My Journey to the Walt Disney World Marathon, Part Two — Too Much Actually IS Too Much
In which our intrepid runner learns an important lesson about life.
In which our intrepid runner learns an important lesson about life.
I overdo everything.
It’s a problem.
This is not to say that I accomplish tons of stuff because I push myself so hard; oh no, I’m not saying that at all. What I’m saying is that I take on too much stuff and push things too hard and end up crumpled on my living room floor with exhaustion, back pain and a vague, generalized, trauma response. Ok, I may have even pushed that last sentence too far even. Crap.
What I’ve discovered — and it’s taken me about 50-years to figure it out; so don’t give up hope, Young Padawan — is that the time I spend out of the game with injuries or illness, particularly when it comes to physical activity, is far more damaging than the value of the extra ten pounds I lifted or the extra mile I ran or the skipping of a recovery day. A few years ago I was doing a fairly extreme exercise program and, trying to get in some pull-ups (assisted) that I wasn’t ready for, I let my form slip and suddenly couldn’t use my right arm for weeks. About a year ago I was driving from northern California to southern Oregon and, even though I am extremely tall and have back issues, I pushed through the entire five-hour drive without stopping and stretching… and ended up with a debilitating sciatica for almost a month.
These setbacks were difficult both mentally and physically and I knew as I made the decision to train for the Walt Disney World Marathon that the one thing that would scuttle my ability to successfully run the thing was my tendency to push too hard. I was going to need to find a good solid program and approach that program with a tremendous amount of respect and trust. I was going to need to adhere to a schedule as religiously as I possibly could and to even back off a little when my body told me I needed more recovery. (Listening to my body is antithetical to how I generally go through life. I am still learning.)
The Disney running community being what it is, there were plenty of resources and suggestions, but it was clear that I was going to be doing some variant of the Jeff Galloway’s “Run-Walk-Run” method and that the most convenient and affordable plan I could do would be the on-line customized training by Galloway coach, Chris Twiggs.
I signed up for the plan (as it turns out, about a month too early — too much, again, when will I ever learn?) and sent my info to Coach Twiggs. After I’d answered a few questions, he sent me back a detailed plan with a variety of different kinds of runs — cadence drills, tempo runs, long runs, acceleration glider training — fit around the schedule I had given him. After a few weeks we made some small adjustments based on a different pace than what I’d given him before, and then I had my plan. And I was determined to NOT do too much!
If you’re interested, my plan looks a little like this: running three times a week with occasional cross-training in-between (I like swimming and heated yoga.), a long run every other Sunday and the rest of the runs are split between exercises to improve my cadence and speed, test my ability to pace myself consistently and practicing “Acceleration Gliders” (which is a fancy way of explaining how to not waste energy when transitioning between running and walking).
It was great, I was actually running less than I had been before the plan, but getting better times and more miles on the bi-weekly long runs. I was improving, by doing less. I’m beginning to learn that letting my body acclimate to a pace that I’m running over and over again IS training. I don’t necessarily have to increase the pace or the mileage every single time I’m out on the road. What I need to do is follow the plan that much smarter, far more experienced people have put together for me.
So, with that, last week I was in hot and humid New Hampshire and I followed the instructions for heat and slowed down. And you know what I experienced at that slower pace?
Take a look.
Nice, huh?
Also, near this trail if you survive the run:
I know it sounds strange to be writing about not pushing too hard when training for a MARATHON — almost the definition of an extreme sporting event — but there is absolute joy in small goals that are achieved with a positive attitude, good form and sanity over the results. Three miles achieved with the ability to do another three in a few days is a step towards completing the goal. Five miles that knock you out for a week or injure your body is nothing but ego. And don’t just use this with your run training; musicians will tell you that you can learn to play an instrument better by playing 5 minutes a day then by playing an hour once a week. I was in a book group that read James Joyce’s cryptic masterpiece Finnegans Wake at a pace of three pages a week for a decade. And we had a wonderful time.
Trust the training. It works. And, sometimes, less really is more.
For those of you interested in signing up for a Galloway, on-line, customized training program, here’s the link, https://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/customized-training/ . I found it well worth the investment. (I do not receive any payment or discount for promoting this. I just like it.)
If you are enjoying this series and would like to read more of my writing about Disney and other stuff, here’s a few things you might try:
Thank you so much for reading. If you feel especially appreciative and would like to support me in this journey, consider dropping a few bucks into the kitty, https://ko-fi.com/kellymccubbin.
From northern California to Orlando ain’t cheap.
And if you’re a runner and just want to say “Hey!” please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Coming soon: “You want me to run HOW far today?!”