Slight Dichotomy

I must confess, I did not run yesterday. The plan was to do my standard lunch time lift and run after work. However, now that i'm in the real world i am constantly finding that time becomes an issue when social obligations present themselves. While i ordinarily have no problem skipping out on happy hours and post-work get-togethers(in fact most of the time i prefer it), one of my best buds is taking some R&R in the states from his tour in Iraq, and thus i would consider myself an official asshole if i decided to put off seeing him.

Now why is it that since i'm training and preparing for a half marathon did i decide to still lift during lunch instead of getting a run in?

Well, since my bout with constant injuries in previous training cycles, i've decided to take a more general fitness approach to my health and well being. Lifting and distance running are generally regarded as mutually exclusive pursuits. There's a reason you don't see top marathoner's with excess upper body mass. You run with your legs, and any extra muscle mass that doesn't help to put one foot in front of the other more efficiently is just excess baggage slowing you down. Not to mention how distance running is also catabolic by nature. However.... i love the feeling of lifting. While there's nothing like effortlessly cruising through the woods feeling light as a feather, I still enjoy feeling 'the pump' and the different kind of aggression, exertion, and satisfaction that lifting brings. Admittedly there are slight superficial reasons as well.

I weigh roughly 15 lbs worth of muscle more than when i did when i was at my marathon racing weight a few years ago(160 vs 145). And while that extra muscle isn't quite conducive to half marathon training, i don't feel like it has become a hindrance yet either. So i will continue to lift while increasing mileage and let the cards fall where they may.

Today was a hilly lunch time run at medium/hard effort for 45 minutes. The air was cool, breezy and overcast and i felt smooth and rested. Tomorrow will be an easy hour/8 miler. I feel like i could still use another 3-4 weeks of easy, go-by-feel base and strength training before i begin to incorporate any sort of structured interval and threshold workouts. While some runs feel fluid and easy, a majority still feel heavy, sore, and difficult. My legs still need some adapting to the day by day training scene, but i'm confident.

-Kyle