Day 22

As I’ve noted before, running is probably the sport that is closest to therapy. 

Swimming is meditative (kind of, since you are also trying not to drown), competitive sports like basketball and tennis don’t lend themselves to conversations (except when you’re playing the dozens against the guy who’s guarding you, or calling your opponent “Patty Melt” because he (i.e. me) was too slow to chase down a drop shot), and I keep getting told to be quiet during my workouts with Art at the gym.

But once you get your wind, running is like being next to a friend in the car on a long road trip with a broken radio. What else are you going to do but talk?

So when Josh came over to me on the couch and asked if I was planning to walk last night (I wasn’t), I agreed to go.

And we spent the whole time talking. It was really nice, just talking about stuff for an hour. What about?  Can’t tell you - runners privilege.

But I can say that my time was quite good for a walk that wasn’t really about walking. So thanks, son, for getting your old man off the couch for some sub-16 walking!

Day 21

I went radio silent this week because I was out of town, visiting my mother and sister for Thanksgiving. It was a great week, lots of food and family and catching up.

Unfortunately, it did not include much exercise. I played one round of golf and tried to walk as much of the course as I could, but it was the day after a heavy rain and the course was slippery - not optimum conditions for a walk in the park.

The rest of the time was in the house, playing games and cooking, which led to catastrophe number 2. While making homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs, I mishandled a hot pan full of oil and butter, which left me with a burned right hand. I soldiered on and finished the dinner (which included a super-easy no-knead focaccia bread), but I paid the price with a gnarly blister on my middle right-hand finger:

Gross!

We returned on Saturday. I had hoped to get a long walk in after we got back, but our layover in Dallas ended up being five hours, and we didn’t make it home until 11:45 p.m.

So after that first-world ordeal, I slept late today and then went to storage for our Christmas decorations. Then I drove to Bellaire for a badly-needed jam session with my music buddies Dan, Ben, and John - these guys are good and they let me noodle around on my Korg keyboard as they play some mighty blues.

After that, I came home, checked my fantasy football scores (not great), and as the day began to slip away, I knew I needed to get out on the road.

Lisa was working at the kitchen table, and I told her that I was off for a walk and would be back in an hour, but secretly, I was ready to push myself. I started my usual five-mile route, but as I got within a mile of home, I kept walking down County Road 90 and extended the walk. In fact, I outlasted my rechargeable headphones and spent the last mile practicing a speech I have to give later this week at a legal conference.

I was wearing a pair of Saucony running shoes, which were in much better shape than the Brooks I wore a few weeks ago, and felt better than my Hokas, which still have that problem with the insole. The left quad was twinging a little, and my left heel and instep were stressing, but it was manageable. I was wearing a pair of Vuori running shorts with a boxer brief lining, and I had to adjust the boys a few times, but no real chafing.

Total miles: 7.72 in just over two hours. I averaged 16:08, with four sub-16 miles. The fifth mile was a 17:20 - not sure what was going on there - but I finished strong with a 16:02 and 15:45 for miles 6 and 7 respectively. After a pretty slow exercise week, this was really encouraging. 

Onward!

Days 15 and 16

I had planned eight on Sunday, but it turned into zero when the weather turned awful.

This sounds like a convenient excuse, and it is. But while I am fine with exercising in the cold, I really, really hate walking in the rain, particularly when it’s cold. It can settle into my lungs, and as a tall guy, the sidewalks can become dangerously slick. (I hate when people don’t powerwash their sidewalks precisely because of this.)

Nonetheless, this blog as an accountability device was working on Sunday night. I kept looking at my watch as bedtime approached, worrying about having to either explain another “rest day” or not blog at all, which would look bad. (I am irrationally proud of the string of daily posts to date, which is its own motivation.)

But the weather did not let up and it got too late, so I went to bed, unblogged and unhappy.

Today, it was another dreary day and it passed so quickly that I found myself on the couch looking out the window again, feeling guilty and worrying that I was failing my own program, a mere sixteen days into the process. How embarrassing would it be to give it up so soon after starting!

So, late in the evening, I got off the couch - in my street clothes! - and put on the Hokas and my beloved LL Bean dairy farmer coat and headed out for what I wanted to be a leisurely three-mile walk.

And as you can see below, it became a very productive session! My leisurely pace was under 16 minutes, and I extended the walk to over four miles.

And I feel redeemed, at least for a day.

Day 14

Quick post - Houston is cold and wet. I was watching for a cessation of the rain today to venture out, but no dice.

Fortunately, I did get some basketball in this morning. The Apple watch gives me a lot of love for the time I spend on the court, and my heart rate as recorded in the app corroborates that love.

Look at my heart going 147! A few years ago, I took up a collection to buy a defibrillator for the gym we play at. This was entirely selfish - I remain convinced I will eventually be a customer as I get older.

I hope the weather clears tomorrow. So much of this process is about momentum, and that momentum cuts both ways. The longer I miss my walks, the harder it is to get out there again.

So … if tomorrow is relatively clear, I’ll think hard about walking eight.

Gulp.

