As published in UltraRunning Magazine Online
Runners, beware, you are about to enter the twilight
zone. This is the dimension that exposes
long-held beliefs that cause of chronic burn-out. It is a journey into a
wondrous land that defies dogma and disposes of the monotonous. A place where
mindless, boring exercise goes to die.
Running can be boring. Especially when you do it a lot, and
for a long time. There are days when I can’t bring myself to go for a run. Ever
have one of those? You know, when the thought of going for a run makes you want
to clean the kitchen, take out the trash or work on a project, like any
project? It’s a quandary, especially if you’re trying to prepare for something
like a half-marathon, an ultra marathon or whatever.
The solution? Try this out: reading. That’s right. Reading while training. Sounds ridiculous, I
know, but it’s really not. Read on.
I’ve been putting a healthy amount of my weekly training in while
reading the Wall Street Journal, the LA Times and the New York Times. I’m even
adding in a regular dose of the Weekly Standard, Backpacker Magazine and an
occasional book (usually non-fiction). I’m in the middle of Getting to US, a
profile of some of the greatest coaches in sports by Seth Davis, and What
Unites Us, reflections on patriotism by ousted CBS anchor Dan Rather.
The question of course is how is it possible to read and run
at the same time. It isn’t. I don’t run while I read. And I don’t have to because
I incorporate a lot of cross training into my schedule. The elliptical machine
is one of my favorites, as is hiking at a steep grade on the treadmill wearing
a 10 lbs weight vest. Another is simply riding a stationary bike. Each of these
workouts can get my heart rate to an aerobic level. They also give my body a
chance to rebuild after long and/or difficult workouts, all while catching up
with what’s happening in DC, Pyongyang or Pennsylvania’s 18th
district.
I’ve come to look forward to my reads during training. In
fact, I truly believe I would have given up running ultras a long time ago if I
hadn’t started incorporating reading into my training regimen several years
back. What’s more is I’m usually blasting my thumbprint radio on Pandora while
I’m checking the sports page or the latest Op-Ed. Did you note the
juxtaposition of the WSJ NY Times? (Trying to stay balanced my friends).
In addition to rewarding my neurons, reading while training
forces me to stay in a recovery zone. That is because pushing into the red zone
makes it impossible to focus - on text, paragraphs or even titles. Everything
becomes a blur. Staying in my recovery
zone allows me to build a solid base of fitness, the foundation for running
strong at any distance.
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