Level Up: Week 7
Showing up
Welcome to Week 7 of the RP Level Up Challenge. This free program is designed to boost your running, no matter your current level. This week’s theme: Showing up.
One of the things I appreciate about taking a few minutes out of my day to practice at-home yoga is when the instructor says, “The hardest part is showing up.” That’s right, I think to myself. Showing up is the hardest part because during the context of my day there have been dozens of different reasons for not showing up at all.
Some of those reasons include being lazy or distracted. In an effort to blunt the effectiveness of these unwelcome diversions, I make sure my mat, block, and strap are accessible and visible. Laying out yoga clothes in advance also serves as a gentle reminder to get off the phone and get in the zone.
Some of those reasons were actually quite compelling like a work deadline or a child coming home from school and needing help with their homework. Not much space for getting all namaste in that environment. (See: eliminating distractions as a means of freeing up time.)
Whenever I do make an effort to come to the mat, I inevitably feel better about myself. Even when some of the poses feel particularly difficult – and for a middle-aged, non-flexible dude such as myself that’s just about all of them – the yoga isn’t the hard part. The hard part is simply getting back on the mat.
This week’s challenges are about showing up, which can take on different forms depending on your individual level. For beginning runners – and yogis – simply showing up physically is more than enough. For those with a bit more experience, it helps to be intentional with your time. In those instances, showing up means arriving for your run with more than just your physical body present.
Level 1: Examine your mindset
What do you think about when you’re running? If you asked a dozen different runners that question, you’d get a dozen different answers in return. Honestly, if you asked one runner what they think about during a run you’d probably get a dozen different answers.
A small sampling of thoughts that entered my brain space during a recent easy run:
Feels like it’s getting colder. Hope I brought enough layers. Maybe I should have worn tights. No, shorts are fine. It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s not that cold. Wow, cool bird. Is that a hawk? Maybe it’s a falcon. What’s the difference between a falcon and a hawk anyway? I should look that up. What’s for dinner? …
This free flow of thoughts and observations was made possible by an inherent awareness of what my body was doing. With pace, heart rate, and effort levels all dialed in thanks to years of experience, my brain was free to roam, all of which helped make the miles feel relatively well, easy.
Let’s take you there.
Week 7 Challenge: Keep running 3-4 times a week, varying your routes and distances ever so slightly. Try to avoid getting stuck in ruts. In addition, take a moment to examine your mindset before, during, and after your runs and write about them in your journal.
Before your run, ask yourself if you’re feeling harried and exhausted or fresh and frisky. Maybe even a little bored and impatient. That’s fine. There are no right or wrong answers here.
During your run, pay attention to where your brain goes. Are you focusing on physical sensations or is your brain wandering freely? Perhaps you’re listening to music or a podcast. Maybe you could try running one time without noise.
Once your run is over, make mental notes of how your body feels. Are you tired and sore, happy and energetic, or just kinda there. Again, no right or wrong answers apply. Think of this exercise like a science experiment. You’re studying how running makes you feel.
Level 2: Thinking like a runner
Over the past six weeks, we’ve asked you to make a number of tweaks, adjustments, and modifications to your running practice. It’s to your immense credit that you even considered such changes to your schedule, some of which may have felt disconcerting and/or alienating.
Change is hard. What sounds easy on paper can be incredibly difficult to incorporate into the rhymes and nuances of your daily life once habits become ingrained and schedules feel fixed. Good job.
Change is also to your benefit when you make an effort to keep your running fresh and exciting rather than stagnant and dull. Adaptations and improvements don’t follow repetitive action. They only occur with well-timed interventions like varying distance, duration, and intensity.
Change, even transformational change, doesn’t need to be overly dramatic. It can be as simple as making the right tweak, adjustment, or modification at the right time. When you can implement those small changes over and over again, that’s when your running transforms from an activity into a fully-realized practice.
Week 7 Challenge: Continue adding 10 percent to your weekly mileage while making every run this week slightly different. Vary your distances, adjust your routes, add in some speedwork, and take at least one full rest day off from running. Don’t forget to mix in some strength training, particularly for the core.
Even if you’re not preparing for something specifically, think about structuring your week in the context of a larger training schedule. While everyone’s schedule will look different based on their own set of logistics and time management, this is what a typical training week might look like:
Monday: Rest day or optional easy run (keep it short) + strength training and core work
Tuesday: Easy run, medium distance
Wednesday: Easy run, shorter distance (optional core work)
Thursday: Medium distance w/ Tempo pickups (increase your effort/pace for 1-2 minutes after every mile and then return to your easy running pace)
Friday: Rest day (Strength training and core work)
Saturday: Easy run, short to medium distance depending on feel
Sunday: Long run
Try fitting your rest days around workout and long run. Fill in with easy runs where applicable.
Level 3: Intervals
There are several problems with running fast including an elevated risk for injury. That’s why runners should always engage in a proper warmup prior to their workout with a few easy miles, a couple of strides, and whatever else gets you mentally primed to kick ass and meet your goals.
Another issue with running fast is that it’s hard to find spaces where we can cut loose, dig deep, and push ourselves without causing an issue for other people. Take it from me: Non-runners have a tendency to freak the hell out when we go blazing by them, especially these days when so many people pay more attention to their devices than their surroundings.
You know who else won’t stop to admire your workout? Bicylicts, scooterists, and operators of large automobiles traveling at unsafe speeds through crosswalks, intersections, and traffic lights. It sucks, but the onus is on runners to find a safe space to conduct our workouts. Think about finding one before showing up for your workout.
Week 7 Challenge: Go to a track if you have one accessible or stake out a half-mile stretch of relatively flat running path where you can safely run fast. Make sure there are no street crossings, stop signs, or traffic lights that can slow you down or invite danger.
Once you’ve found your space, start with a 2-mile warmup that begins with an easy, conversational pace and gets progressively faster toward the end. At no point should you be approaching either your workout speed or intensity during your warmup.
Take a few moments to gather yourself physically and mentally. Once you’re ready, run a few short strides about a tenth of a mile in duration. Remember to gradually accelerate, not sprint. Return to your starting line and take a few deep breaths. The workout is about to begin.
We’re doing 4 x 400 meters at around 5K pace with a 400 meter recovery jog interval following each rep. Your goal is to run each rep slightly faster than the previous one. The jogging intervals can be as slow as you need them to be.
Fairly obvious warning: If you go all out on the first rep, it will negatively impact your chances of meeting this goal. Once your workout is done, finish up with a 2-mile recovery jog. This is what the run looks like in full.
2 mile warmup with progression from easy to tempoish effort
4 x .10 meter strides (approximate)
4 x 400 meter repeats at 5K pace w/ 4 x 400 meter recovery interval at easy pace
2 mile cooldown at very easy pace
Total: 6.4 miles.
Then go ahead and treat yourself. Those glycogen stores won’t replenish themselves. After all, you’ve got to show up again tomorrow.