Have a great Monday!

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More Than a Hello

Near the end of my Saturday run, I passed by another fellow human. He was working his way down the sidewalk; I was cruising - homeward bound.
He said, “Hello - How is your day?” Mummified – I blurted out “OK.”
Didn’t he see I was running – I couldn’t just stop and tell him the infinite details of my marvelous life!
In a flutter of seconds – I passed him.
Then I felt ashamed.

But first let me tell you about him.
He looked about my age perhaps a smidge older – dressed in a suit and tie. He was walking very awkwardly on crutches. As I did a quick scan, (runners are very good at this) I noticed he had special shoes on. Made of black polished leather. The left shoe had a 3 inch sole lift on it.
In a flutter of seconds – I passed him.
Then I felt ashamed.

I quietly asked myself - how was his day going… Was it his first walk on a new leg? Had he been born with a handicap? Or was he walking slowly because he was in extreme pain – recovering from surgery or perhaps a car crash.
The only thing I know for sure is that I should have stopped and talked to this stranger.
If you have a chance - read this related post at Life 2.0
[Blogging's Hidden Jewel]

“Almost everybody avoided his eye and darted off. One or two people looked at him warily. Nobody said 'hello '…

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Running is Complex

I had a chance to read the first two chapters of Fitness Intuition by George Beinhorn. (Thanks Tom from Runners Lounge for the link-up.)
It really struck a cord. He explores why running is not just body functionality but a process involving a complex system of checks and balances.

Beinhorn's training check list includes:

1. Body. How can I “listen to my body” and actually hear its messages…
2. Heart. How can I find the joy of expansive feelings when I run?
3. Will. How can I run with strong will power, without getting injured or overtrained?
4. Mind. How can I focus and quiet my mind, so that I can enter the enjoyable sports “zone”?
5. Soul. How can I commune with the wisdom and joy of a higher power when I run?

Heavy stuff to ponder – but I know it will be well worth it.
I’m looking forward to reading the entire book.

Above list taken from the book Fitness Intuition
Graphic by visuwords

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