Who’s in charge? Me or you?!

I’ve learnt a staggering amount about running and myself since I started running back in Aug’10. But this lesson in particular is a biggy.

It came on todays long run of 15 miles. Previously my longest run was 13.3 miles. I should have done 14 last week, but due to foot pain and exhaustion I could only manage 13. Which, is significant. I’ve been able to quiet my mind during a run before. The motivational effects of Dean Karnazes’s book Ultra Marathon Man are not to be under estimated. However, I gave the book to a friend who hadn’t read it and haven’t bought another copy since.

I know I can do 10 miles. So it was no shock that things started hurting at 10.8 miles. The inner conversation went something like this:

• Body: Your right hamstring is about to give out and your feet have had enough. You’re struggling. I don’t know how much longer you can go on.
• Mind: Wait. Who’s actually in charge here? Me or you?
• Body: Erm…
• Mind: Yes. Me, and I say we continue.
• Body: …..
• Mind: It’s a lovely afternoon for running isn’t it?
• Body: …..

And that was it. I imagined the central communication system between my mind and body to be a motorway. On the body side of the carriageway it was packed. Rush hour. Masses of messages about what body part is about to give out next. On the Mind side of the carriageway, nothing. 2am in the morning. You could hear birds cheeping.

So… what’s the difference between last weeks 13-miles-couldn’t-do-14, and todays 15? Answer: nothing. Only attitude. If anything I’d say I felt a bit more beat-up than last week. I’ve been trying to fit a kitchen at the same time, but that’s another story.

So here’s the comparison between last week and this week:

Last week’s 13 miles
		This weeks 15 miles

Not so much distance, but more loops		More adventure and getting lost

So, slower than last week, in a nutshell, but the lesson learnt was off the scale and so worth it. So… on to 16 next week!

Shoes hide issues

I went through quite a long period during summer of walking barefoot at home, and around the office in sandals when I could, to get my feet used to no support or cushioning.

When I do wear my work shoes to get to work, then walk around the office in socks, the difference in what I can feel in my feet and legs is massive. I’m so much more aware, in just the socks, of where I have tight spots in my feet and lower legs. I’d have no idea otherwise.

Back when I was running in shoes with a lot of cushioning, not only were the muscles in my lower legs not being engaged properly, but when I’d finished, I’d put on my work shoes and have no idea what the state of the whole setup was below the knee afterward either.

The truth was, certain muscles were being over used, and it wasn’t until I stretched one time, that the tibialis posterior tendons in both legs called time and gave out. They’d done far too much, but of course, I had no idea there was a problem until it was too late.

Inner Core

If I had to bullet point my running career so far it would be:

• Started running in Aug '10
• All went well for 6 months
• Started to understand the benefits
• Got injured
• Spent the next 12 months learning about the injury and other injuries along the way
• Had a great start to 2012 and have kept learning

So now, one month away from the 2 year mark, things couldn't be better. I'm a completely different runner and have learnt a massive amount. Would this have come about if I hadn't got injured? Probably not. Why? Because I would have continued in the knowledge that what I was doing was OK.


There are people who are born with natural physical ability and exercise/sport comes very easy. I can tell you that at 37, I don't feel like one of those people. I missed the class on learning to run consistently. But wait? For the first 6 months I ran fine. So what's the problem? Looking back, there were a lot of niggles I was able to ignore and carry on. Eventually my body said, enough is enough. However, that fine old phrase 'What doesn't kill us makes us stronger' is very true here.


I won't come out and say that the first 6 months were easy. They were not. But it did afford me the time to understand WHY I should be running. Following that, although I'd have wished a quicker end to my injuries, they have made me learn and understand the way I should be running and the way I should use my body. If I had not had a good 6 months start to running, but got injuries straight away, would I still be running now. I'm not sure that I would.


Question 1: What single thing you control in running is the difference between success or failure? Or injury and injury-free running?
Answer: Your form. It runs the show. Without control over your form, eventually, injury will get you.


