The walking project continues apace (har har). I will need to fit in a few short evening walks or longer weekend jaunts in order to make up for a few slack days, but otherwise, I'm on track.
I *am*, however, thinking of once again attempting to get into running. Nothing fancy: it would just be nice to be able to handle 3-5 miles of slow jogging. Even at a slow pace, it'd be quicker than walking the same distance, thus freeing up some time for my next resolution-to-tackle, "Write More."
I actually planned to start this weekend by jogging the last half mile or mile of my usual walk. This may seem counter-intuitive, leaving it to the end, but I don't usually find my rhythm even for walking until I'm a couple miles in, so I think waiting a bit until my legs become my own is best.
However, Saturday afternoon a snow storm blew through. Nothing like what some of the east coast has seen, or what we used to get in Vermont, but six inches of heavy, wet snow put a damper on my plans all the same. I did go out and walk in it yesterday (three miles of laps between two half-mile markers), which was HARD WORK, but probably burned as many calories as my usual longer walk...but there was no way I was going to try running in the stuff, especially over uneven, footprint pocked trail.
But sometime this week, I hope. May have to wait until my legs recover...my calves are awfully tired and sore from that snow workout.
In the meantime, I got a good start on my "Play More" resolution. I've had the tenor banjo out pretty much every day, working on triplets and trebles and tunes. Currently I'm trying to polish up Humours of Tulla and The Clumsy Lover and learn Garrett Barry's and Pinch of Snuff, to name a few. Also continuing to practice Gravel Walk in the vain hope that someday I'll be able to keep up with the insanely fast pace they play it at the local session.
I need to change strings before Wintergrass. Especially mandolin strings. But changing mandolin strings is something I tend to put off as long as humanly possible....
2 comments:
Good to hear you are still strumming away at your music. Nice snow. I miss snow.
A good way to start into running is walk and then run as far as you can and then walk. Repeat it a few times, but do not over do it. Increase your running distances a bit each week. Sometimes instead of distance work in a sprint. Before long (like a few weeks or so) doing intervals like that you will be up to a few miles.
42 degrees and misty when I headed out. I did my usual five miles plus warm-up/cool-down, but this time I jogged some of it: about a mile and a half, broken into two chunks. It's a start! And probably more of a start than I should have bitten off. When I went back to a walk after the first jogging bit, my lower legs had tightened up so much I could barely hobble, and I had to warm up all over again. On the other hand, during the second running section, I found my stride all of a sudden, and while I wouldn't say it felt *good*, it did feel *right*. So there's that.
These early stages are where I typically give up, because running isn't enjoyable or pleasant yet, and I convince myself it never will be, that I'm just not cut out for it. But this time I'm going to push on through to the other side and see where it takes me.
Post a Comment