26.2 Quest: December 2008

A Long Way To Go

I went for a run today, only the second run since the pin was removed, and one of very few that were run on the road since the injury over 6 months ago. During the run I realized just how far I have to go to get back to where I was.

I went for just over a mile run with my daughter, Payton. We took off a bit fast for the fitness level we are both at (especially me) and so not even a half a mile in my chest was burning quite a bit.

I knew we were running a bit too fast because I was checking my new GPS watch, my MyTach GPS Sport Trainer. I have not yet installed the software for the watch, but I have taken it on a couple runs so far and am really loving it. I love to see how fast I am going, to see how far I have gone, and what my average mph are. I am really looking forward to see what other information I can get once I install the software.

Since I have such a long way to go, and the collar bone is feeling good I am looking for a little bit more accountability. I know I have a fair amount of readers, and a decent number of commenter's. I am sure that has dropped off a bit when I wasn't able to run..... but I know there are quite a few that are lurking just waiting for me to start running so they can start hammering me again. Well, here is your chance. I am looking for pressure and prodding to get me back out there and running so I can get back to the level I was before.... and beyond. The blog address is still 26.2 Quest and my journey still has a focus of running my first marathon. The secret goal was to run that marathon before my 40th birthday..... and I just had my 39th last week..... The injury slowed me down a bit, but it has not kept me from this goal, it has just given me less options.

Looking forward to the added pressure :)

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com

Keeping the balance

This morning's Runner's World Daily Kick In The Butt was something that I really needed, both for running and just life in general.

"If you set your aim too high and don't fulfill it, then your enthusiasm turns to bitterness. Try for a goal that's reasonable, and then gradually raise it."

EMIL ZATOPEK

It is true, that if you don't aim high you will never amount to much more than what you are today, but I have a constant battle of aiming too high and never meeting my mark, or taking so long to get to the goal that I get discouraged and give in to the myth that I am not good enough.

Keeping the balance and knowing when to aim big and when to make smaller goals is key to keeping driven and focused.

How do you balance these two?

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com

Two Weeks No Running - But Soon!

It has been two weeks since my surgery and I am ready to run. My shoulder is feeling better all the time and I think it is about time to hit the road.

I am off work for Christmas right now and just got a new little toy (MyTach - GPS Sport Trainer) to try out over the next few days. I will be out to get at least a one or two miler in over the next couple days to test the shoulder out.

Until next time - Merry Christmas!

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com

Pin has been removed

The pin has officially been removed. I no longer have the added metallic influence on my left clavicle and hope to be back running in the next week.

The surgery went good other than the delays, and they even gave me the pin as a souvenir.

Hanging out and hanging on.....

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com

Final run before surgery

Yesterday morning I went out for my final run before surgery. It was the best run I have had since my accident back in June and the first surgery. I went out for just 3 miles, but it was the first run since the doctors told me I could swing my arms pretty freely. It was so much more comfortable than holding my left arm in place while running.

This morning I head back to the hospital for the removal of the pin from my clavicle. I have been looking forward to this day for 6 months, however I still get really irritable when I cannot eat or drink. I don't know what it is I just like to eat and drink. :)

My surgery was originally scheduled for 10:00 with an arrival time of 8:30 but they called me yesterday and rescheduled for a 12:00 surgery and 10:30 arrival time. That is not too bad, but I am hoping it doesn't get delayed much more than that because then we will have issues with kids getting home from school since my wife will be there to drive me home.

The surgery is a fairly simple surgery and should only take 30 minutes with all the preparation, putting me out, etc. The doctor said many doctors do this procedure in the office but he prefers not to because he cannot numb the bone and it can end up being very painful when the pin is pulled out. I was more than obliged to let him send me to the hospital for outpatient surgery and let him put me under.

I asked the doctor about running following the surgery. He told me that I would need to take it easy for a little bit with the range of motion of my arm since the bone has to get used to not having the pin, but he did tell me that running a little bit would not be a problem. He just told me that I could not play tackle football...... hmmmm, at my age?

Looking forward to getting this behind me.

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com

Get up..... NOW!

I think if asked you would find that for every morning runner there is one (at least) that not only is not a morning runner, but just doesn't understand it. There has been many times I have talked to runners that are not morning runners. When these runners find out that I wake at somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00 to hit the roads they just don't understand it.

I understand that there are morning people, and then there are non-morning people, but are we truly morning and non-morning people internally or just based on our habits and lifestyle?

I have found over the years that I can be both, it just depends on how disciplined I am and what my life currently is comprised of.

Some of the things that I have found need to be in place to be or become an early riser (regardless of what you are doing when you get up) are:

Get to bed at a decent time - your body needs rest
Eat healthy so you can get a good nights rest
Turn off the TV

I am sure there are many more that I am not thinking of right now.... it is still early you know :)

One of the easiest ways I have found to sabatoge being an early riser is becoming slave to the snooze on your alarm clock. There are many reasons for this, but to put it simply, when you wake and go back to sleep only to wake again your body is getting confussed and you are robbing your body of the rest it needs. I have found that if I get up with the first alarm, reguardless of what time it is, I feel better than if I go back to sleep for 5 or 10 minutes.

What do you think of early risers? Are you an early riser? What are some of the key things you do to make it possible to get up early?

Tim Wilson - blog.262quest.com