Question 2: What is the biggest component of your form?
Answer: Your core.


Which, nearly 2 years on, brings me to my latest discovery. The inner core.


Your core tends to be thought of as your abs and the connecting muscles to your pelvis. However, after some experimentation, I've discovered that, your abs at least, are not involved as much as you think. There is a set of muscles around your rib cage and behind your abs that keep you upright and stable. It's referred to as the Transversus abdominis. I think there are other muscles in the inner core group, but this is the one which feels like it does most of the work.


What work is that? Keeping your main body straight and stable, which allows the other parts of your body to flow as nature intended.


I can tell you that discovering how to feel my inner core, use it, and release the pressure on my legs and back has been a huge thing for me. It is second only to the impact on my running of going to minimal footwear. From the moment I step out the door to run, through to the moment I finish, I'm first and foremost using my inner core to run the show.

Reasons To Run

I've written about the reasons I run in the Why Running? section.


However I did catch this article, which I liked:


Why Run? on the Runners World US website.


I commented as follows:
This is a nice article. I also like point 2 from kelleyz, as this it hits the nail on the head for me: I'm a better person when I've finished a run, than when I started.
I've no idea what chemical changes go on in my mind and body during the run, but the world seems a nicer place and my own problems seem that bit easier to deal with afterwards. That said, I'd be lying if that was always the case, but hand on heart 90% of the time.
Sometimes issues that you've been putting off dealing with get thought about in my subconscious during the run, so that by the end, I have the path I need to take to deal with the issue. Which is sometimes half the battle.
Lately, I've also found that no matter how run down, irritable and generally rough I feel during a morning, a lunchtime run will turn this day around, and that so far has been 100% record. I get back to my desk feeling revitalised and happier.

The above, and the long term weight control means I'm sold, for the rest of my life. Therefore it's not so much IF any more, but when.


It's always nice to balance an argument, and to this end, let's look at one of the downsides to being a runner: Meal times.


Point 1: Let's get one thing straight first, this is not about what you eat, but as when you eat it. Being a father/family man, meal times are pretty rigid. A hungry child in our house can give you constant ear ache enquiring when tea time is (roughly 50 times every half hour). In these scenarios, suggesting the child watch TV for a bit, gives you about 4-5 minutes grace tops. Also, you don't want to eat to late in the evening, as nothing will digest before bedtime.


Point 2: If you've been a runner for a while, you work out that a run on a full stomach is not that great. Burping along the route and feeling heavy is just a no-no. You also learn that no matter how hungry you are, there is still stored energy in your muscles to see out a run.


Combining the above two points, means running can seem an anti-social event in a family sense. Coming home from work, to go straight out the door for a run when:
1. Your wife is looking forward to you helping to monitor the children
2. Your kids are looking forward to seeing you
3. Your wife and kids are going to spend most if not all of tea/dinner time without you.


This of course, is only if you weren't able to get up first thing in the morning and run, or lunchtime was too busy to fit a run in. You could always wait until tea/dinner has settled and go out at 9/10pm? Which I have done on a number of occasions. But wait... remember how you were a better person after a run? After a stressful day at work, to get a run in before being with the family is sometimes just what is required. The kids are always wanting a play fight as soon as I arrive though the door from work. Do I feel like it? No. Do I feel like it after a run? Absolutely.


So the upshot is, fitting running around a family life can be a challenge, but looked at in the right light, it can be used to the benefit of other family members.

The Hardest Lesson

You'd think the hardest lesson of running would be one of the following:

• Drink enough water
• Buy the correct shoes
• Get your form correct

But for me, the hardest lesson, that I'm only just starting to adhere to, is that rest is just as important as the training. Knowing when you need a rest day (and sticking to it) has been massively hard. The mind is so much stronger than the fleshy bits.

For me, at this point in my running career, that means only doing back-to-back running days if I am absolutely sure that I'm recovered enough to deal with it.