When I received the e-mail about the start of week 9, I couldn’t believe over half of Project 90 was complete. Where did the time go? I remember being excited to start the program. I dreaded committing to 90 days. That’s a long time! However, the promise of preventing injury is well worth it, right?
Although I’m not injured, the thought of finding myself upset and depressed as a result of it lingers in my mind. I’m not where I want to be, but I believe I’ll obtain my goals and exceed them. The methods by which I get there may be unconventional not only to me but also to others. Having a plan and following it helps you achieve your goals.
It’s all about making progress. The gains may be small or they aren’t happening as quickly as one would hope. Rushing won’t help. It’s a process and one that must be respected. I had to come to terms with this statement.
“To become the runner you want to be,
you must accept the runner you are now.”
Week after week the team at Gearhead Outfitters supplied me with information to become a more efficient runner. One week it may be nutrition and another soreness versus pain. The information was distributed as documents or video. A forum was created to communicate with others going through the program to ask questions or cheer each other own.
If I had to break down the program into four pillars, it would be cadence, form, mileage, and consistency. The cadence is running ninety revolutions (180 steps per minute). At first I was counting my steps, but once I received my metronome, life got better and I no longer felt like The Count from Sesame Street. Set it and go! Ah… ah… ah!
Form is the next pillar of the program. One of the trainers, Seth, discussed proper form in week 2. It’s one thing to talk about it, but seeing the video helped and I can watch it as much as I like. His focus was on posture, cadence, and balance.
The third pillar is mileage. High mileage and over training is the plan. If you’re doing that, you’re not participating in this program. If you are, shame on you! Quality miles are important. I am guilty of being a person that has put in junk miles before.
The program emphasizes that less is more and to make your miles about quality not quantity. Taking a look at one of the weeks of training, one will notice the miles aren’t as high as one would typically see in a training program. The concentration is geared toward total weekly miles and not just the long run. Think of it as most miles per gallon.
The final pillar is consistency. It compliments the third pillar of quality miles. There are those that are consistently over trained. That was me at one point. I don’t have to wonder how I got injured. I’m aware of it. I don’t want to do it again. If low mileage will teach my body to be more efficient, I’m all in.
Combining those pillars and you have a strong foundation to be on your way to running injury free for life or so I’ve been told. It’s an investment and I know my diligence will pay off. With the conclusion of the program not too far away, I have started thinking about what’s next.
I won’t be running in the graduation event, The Endurance Challenge, on October 5, but I’ll be there supporting everyone that is. Why not? I have more work to do. I’ll continue with the less is more mentality with races and hone in on Project 90. Maybe I’ll call it Project 90: Revisited.
“I know that despite my best efforts, I will always want more from myself. I will always want to know my limits so that I can exceed them.”
