NOT running... the days without

Often the blogs/ websites or magazines about running talk relentlessly about the experience of running itself but seldomly mention the non-running experience. Effectively, running only keeps the body active during at most a few hours a day, and , even then, probably not on a daily basis for all of us. So what about the non running times and aren t these also part of the running experience?

To the true runner, the one that builds up his schedule around his running targets, who respects a training pan and subscribes to running events regularly, the non-running experience is a mix of well deserved relaxing time and frustration. I could split those times in 2 main categories : willing non running time and non-willing.

1. Of course the willing time applies to those days when you feel too lazy, or the weather puts you off, or more positively, those days you decided to rest as you follow a thouroughly established training plan. You find good and bad in those days. Lazyness will make it harder the next day you train as you just put off a valuable training session, and will need more motivation for the next step. But it may also be a deeper expression of your body showing signs of fatigue, in which case a day off might just be what you needed. If the weather is the cause of the trouble, it can be very frustrating as the motivation is there but elements make it not-enjoyable or not feasible. As a matter of fact, most runners will then adopt a more flexible approach and most probably go for a cross-training session in this case. The most rewarding times of running are however in those anticipated days of rest , where time is given to more soothing and relaxing options like stralls/ far niente/health clubs ... in fact those are the times when the body builds up on its own stamina , not physically but mentally and emotionally. This is the time you may indulge yourself , take time, relax ...savour the moment and compliment yourself on the achievement so far.  Everyone one needs that.
2. On the other hand, the non willing moments are most probably the most frustrating and require a good dosis of self control and organisation to cope with. Those moments are the unpredictable phone calls from work that have you cancel your session, your forgotten buddies' anniversary due that is due tomorrow evening and needs you to go shopping tonight , or even worse, the injury.  Running becomes part of one's life quite easily with a bit of discipline but also becomes a sort of addiction, no matter your level, as anything that stands in the way of your regular "sport" intake can be excessively irritating and stressful , notwithstanding the consequences on your future schedule as you want to postpone this training session instead of skipping it. Adding to this, the possible increased of sessions on the follow (to catch up on lost time) can easily add physical strain to emotional stress. Now, of course, on the long run, those are events that one learns to cope with and work around as experience kicks in !

Running is a personal experience at every level, and each of us lives it to different levels and intensity. Perharps are you very motivated by your days off ? or do you give up on the whole week training after a minor glitch ? Or, maybe, did you work all this around by simply...letting your body tell you when it feels lie running ..and ...like me...just grab your shoes whenever the time comes ...and just run...free :)

Comments welcome!

Group Running

There is something profoundly individualist about running, it s a personal experience everytime you train, even if you run the same path over and over again. But motivation and enhanced learning experience certainly comes from group running as you can compare yourself to others and learn from their experiences.

In Greenwich council there are cheap running lessons (haven t tried myself) that can also be coupled with other activities. Typically rowing is a specific sport you may consider doing in the Thames for example. It is also good for "cross-training" purposes, but shall be the topic of another post sometime
Here is a useful link for those interested in this version of the Group Running Theme:
http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/Greenwich/LeisureCulture/SportLeisure/SportsDirectory/AthleticsAndRunning/Running.htm



As for the More hardcore and ill motivated ones that look forward to beat their personal bests or increase performance run after run , there is the British Military Fitness "look alike" club :
http://www.britmilfit.com/  and this has the advantage of beeing highly motivational as the trainers are literally shouting at you in the open spaces to give you good time for your money. Again, the subscription process is easy and fairly cheap, you can go for your first training session free and assess your difficulty level then (green, blue, red...).  Be ready to step in the mud in dark cold evening winter nights or heavy sun in summer. One of their other advantages is that there is training in the week end, and that fits most workers

Make it Useful - Charity running

run for charities..there are loads of them out there willing to give you the opportunity to raise funds ..
I like http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/ because of the labradors :) ...but others have more mainstream ideas like cancer research or AIDS vaccine research, or sometimes more niche markets (super useful idea this one : http://www.sandblast-arts.org/)

to raisefunds, online fundraising is made very easy with http://www.justgiving.com/ ... you are a couple of clicks away...

INTERESTING TOOL TO MAP YOUR RUNS

This allows to show some of the usual runners on and around Greenwich Park, thanks to Garmin Connect and the fantastic tools those running watches provide

http://connect.garmin.com/explore#activityType=running&eventType=all&location=Greenwich%20Park%2C%20Greenwich%2C%20Greater%20London%2C%20UK&sortField=relevance¤tPage=1

will show you the recent runs downloaded (wirelessly for most!) and mapped on googlemaps

Go have a look !

RUNNING WHERE TIME STANDS STILL

Is it that every runner has a favourite place to run, a favourite hideout to eat miles ? where one can compare one run to the other, close the eyes and revive the same run over and over again, the exhaltation, the lack of breath, the pain, the effort, the accomplishment...and restart ... and improve ?

For me this place is , since a couple of years, Greenwich Park and its surroundings. Soon host of the 2012 olympic equestrian games ( see http://www.london2012.com/venues/greenwich-park.php for details) , the park is before anything else the birthsite of the Greenwich Meridian , where the GMT (Greenwich Meridian Time) is referenced. That is , a few miles away from the buzzing center of London, overseeing the financial centers of Canary Wharf and the Square mile of the older city.

The park boasts of rare tree species, a couple of stunningly well mantained flower beds, and in its center, the royal observatory. It is also under the protection of the UNESCO as an historically protected site : http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/795

This park has more than one feature to surprise and entertain the visitor. The Royal Parks have beautifully exposed its many facilities on the following webpage http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/greenwich_park/ where you can get a feel for the areas where you can run....