Running and The Endless Summer

I've never surfed but I've always felt that competitive runners are very similar in outlook to hardcore surfers. The movie above, The Endless Summer, is one of my favorite documentaries ever. It follows a group of guys in the 1960s who travel the world looking for the perfect wave. Runners are always seeking the perfect race where the temperature is just right, the course is fast and flat and the field is deep. To use a surfing analogy, the March waves were a little choppy for me. I had a really good 5 mile race at the beginning of the month but didn't get the fast 5K I was hoping for. It was unseasonably hot on St. Patrick's Day and the course was tougher than expected and the race in New Orleans was, well, in New Orleans. 80 plus temps are never ideal for a race, but the post-race party certainly made up for it.

Next up for me is a 5K on April 7 and a 10K on April 14. I'm feeling pretty good though as I'm getting older I've become really in tune with what works for me and what doesn't. I seem to respond really well to tempo workouts and semi-frequent races, but intervals always seem to set me way back. Light fartlek type workouts seem to help though. Last summer I was doing stuff like 10 x 1 minute on / 1 minute off in the middle of longer runs and that seemed to get the wheels moving enough without killing myself on the track.

As for the rock 'n' roll part of this blog, I've bought some new CDs by the Lost Rivers and Strawberry Whiplash that are amazing so I'll add some reviews soon.

Below is a song called "Endless Summer" by one of my favorite groups ever, Honeyrider: