Jogging Routines

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted an update on running. 

Mostly I’ve settled into a routine that feels like autopilot so the news is pretty much the same. I go 15 to 20 miles per week over the course of 3 days (sometimes 2). I run outdoors on Sunday because traffic is light and because I like to get 9 or so miles in. Sunday is still my most consistent day and also my long day. The pace has improved on the margins but only a little. I guess as long as my primary goal is distance, time will remain a secondary concern. I like where I’m at, just under 10:00 minutes per mile and occasionally under 9:50 per mile. That isn’t exactly lightning speed but it feels comfortable for now.

Comfort might be the problem though. I imagine jogging in the winter the way athletes imagine their off-season, as a time for maintenance. They hit the weights and do cardio, but the real grind happens during the regular season. The practices are intense, the schedule is packed and the stakes are high. I’m hardly an athlete in the off-season, but the lack of a specific goal keeps me comfortable with my routine. I want to be ready to get into a half marathon at pretty much any time of year. The races are still a ways off but I never should need a 2 month program to get back into shape. I do plan on doing a few more this year. I only did two last year and one was a disastrous trail run.

 “Never again!” he shouts as the mountain air fills his lungs and he trips over a hiking log, gasping like a rioter through a cloud of tear gas.

The weather has been spectacular, especially when you consider this is usually the coldest time of year and it hasn’t dropped below 30 in over a month. The wind is the wind. If it’s too strong I don’t go, but up till now it hasn’t held me back. I’m under no illusions that winter will continue to be so mild throughout the rest of the year. We did just hit January after all. But I’ve been through some mild winters before in Oklahoma. We seem to get them every 3 to 5 years. It might not drop below 30 again.

I started out early (6:30 am) on Sundays during the summer because the heat gets unbearable in the morning. I stuck with it in the fall despite the cooler mornings. It just made sense to get the run in early and it still does. Since I go to gym early during the week I decided to stick with the early run on Sunday as well.

I’ve been fortunate not to have terrible injuries. I don’t push anything too hard anymore. On countless occasions I’ve injured shoulders, joints and muscles while lifting weights and trying to set personal records. After a few of those you lose your competitive drive and try to work out smarter. For bad injuries you can miss months at a time, no exercise and no alternative. So I improve at a slow pace. That’s OK with me. Jogging isn't sprinting.