Day 13

This was a rest day for me, no walk today, although Art returned to work and put Avina and me through the paces in our usual noon workout. Bear crawls, farmers walks, tire flips, pulling Art with a rope as he sat on top of the tire, and about ten other things I kind of don’t want to remember.

As we neared the end of the hour, I asked Art, “So, are you impressed with my new commitment to fitness?”

“No,” he replied.

I must have looked a little hurt and confused, so he explained, “You’re now doing what you’re capable of doing, what you should be doing.” He paused and then did not say anything else.

Although I had been seeking his approval, I had to admit that there was some motivational truth to what he was saying. To get stronger, I would have to do more than what I was already capable of doing.

Here’s an example. The other day, I walked from my house to the intersection of Northfork Drive and Cullen Parkway, almost exactly 2.5 miles. At that point, I had a choice: I could turn around and retrace my route back home for an even five miles.  Or - and I thought very seriously about this - I could turn south on Cullen and return home by another route that would add another three miles to make it an eight mile walk. After some deliberation, I decided to head home the way I’d come since it was getting later and darker.

I told Art this, and he seemed disappointed, like he thought I should have challenged myself with the longer walk.

For me, however, the achievement was even contemplating doing it at all. I probably could have made the eight miles, but decided to be prudent for now. The marathon is now fifty weeks away, which is both a long time and a very short time to get into shape. I may try the long walk on Sunday because I will have to do it sometime and time is passing fast.

I also didn’t walk tonight because (1) it was raining; and (2) it was Gentlemen’s Dinner night with my friend Manni and his two sons, Max and Luca. My son Josh came along and we had a lively evening of fine food at Killen’s Steakhouse, discussing golf, cars, and how important it is to be able to both give and receive help to and from people who care about you.

My son Josh is the best - he gave these young men his time, attention and sincere advice. I am a lucky dad.

Back to it tomorrow after basketball!

Day 12

I know I wrote yesterday about how apprehensive I get about exercising in the dark, but the day had slipped away and I needed to exercise.

So off I went at about 6:15, already dark, cool but not cold (53 degrees), mostly solitary on the sidewalk.

Aside from two dog walkers who literally moved to the other side of the street as I approached (I must have loomed large in my midnight blue hoodie in the dark), the only person I encountered was a guy walking in the same direction I was going, but about ten percent slower. The effect of this was that I was very gradually getting nearer and nearer to him, again looming larger as I approached.

Sometimes, I don’t appreciate how big I am - but I can only imagine what I must have looked like, emerging from the dark, appearing to stalk this poor guy.

As I got closer, I started wondering how I should pass him. Should I do a quick jog and put some distance between us? Should I keep my walking pace and nod to him as I eased past him? Should I give him a quick “pardon me” and smile unthreateningly?

By this time, he had seen me coming, glancing over his shoulder and then trying to pretend he hadn’t. But then he’d do it again. He was like a guy in a Mini Cooper looking in his rear view mirror, worrying about the Range Rover on his tail, but not wanting to move into the slow lane because how could he live with himself, surrendering to some jerk in a big expensive car, driving like he owns the world?

I decided not to be a Range Rover. I picked up my pace, moved off the sidewalk, and gave him the “pardon me” smile as I passed by. He smiled back, maybe in relief.

Looming large in the dark…

As I was on the walk, my phone rang. It was Lisa, wanting to discuss some details about Christmas vacation. I tried to keep my pace going, but there’s something about holding your phone and conversing while exercising that breaks your focus. Look at my splits for this five mile walk and see if you can tell when I was on the phone:

The walk was okay - I was generously anti-chafed and wearing thick running socks and my Hokas. As the walk concluded, my feet were aching a little and the left quad started complaining a little, but not sharply. I will say that the last two hundred yards seemed to take forever, but I’m slowly easing back into my old marathoner’s patience - one step at a time.

I’m glad I braved the dark.

Day 11

I spent the day working on a brief for one of my clients, and by the time I looked up, it was time for me to leave for my periodic Movie Night at my friend Paul’s house.  

Paul has an excellent theater room with surround sound, and I kind of invited myself several months ago to screen fun movies with him. We alternate choosing the movie; he leans towards British crime movies (he’s English by birth) while I lean towards quirky comedies (I screened “The Freshman,” for example - look it up!)

But tonight! Tonight was the Top Gun sequel Maverick. Paul kept saying, “Pure cheese!” and I could not disagree. It was so much fun.

After the movie, I walked home at about 10:15, and debated taking a late night walk. When I was training in 1994, I often ran late at night, especially during the hot months, and I was oblivious to the risks.

Until…one day when I was running along the Brays Bayou, a car slowed down and started stalking me. It hit me all at once how vulnerable I was, wearing shoes, socks and shorts - no phone, no chemical spray, no nothing. I reversed course and ran past the car the opposite direction fast. It braked and sat there as I ran hard away from it, and my plan was to run into the bayou if it started backing up in my direction. Fortunately, it drove off and did not return.

I can’t help but think about that incident nearly thirty years later when contemplating a late walk. I guess I need to get more committed to finding the time during the day if I’m too spooked to run at night. I am getting there, but not yet.

So today ended up being a rest day. I did walk to and from Paul’s house, so that’s something, but I will try to do better tomorrow.