Can The Old Horse Still Run?

Coming out of retirement.  Contacted by one of my college room mates who wants me to anchor his 4x400 relay team.  Haven't run competitively for 5 or 6 years.  What the hell am I thinking?  15 dollar entry fee was probably what I was thinking and a chance to relive the glory days except for one thing.

Division III track was hardly the glory days.

I performed well, hardly won any races, but above all, it just wasn't fun anymore.

In getting a chance to participate in a track meet once again, the temptation was there to attempt events that I've never done, always wanted to, but the coach forbade it.  Enter the steeplechase.  Ridiculous concept to run a long distance race with hurdles and a friggen pool of water.  It was tempting to consider but ultimately for my own piece of mind, I need to answer just one question:

Do I still have competitive 400m speed?

A murderous race blending speed and endurance to both of their respective limits.  I found I was adept at running fast for longer periods of time.  There were those who could run longer, and those who could run quicker, but to do both in a race is rare.  It's a race of heart, not strategy.

When it gets to that last 100m, cinder blocks in your legs, battery acid in your viens, and tunnel vision setting in, that's when you find out what you're made of.  All form goes to hell and you just push.  I miss that.

Not thrilled about going against college athletes that have been training for months but I haven't worked out this hard or consistently since... ever, really.  My old college will be there and the motivation to beat their athletes as like a "screw you. Bet you wish I ran past my freshman year" thing is lacking.  That would be making it about them when I'd rather just run my balls off and hopefully post a time that I can live with. 

Everyone wants to continue their legacy.

Achilles

Working an overnight into St. Patty's day. Thinking about buying some 6 dollar tee shirts but I have so many graphic tees as it is. Gotta find out who The Roomie used to make his tee shirt quilt and how much it cost. Good way for the shirts to live on. Some of these ones are so gosh darn funny, I wish I had thought of them. Come to think of it, The Roomie and I spent many a college night dreaming up ideas for funny tee shirts. Usually, I would coin some clever catch phrase possibly relevant to our college (but not necessarily). So many so that we had contemplated a side business. I highly doubt we could compete with 6 dollar tee shirts.


Being called a rat isn't always the worst thing. Not when someone accuses you of being a gym rat. That means you've infested the place, taken up residence there. Hopefully not spreading disease or pestilence. True to my nature I always need something to train for. This time it's a destination wedding in Jamaica. But it's really more than that. Young Brad Pitt is my inspiration. I was delighted to learn that we share the same body type, ectomorph. Naturally leaner, difficulty gaining muscle or weight, high metabolism. I had never realized how important it is to lift within your body type and be very specific about what your goal is. My goal is somewhere between Snatch and Troy. Very low body fat percentage. High reps, little to no rest. Pick a muscle group for the day and beat the hell out of it, then rest that muscle the rest of the week. That's cool, I've done similar style workouts before but this time I have an ace up my sleeve:

Food Control.

I've never in my life been this disciplined with respect to diet. I cringe even saying the word diet. My best friends have been chicken breast, steamed veggies, brown rice, protein bars and shakes, salmon, nuts and seeds.

I'm training like I have a chip on my shoulder, like I have something to prove. Of course there's the traditional motivations to be fit and healthy.  I want more.  I want to run people into the ground and destroy any competition.  I want to peak.  My friends and family have seen a little less of me and when we have get togethers I have to turn down their delicious pasta dishes.  I go to the gym and talk to no one. Put my white Nike hat and headphones on it's go time. Revamped the lifting mix with key tracks "Fucking in the bushes" by Oasis, (from the end scene in Snatch) "Flashing Lights" and "Amazing" by Kanye, and of course "Iron" by Woodkid.

A shame the only cardio I can do is interval training (more fat burning and less muscle wasting than traditional distance running). Set the treadmill at 11mph running pace and 6.5mph rest. It's tough but no more so than some of the sprint workouts I'm going to put myself through this summer.

To get pumped I've watched Rocky movies, Snatch, and Troy.  The character of achilles is so badass and cocky.  He could easily back up   If ever I'm feeling sluggish or unmotivated I keep shirtless pictures of Brad Pitt on my iPhone.

Yeah, kinda weird.  Works though.