You learn balance, you do good karate

They showed "The Karate Kid" on TV today. It's one of those movies you have seen a hundred times, but you still watch it. Maybe because Pat Morita has the best lines of any stereotypical old Japanese sensei- he is Gandalf, Dumbledore, and Miyagi the apartment super/mystic martial arts guru with the sense of humor. So he had this whole message about "balance".

Daniel-san- learn balance! You learn balance, you do good karate. First, learn balance!

It seems like balance is a good word for runners. Not just the physical inner-ear, stay-on-your-feet thing, but also mental balance, and the balance between overtraining and not pushing enough. It's the balance between my left gastroc muscles and my shins. I've finally figured out that if I don't adequately stretch my calves, my shins will hurt. It's the balance between continuing the run despite the pain in your knees, versus worrying about busting your knees and ending all chances of running that marathon in November. This is where I am now.

Last week was a good week- great long run, and awesome short runs during the week. This week was a bust. Got a little sick early in the week and missed a Monday run, then just plain too much work in the office to get any time to run. When I ran on the treadmill on Thursday night, I had to stop after 0.5 miles because of knee pain. I had to be content with biking on a gym machine for 20 minutes. So entering the Sat long run, I had exactly 0.5 miles for the week. Well, the long run started late, and it was Code Orange today - hot (105 deg F) and humid. Ed A. and I ran for 6.5 miles, and when I got to the car, I decided not to do another loop. Maybe that was the right thing to do - it was late, the sun was up, it was hot and sticky. Or maybe I should have pushed.

I wasn't sure what to do. I now feel behind- only 7 miles this week, and I am thinking of going for 6 miles tomorrow, just to feel better about myself. But is that too much? Where is the balance?

It sems to me that training for a marathon is about reaching new heights of fitness, muscle strength, endurance. But the path is not linear, and progress is not always continuous. Maybe it is about hitting a new steady-state, a higher plane each week, while still maintaining balance. Balance between stressing the legs and knees, and giving them enough time to adjust.

So maybe I'll run tomorrow and count it as miles for the week. Maybe I'm babying these knees too much. Or maybe I'm this close to wrecking my knees? Time for some balance, Daniel-san. Will let you know.