It's been a little over a week and I sprinted one day. Yes, just one day. This was after I had already run 9 miles and incorporated 3 miles of hills in the effort. I welcomed the totally winded feeling after each 1/4 mile sprint but I measured my desire to return to running based on how I felt the next day.
The sprints did not cause any pain so I felt like I had not accomplished anything. The 3 mile hill runs had my calves and quads on FIRE and that encouraged me to launch a new challenging regimen. Maybe I am a glutton for punishment but in this case if there is no pain, I gain motivation to ensure my muscles are toning and burning.
Since most of my marathons were on flat courses, I always liked the challenge of running at least one hilly one every other month (e.g. Georgia, San Franisco, etc in that order) because the pain the following day had me feeling like I had done 2000 squats. So how can I gain my momentum and feel the pain with this busy schedule?
I think I found the trick since running outside is not an option at 5am with this Daylight Savings Time (and remember I hate the treadmills). I searched online for the workouts of great focused athletes and found now-retired Ravens player, Ray Lewis, making workouts look like a full- time job. Download it on your Apple iOS devices - trust! Four days in a row I selected a Ray Lewis workout and worked out like an active NFL linebacker. 4am I am looking at Mr. 52 focused on not quitting. After 8pm I am taking out my frustrations of the day with some forceful kickboxing. Since running marathon miles is no longer a challenge for me, I plan on 6 mile hill runs each day of this weekend.
Lets see if this week's pain helps me gain some encouragement to run the course!
