Hey, Doc. Don't tell a marathoner to exercise more

 

Maybe I’m overtired. (That’s a given.) But I’m finding this hilarious.

 Like nearly anyone with upcoming races (of any distance) on the calendar, this time of year spells active training. OK, for most of us, that’s pretty much the case all year round, but we tend to pour it on in the spring months, as we prep for warm-weather races.

 

Enter my physician here.

 Having postponed several checkups and procedures during the peak of the recent pandemic, I finally decided to book and show up for a routine physical. The doctor nagged me about some age-appropriate testing, which I did. He also ordered some lab-work, primarily as benchmarks.

  The short version is simple: Everything came back OK.

 Then I received a very brief letter (via snail mail) from my doc.

“Labs are normal. Try to get some exercise, if possible.”

 

Um, what? More exercise?

 This week, as the month of May comes to a close, I’m passing 900 miles for the year (so far).

 

More exercise?

 In the very expensive 12 1/2 minutes that my physician actually spent with me in his office exam room, he did ask me if I’m doing any more marathons this year. I told him I have a few half marathons on the books and might add a full one for the fall. (So many races were canceled in the past couple of years that I am taking a bit of a wait-and-see attitude on the pricier ones.) 

We also talked about the four cardio classes I do each week, along with my equestrian pursuits, cani-cross endeavors (with two large, happy, high-energy beasts), and other fitness activities.

 I might not have mentioned that every one of the fitness professionals with whom I interact each week frequently reminds me of the importance of scheduling down-time and actually taking rest days now and them. (I’m not so good at that. My idea of a rest day usually ends up with me trying to keep up with a busy two year old grandkid or spending several hours digging in the garden.)

 

Geez. I hope that was a form letter.

 And I guess the doc didn’t notice that my BMI is well within the best range, and my weight was actually down from the last time it was clocked in my file.

 Still, I’m lacing up my sneaks and dashing out for more exercise – but not because the doctor said so.

 Seriously, telling a runner to get more exercise is like telling a chocoholic to go eat another hunk of chocolate. Let’s call my physician an enabler…

 

Related Items:

•  Do I really need a running rest day?
• Marathons: Maybe I lied about one-and-done
• Power Play: 15 reasons runners often run faster in races than training runs
• Summer goal: Finding my abs

 

 

Image/s: Created with online generator

 

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Marathon training: Sometimes it’s OK to be a turtle

Color me green, and call me a turtle, if you must. It wasn’t pretty, but my 20-mile marathon prep run is done.

Sometimes I’m slow … but I still go ... even when I fail to sprout wings and mostly crawl.

Kermit was right: “It isn’t easy being green.”

OK, before the “Kermit is a frog, not a turtle” comments begin piling up, let me clarify that. I get it. But he’s definitely green ... like a turtle.

I finished my 20-mile marathon training run feeling a little green too – in all sorts of ways.

• The first hour was absolute hell. I didn’t eat any green apples beforehand, but I did experience a quick-step that had little to do with my running pace. (Let’s just say I was relieved that I picked a running route with open park facilities in operation.)
• I was green with envy that other runners can do the whole thing in just two or three hours. (I still kind of am.)
• I was a little green around the gills (OK, there’s another mixed metaphor. I know turtles don’t have gills. Neither do frogs, for that matter.)
• I’m looking down the pike at my second full marathon (in three weeks), so I am still a little green at the whole marathon thing.
• And I’m a little short on green, right about now. But that’s another matter altogether.
• It’s almost go-time, so let’s give it the green light anyway.

Here’s the basic truth:

Yes, the 20-mile marathon training run is almost always ugly. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

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Sometimes it really is that simple.

On the bright side, although I am not pleased with the time it took me to complete this lengthy jaunt, I still somehow managed to finish comfortably (although not exactly comfortable) within the upcoming marathon’s specified cut-off time. So there’s that.

Let’s hope I can hop along a whole lot faster on race day.

READ: Power Play: 15 reasons runners often run faster in races than training runs

And let the pre-marathon tapering begin!

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Activity trackers -- You're never fully dressed without a dial

“Hey, running pals. Wait for me! I’ve gotta charge my tracker again.”

Are you with me? How many times have you mustered the wherewithal to step out for a run (especially a longer run), only to glimpse at your Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, or other activity tracker (or even smart phone app) and groan? Then, of course, you have to stop and plug the thing in, so it won’t quit along the way.

After all, do miles really count, if they aren’t counted?

Sure, they do. But somehow the trip seems different to us, if it’s not recorded electronically.

Runners find it rewarding to reach our daily distance goals. We love the startling buzz (or pulse or beep), when an activity tracker alerts us that today’s step count has been met.

We’ve all known the disappointment of having a device run out of juice during a record run or a big race. So we sit in parking lots with our car engines running, willing our gadgets to charge faster. We duck back indoors and plug our wristbands in to top off their batteries. We close out inactive apps to keep our phones from running down too fast while we run.

And there’s that dreaded day when a runner discovers mid-run that he or she has slipped out without strapping on that wristband. It’s a scary naked feeling, to be sure.

Remember the scene from Annie, when the kids sang “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile”? Take a look and a listen:

Runners have a slightly different version. We feel less-than-completely-clothed when we skip our trackers.

We're never fully dressed without a dial.

Last week, I joined my chorus onstage for a performance. The costuming required me to leave my Garmin behind until we returned to the backstage area. It was almost creepy. All I had on my left wrist was a slight tan-line.

I’m not falling for that trap today. I just have to rev the thing up before I slip it on again.

“I’ll be along in a few minutes. I’m up to 60% already. C’mon, tracker. Charge up!”

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