Once A Runner…

Too Far, Too Fast, Too Soon — Just DON’T Do It!

For the time being, as I start the transition from a predominately walking program into more jogging, I’ll be taking a day off between workouts. This is contrary to what I desire to do, or what I want to settle into for the long term in the future. But it’s the prudent thing to do — increasing stress progressively with adequate rest between sessions is generally regarded as the best way to make progress with less risk of injuries.

However, I already note a tendency to try to “race” myself. I want to push more already, and I’ve only just started! This is kind of dangerous and could lead to a major setback if I don’t reign myself in constantly. It’s not that I’m not strong enough — I do feel much stronger. It’s that testing the limits of those gains in every workout is totally foolish and counterproductive.

Work has to be followed by rest if you’re to make any gains in strength and endurance, and rest by work if you’re to continue to make any progress, but work intensity has to be increased progressively, added to in manageable increments. Going too far, too fast, too soon is a recipe for disaster. It just takes ramping one of those up too quickly to tip the intensity of the work effort too far and start a chain reaction that could wind up setting me back to the beginning all over again.

Yesterday, I set out on my normal 30-minute Nike+ iPod workout setting, complete with the walk for five minutes, then start jogging, with the intention of walking the last five minutes. However, I did go farther and a little faster than I had intended. No ill effects this time — other than a little soreness.

But hearing Tiger Woods in my iPod headphones telling me that I’ve just turned in my fastest mile — three workouts in a row — tells me I need to watch it. This isn’t the time for all that. This is the time to build up slowly and gradually, to follow a system, not choose what to do by whim. I need to settle into a rhythm and increase rate and intensity progressively. I’m still going to have to constantly remind myself of what has sort of become my motto: Patience and perseverance.

On the weight-loss front, I weighed in at 181 pounds this morning. I’ve added a sidebar item to track my progress. I’ve also gone ahead and declared a goal weight.

I’m making good progress and I’m happy with how things are going so far. I need to try not to get too happy and so carried away with how well it’s going that I sabotage my progress by being foolish.