Before you know it, you have eaten enough for 3 and drank enough for more then that and its going on day 5 or 6 or even 7. I think its tougher mentally then it really is physically.

Read more: It's Only a Week!

Sometimes one needs to see and feel their success before they can acheive success. To often athletes biggest obstacles are themselves, more specifically their minds. "Self Fulfilled Prophecies" , one can often manipulate things in order to cut themselves some slack on the attempt of their upcoming goals. 

Read more: A Focused Mind

Over the last 4 weeks, post marathon I have been using my pre marathon run training time to get back into the gym, even a couple of swims. I have kept running familiar with up to 3 runs a week trying to keep myself mindful of my form work therefore trying to keep them to no faster then 1.5 to 2 minutes slower then my fall marathon. Specifically it has not made me faster, YET!, but I beleive the holistic apporach in the off season provides an increased level of strength physically to take on the more specific training later and maybe more importantly, it allows my mind to relax in terms less structure and the freedom to miss workouts. With the Aerobic Power build up to the Christmas Mile and some indoor meets in the New Year it was time to pick it up a little bit in my workouts, just simply by adding some increased effort intervals, fartlek style. To all of you that think no one else can feel as bad as you do in your first tough workout, everyone feels bad. Trying to not let pace dictate the workout i would check only after the interval. My so called Tempo feeling 3 minute efforts were ending up being my fall marathon pace. Finally though after a decade of working through all this stuff I know this is ok.

I know everyone hates the feeling of "starting over". Enjoying a nice off season, getting a little out of shape, relative to your own in season conditioning, does make for a little discomfort in the early going. I think these "lows" are important though to achieve your "highs". Sometimes its tougher to take when you are beside someone  in January that tries to maintain a high level of performance year round. They may make you feel like you have hit a new all time low that winter, but for those that are looking for a certain peak performance at an event come summer time, I believe your mind and body needs that break.

 

The past 2 days have been beautiful and fascinating. Beautiful because what other course can use a beach at sunrise as a classroom to teach a component of their course? In this case, 3-D movements. Fascinating because  it is a new approach to the rehabilitation of injuries, improving efficiency of movements in your sport or just allowing someone the freedom to be able to perform daily tasks pain free.

Read more: 2 Steps Forward Out of the Box

WOW! Thats all I can say as I headed out of my room and in about 100m I was on a boardwalk along the ocean in sunny San Diego. I am here for a biomechanics conference lead by one of the functional movement gurus, Gary Gray.

Read more: Foot Prints in the Sand