Relaaaaaaaax and Go

After that last post, I decided to do an experiment.  I mentioned awhile ago that I've started running again.  If you've ever tried to get back in shape by running, much less running around San Francisco, you'll sympathize with what I've been going through - exhilarating valleys followed by nauseating hills, followed by now significantly less exhilarating valleys followed by now significantly more nauseating hills, etc etc.

I used to be a runner.  A great runner.  I once won first place in the junior olympics southern regional cross country tournament, and there was another time where I placed top ten at Footlocker southern regional, and then I ran for a split second at Stanford before switching to the lightweight crew team.  So, my point is that it's frustrating seeing my times on three mile runs now, knowing what I used to easily do, and knowing that I am now struggling to get those times too.

And then I realized something ... I was struggling!  So, I took my advice from the last post, and decided I'd try taking a run "with my pants down" (i.e. relaxing) and watch what would happen.

Time flew by during that run, I saw children playing on the streets, thought about what I would do for the rest of the day, the week, the month, noticed the sunshine, and enjoyed the views at the tops of the hills.  Every once in a while, I would find myself struggling again, pushing to go faster, then I would remind myself to relaaaaaxxx and go!

I ran a mile further than I've been running lately, and ran 40 seconds faster per mile than I had been running for the last month.  Something tells me there's really something to this pants down thing.