Rob Murphy

Week starting Aug 03, 2014

Previous WeekRecent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesRob Murphy's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageMonth ViewYear View
Graph View
Next Week
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

Salt Lake City,

Member Since:

Feb 11, 2010

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

I had some success in high school and college. Winner 1985 Rod Dixon Run 

Had a fair amount of success as a Masters runner for most of my 40s. 

Short-Term Running Goals:

Have fun with running, explore more trails, stay healthy.

Long-Term Running Goals:

Keep running and racing consistently for as long as I can. Find what is sustainable for me over the long run.

Personal:

I teach AP European History and other courses at Alta High School. I coached the track and cross country teams at Alta for 16 years.

Married, two kids - Abby and Andy

My Twitter  @murphy_rob

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 11.50 Month: 121.75 Year: 375.97
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
40.500.000.002.5043.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00Calories: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.000.000.000.004.00

AM: Super easy four around Sugar House Park. 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00Calories: 0.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Nada. Too sore.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00Calories: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.000.000.000.008.00

AM: Easy eight around Sugar House Park. Quads are still really sore.

I thought I'd jot down a few ideas about the mental fatigue, burnout, and general lack of enthusiasm that inflicts all runners from time to time and leads some to quit the sport in favor of a more sedentary lifestyle or, God forbid, CrossFit. I know this happens because of the number of people that come and go on this blog.

I've been running more or less consistently since I was in 7th grade. That's 1977 if you're interested. I have not approached the sport with the same enthusiasm for the entire time but I can honestly say that there has never been a time when being a runner wasn't a big part of my identity. At this point in my life (almost fifty), I can't even contemplate a life without running. "Runner" has become such a big part of who I am that giving up on running would seem like giving up on Rob Murphy.

However, I have experienced dozens of funks, let downs, and periods of waning enthusiasm....oops, have to go to the dentist now....more later....

OK, I'm back with no cavities! None for thirty-eight years.

I'm going to call this list "how to stick with running for a lifetime".

 

1. Become a little vain about your appearance but not nauseatingly so. A hatred of fat is a powerful motivator.

2. Stick with it long enough and run enough mileage so it becomes easy. Each individual run for me is easier and less of a struggle when I'm running 70 mpw as opposed to 30.

3. Pay attention to small aches and pains and do something about them.

4. We only get long term satisfaction from an activity if we pursue it the right way. You have to discover your own right way. A lame, half assed, approach to anything will soon be abandoned.

5. People who run just for health and fitness don't last as long as those who race.

6. Most of your mileage should be slow and easy.

7. When you feel a lack of motivation that lasts more than a day or two, evaluate your diet and sleep habits.

8. Always ask yourself if you can add a new element to your training. 

9. Have running friends who motivate you.

10. Don't be afraid to take a day or a year off. If you plan to run for 40 years you will not be able to maintain the same intensity forever. Don't beat yourself up for this.

12. Turn 40.

13. Read good running books. There aren't many and the best book about running from a motivational perspective hasn't been written. There are a lot of good ones, no great one.

14. Subscribe to the print edition of Running Times or Trail Runner. It's arrival in your mail box will be a motivator.

15. Cultivate a relationship with a local running store rather than buying most of your gear on line. Buying new running stuff makes you want to run.

16. Find a new running route.

18. Get into nature as much as possible even if you don't see yourself as a trail runner.

19. Keep your ego in check. Don't be afraid to race when you aren't 100% ready. It's good for you.

20. Sometimes you have to be satisfied with being 80% fit.

21. Visualization is a powerful tool. Try to spend some time re-living your best running experiences and visualizing your goals.

22. Be a running tourist. Race when you are in a new town.

Lots of smart, experienced runners on this blog. Feel free to add to the list.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00Calories: 0.00
Comments(26)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.000.000.000.0011.00

Eleven miles with my team up at Alta. Beautiful and un-crowded today. Double Moose sighting again.

PM: 2.5 mile walk up to Maverick and back with Abby and Andy to get a gallon of milk and popsicles. Talked mostly about gravity, space travel, and favorite movies.

 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00Calories: 0.00
Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.500.000.000.0010.50

On the Alta track with 7 flying 40s.

PM: 4.25 miles in 33 minutes around the neighborhood.

Only one week of summer left. I went down to the basement to rummage through my CD's. I have a lot of CD's. CD's and books, that's what I buy. I actually have more than I can listen to and every now and then I feel guilty about neglecting old CD's so I head down to the basement with an armload of ones I've been listening to for a while and bring up a new armload. This is what I do during the summer months. Here's the ones I dredged up today...

Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash - The Replacements

The Promised Land - The Del McCrory Band

Tell Tale Signs : The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 - Bob Dylan

Especially For You - The Smithereens

Wasting Light -The Foo Fighters

American Recordings - Johnny Cash

At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash

The Late Great Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt

Trace - Son Volt

Georgia Satellites - Georgia Sattelites

Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

Fables of the Reconstruction - REM

Timeless - A bunch of people I like singing Hank Williams songs.

Train A Comin' - Steve Earle

Vitalogy - Pearl Jam

All Shook Down - The Replacements

Damn the Torpedoes - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Baby One More Time - Britney Spears

 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00Calories: 0.00
Comments(7)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.000.000.002.509.50

AM: 3 mile walk with Abby and Andy to Chick-fil-a and back for breakfast. Ran into Jake Krong on the way. If you haven't checked out his blog you should. jkrong.fastrunningblog.com  :-)

Watching the news now. The world is going to hell.

PM Workout: 87 degrees, sunny, blah!

4 mile warm-up.

5 X 800 in 2:53, 2:51, 2:47, 2:41, 2:37. Quarter mile walk/jog interval. Ran these totally by feel with no goal times. Only looked at watch when finished. The only one I strained on was #5 which kinda hurt at the end.

2 mile cool down at 8:30 pace.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00Calories: 0.00
Comments(13)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
40.500.000.002.5043.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00Calories: 0.00
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):
Recent Comments: