I wish I understood what made some days easier than others. Obviously, there are some effects that can be measured: temperature, humidity, sunlight, time of day, what I’ve eaten, how hydrated I am, etc. Now, some of this stuff, I can measure. I can look up the temperature and humidity. I can monitor what I’ve eaten. I guess I could guage the brightness of the sun.
What I cannot do, however, is figure out how much the effect of these things are. I don’t know what an optimum running temperature is, for me, nor do I know how to measure the impact of running what it’s colder or warmer than that temperature. I don’t know what I should eat to maximize my performance. The magazines say “PROTEIN, STUPID”, but that’s not enough for me. I’m trying to monitor as much as I can: time, distance, route, start time, finish time. I bought a scale to monitor my weight. I’m seriously considering a heart-rate monitor. But what’s unclear to me is just the strength of impact any external (or internal) factors can or may have on my running.
Anyway, after two or so weeks of such daily exhaustion that I was seriously beginning to wonder if I was somehow sick, I woke up this morning feeling drowsy but okay. I got out the door at about 6:40, and headed along my usual route. The air was still, and mostly cool, as the sun was still golden and rising, instead of the lightbulb yellow that’s popular in Philadelphia in summer. I didn’t bother to eat anything before I went. I didn’t drink anything. And I felt great.
I was running intervals of 3 min to 1 again, and my legs carried me through the first 2 running stages without issue. With the third stage, my lungs warmed up and my saliva reduced to something as thick and viscous as maple syrup. And on the fourth stage, I was cruising. At times, I struggled, of course, and my legs got a bit rubbery near the end, but I was feeling great, and if time had permitted, I might have run longer.
As it was, however, I needed to scoot on home after getting in my requisite 30 minutes, and after a quick shower and dress, I paced my 3 mile bike ride to work nicely as a sort of cool down from the run. Really, and outstanding way to start the day. I can only hope that whatever was wrong with me lately is all but done, and I can get back on the pavement without pain.
Hell, maybe it was just the music. Today’s list:
- Pixes – Debaser
- Tom Waits – Bone Chain
- Wolf Parade – Modern World
- Beatles – Wild Honey Pie
- Wreckless Eric – Whole Wide World
- Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman
- The Decemberists – July, July!
- Brian Wilson – Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine
- Andrew Bird – Fake Palindromes
- Liars – Why Midnight Walked But Didn’t Ring Her Bell
- Mountain Goats – Michael Myers Resplendent
- Tom Waits – Bend Down the Branches
- Mountain Goats – Pigs That Ran Straightaway Into the Water, Triumph of
- Beatles – Dig It
- Elvis Costello – Lovable
- Andrew Bird – The Supine
- Total Time: 30:54
For whatever reason, I especially enjoy running to numbers 5, 7, 13, and 15. Make of that what you will.
