Tall skinny tree or a wide leafy one?

There are moments in life when things change, maybe just a simple thing can make your life do a 180º turn, some other times there’s a chain reaction, I love this last one, because it is a non stop sequence of situations, I’m just looking at me 6 months ago and I’m looking at me now, I was happier before but not fully satisfied but now I almost need anything more, yes nothing is perfect I know it could be better, but I just want to think I’m still in the middle of that full happiness, it will arrive, I will fight so it arrives and that’s the secret fighting to get it and not being sat down on the sofa waiting happiness knock on your door.

Yes. I’m happy and I want to be happier I’m not talking about wanting more and ore and more without seeing an ending line, no I don’t neam that, I don’t want that, I just want to arrive where I want, and then when I arrive I will fight to keep it alive, work everyday on it, yes I know it can be tireing but that’s the ABC of life, the most of the times it is quite easy to improve quickly in the beginning, because everything is new, every short step seems to be huge, you can see you are going up and up, and you feel great, but once you reach the top is when it is harder and your interes can decrease, that’s the moment of doing some light changes that can make you wide your view and pushing you up again, maybe we can compare this with a tree, they grow quickly up but then it starts to be wide, to have more branches and branches leaving another ones, and at the end when you see this tree from the outside it is a wonderful leafy full of life tree.

Do you prefer being a tall skinny tree or a wide leafy one?

You choose is your choice

Yes I run, but what kind of run do you do?

It has been long time since I started to think on this topic, people say…. Yes I run, but what kind of run do you really do? I found some really great pictures of a famous photographer Kevin Winzeler and made me think more about it.

-City run, night run, trail, ultra speed one, treadmill at the gym,free run,  long distances, acrobatic, ultra, skyliner…..

I started with the easy one, the most usual, just some jogging by the city, but as soon I started to know different ones I decided it was time to try to change, none of them is better or worst than the others, but I found a few of them, one when I have time enough and it is the real that gives me more and the others depending on my mood.

Running can change your mind, body and spirit. When I run I feel invincible, I feel free.

Kobe Bryant

When I decided my target, I thought, I’m crazy, I can’t do that, that’s only for young and very good runners, but what the hell!! and I did it! It has been hard (I’m still on it) , but day after day I was doing more and more and more, and then I arrived just in a point that I was completely unable to believe what I can do, sometimes I take my bike and do the same route, and then I say WOW!! There are days that I have a look from home to some of the points I arrived and say..I did it! So there’s anything impossible, it is said that when you have a target in life things start to appear in your line of that target, so… go for it. A couple of days ago I found this video on youtube, if you think you still don’t know, what kind of run you would like to do… then have a look, choose the image you like the most, and go for it without any excuse, because everybody can, YOU can!!

What kind of run do you like the most?

Ps If you want to know what’s the one I like the most…. 0’27”-0’42”

Ps2. Next target a 89kms route in 3 days!

Just do it! there’s not limit, power is on you

Just do it!

Yes, I know,  it is the Slogan of a famous brand, however I try to make it mine all the time, what do I mean with it? we don’t know our limits, and they are even higher than we think, suffering is that word that we hate, we don’t like it, it is hard, and the most of the times we try to avoid it and going to the simple and easy way.

One of the most wonderful things of the ones who love running is that we are able to suffer, our enemies are in everywhere, hot, cold or rainy weather, those never ending paths going up the hill, tiredness, pain in our legs, knees, feet, so what the hells are we doing?

It doesn’t mean we love suffering, but we know that fighting against it, the final award is better, I can remember when I started to run, I was only able to run 2 kms, yes only 2, suffering was high, I was not used to it, but then I realized it costs me, it is not easy, but in the other hand… nothing is impossible.

Last week I dedicated it to do some “extreme” run, I don’t explain it at all to everybody, but people say I’m crazy, I don’t care.

I compare this workout as a roller coaster, it starts suffering going up the hill for more than 5 kilometers, but then the show starts, a full sequence of loopings,  fast run crossing the forest,  jumps,  head down and body movements avoiding branches, a fast curve with the cliff at my side, then up again, fast, fast, show must go on, down again, poisonous plants in front of you and jump, jump, I feel some scratches on my legs, I can’t stop I’m going down, I’m not sure where I’m stepping , my eyes move all around, my mind works faster than my legs, have to control everything, where I’m stepping and where I’m going to do the next step, my God! path is finished, turn left between those plants, jump!, remember the brambles around, I am in the dark and wet side of the mountain, where the sun never arrives, still going down and a huge puddle appears, what to do? a miracle! a perfect size stone is just in the middle, while my mind is controlling those steps before crossing the puddle, my eyes are looking ahead, but can’t see anything so I wish my self good luck! a perfect long jump and yes! right foot over the rock and then again another long step, ooppsss! I saved the puddle, but I’m in blank I have not more information about the next step, full adrenaline and…. I’m lucky again it was clear and run up, up and up, it costs me to breathe but the top of the path is near, I arrive, and from then a very long and soft path down starts, I can breath properly, my heart is recovering and then I enjoy landscapes thinking of all those ” frantic loopings”.

