TITLE: Forming a New Old Habit
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: February 26, 2007  6:00 PM
DESC: 
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BODY:
I've been frustrated in the last week by my inability to run.

After finally
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2007-02.html#e2007-02-12T19_27_06.htm">
   recovering from my downtime</A>,
I worked in a week of 3-milers, and then flew to Arizona for
ChiliPLoP.  In Carefree, I was able to run twice, extending
my time on the road in an effort to rebuild stamina.    While
I wasn't quite ready to
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2006-04.html#e2006-04-14T09_06_48.htm">
   circle Black's Mountain</A>
yet, I was able to enjoy the beautiful terrain of the February
desert.  The hills made it a bit difficult for me to estimate
distance from my times, but I did manage to run for 43 and 41
minutes, respectively.

Then came the frustration.  After the second of my Carefree
runs, I lost a few days to the last day of the conference and
the travel home.  I'm willing to run under crazy circumstances,
but driving home until 3 AM makes it tough to run at 5 AM...
Then I caught up on work and sleep for a couple of days.  Just
as I was ready to run, we were hit by some inclement weather.
I've gone on record for
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2005-12.html#e2005-12-06T16_19_47.htm">
   running in the cold</A>,
but there is one kind of weather that causes me pause: ice.
Cold can be addressed with <EM>layers</EM> -- more and better
layers of clothing.  But a two-inch layer of ice, glassy and
transparent, is a whole different matter.  Even the most
dedicated runners have to adjust.

But I am ready to run again, so it will happen.  This morning,
I circumvented the ice by running indoors.  Sticking with my
plan for a slow and steady return, I ran only four miles and
did my best to avoid the speed-up that come almost naturally
when I am running short laps in the presence of others.

Establishing new habits, even ones that used to be old habits,
takes time.  Running offers a physical reminder of this, via
sore muscles and fatigue.  But with time, the habit returns
to match the desire to run.
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