Day 3 -- So Long Bootcamp...for now

Aloha,

Wednesday's are my "marathon" day (although Thursday's are quickly becoming just as active); I leave the house at 6am, teach several classes, coaching sessions, consultations, office hours and get home around 3pm. Just long enough to shower, eat, perhaps catch a power nap, or spend time with the family, then out the door again at 5pm to lead a yoga class. It's usually around 8pm or later before I get home.

Most Wednesday's I participate in the bootcamp class I teach at Delta Faucet. The class is a blast, and it's intense and the students at Delta are amazing. Unfortunately, I have decided that participating in bootcamp will not be a part of my half marathon training, aside from doing all the running with the group. The bootcamp workout doesn't dovetail into the flow of my training, which includes running (duh?), weights, yoga, and more. If I could shift the class to a different day, it might work, but that ain't gonna happen. So that is part of the reason I'm not going to be bootcamping for the next several weeks. which is kind of a bummer because I love doing the class as well. The bigger reason I've decided to do only the running aspect of the class is that bootcamp is not a part of the assigned workouts found in "Project: Bridging the Wellness Gap" and my vision for this half marathon is to use ONLY the principles and workouts from the Project. The only exception being some modifications to the running volumes which will deliver the health, fitness, and well-being needed to run 13.1 miles.

So, in today's bootcamp I made sure we had several running efforts, which for me consisted of some anaerobic threshold intervals of 2 - 6 minutes in duration. Painful, but oh so sweet.

Insight from today:
Several people have asked me why I preach running outdoors as the mode of aerobic conditioning in the Project. There are multiple reasons, and today I was reminded of one of the more well kept secrets about running; something which I find is hidden even from many seasoned runners -- running is Sacred. Seriously. Once we cultivate a relationship with our running which includes our body, our mind, and our spirit you realize the oneness you can experience with running. There is no separation between me and my running. Unlike bicycling, in line skating, cardio machines, or even running on a treadmill, when I run outdoors I do not rely on anything external or separate from myself.

Unfortunately, many look at running as another chore or assignment and maybe they dread it like going for a root canal. Or some may look at their running as something to conquer or something to enforce their ego pride. And some are actually attached to running as though it were a drug. All this is okay to some degree, I just see it as a very narrow and immature view of running and it is a fear-based motivation. That to me is the big difference between seeing running as Sacred or mundane. When running is Sacred, it is rooted in love and free from attachment and fear.

I had the above realization as I was leaving my in-law's home tonight. As I walked into the night air, I felt my legs beneath me and knew that if I wanted to I could run right there in that moment. No need to grab my bike, no need to find a treadmill or a workout video, I could just go if I wanted to. It made me smile and I could feel my love and union (yoga) with running. Isn't that the relationship we are all looking for; the relationship we want with our health, fitness, and well-being, with our family, our spouse, with God? As we deepen our spiritual life we begin to feel God around us all the time and we know that He is there in each moment. And, if we wanted to, we know that we could "run" with Him right there in that moment too...

In Peace,
Chris