I’m 7 kms from home and it looks like a paradise, no cars, noise or pollution, can’t believe it can be found so near home, and it “just” costed me a huge and forgotten effort, now I just can remember those wonderful feelings.

Then at home I have a look to the mountain and say…… I was just in that place!! can’t believe it!! so high! so far!

BUT I DID IT, JUST DO IT!!

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Sharing in our crazy runners world

Last weeks have been very passionate ones, everybody who knows me, knows how much I love running, unfortunately I discovered this world quite late, I’m 43 and started 15 months ago, Yes I love running but I think I even love more when I can help people , when someone starts running because of me, when in the Endomondo’s social network I can congratulate people who has reached a good mark, I like knowing their own paces and I try to choose the right words every time in order to encourage them. The same I love when people realize mine ones.

As I explained in an old post, I got a one-word message by my Twitter account, and it was just a “Thanks” I asked about the meaning of that “thanks”, and it was told me, it was because she started to run because of my words, and now she is really enjoying every time, she is not a sports lover so it means a lot to me.

Yesterday I wanted to introduce my 6 years old kid inside this world, he knows I run but as I’m not with him everyday, he has never seen me running, so I thought it was the right moment, and after cycling about 10 kilometers together I told him about doing something different, and he says YES!!  we went back home and I changed my clothes for a run, he joined me with his bicycle, riding at my side, pushing me up all the time, making me run faster, making jokes, having fun, for a few hundred meters we were running/riding in the middle of the streets and it was a nice feeling when the most of the cars stopped by advance patiently so we can cross safely, I thanked them all and they smiled us, it was such a nice “postcard”, the same with the people we crossed, I live in a small village and they are used to see me always running or riding, but this time was quite different. So there’s not any excuse if you want to run you can, everything has its solution.

It is said “food is the most extended anti-anxiety drug in the first world, and running is the most potent yet underutilized antidepressant”  and I just can say, completely agree.

Let’s keep moving the world, we can make people feel better,

Yes We can!

A technical post? oh no my God ? I’m not that good! (just a petition)

For personal reasons, I stopped posting, but last days I got a couple of messages asking me for a new post (which I really love).

I’m not very kind of writing a technical one, because I always say I’m only a guy who loves running and don’t follow rules so here it is just my own personal experience.

It was asked me…. What can I do to get ready for a half Marathon? 

Let me think…..mmmm well… so…. I think … no, no, I guess… yes, maybe, sure it is… Ask to a professional 😛

Joking, in my case there was one thing that helped me a lot: “micoach” first time I started to run I was a fool, I started to run out of control, so I was only able to run about 2 kms, ending completely drained and the worst I felt injured. So then after stopping a few months, I found out that software for my smartphone, the first day it made me a check to know my physical situation, I hated it!! it made me run faster and faster every 3 minutes for very long and never ending 12 minutes my God 12 MINUTES!! I was almost about to through my smartphone to the river!. But it was worthy, til that moment I just started a plan to get a better fit and it worked!!! It made me slow down when I was running fast, and made me go faster when I was going slow, it showed me the importance of a low pace run, it is called the confort zone, the pace where you can recover after a hard effort, and you can run for longer distances.

Day after day,  I extended my workouts, I felt better and if the workout was supposed to do a 25 minutes running I kept running a few minutes more.

I learnt to adapt my routes, I just wanted to do longer ones, so if one day I felt I was perfect I chose a hard route, but if I was not fine I chose an easy one.

Mixing mountain runs with asphalt helped me too, it is hard, really hard but so pleasant Nowadays I’m running more by mountain than by asphalt because the feeling you get when you arrive to the top, and enjoying nature and silence are splendid.

Turning to micoach plans, their workouts are great, mixin easy runs, and the next day series, goinf fast and slow, fast and slow, for a few minutes always guiding you. However the most important is enjoying every day. I stopped using micoach because I wanted to run by my own, without any stablished plan, but now I do everything  I learnt whenever I want.

So the final result was that 4 months later I started to run, I did my first half marathon, and believe me, the first time you do that…. Woohoo!!!  it is an unbelievable feeling, so if you want to do it…. just try it and try it, be patient learn about your body, about finding your perfect pace don’t feel bad if you run slow, and some day without thinking about it, you will start running and running and running your brain will be free, you won’t want to stop and … “Voilà”  22kms!!

Post dedicated to my main follower

Thanks for reading me and “force” me to keep posting ! 😉 can’t wait to know she get it succesfully!