The Zone

     Have you every gone for a run with a distinct mileage goal in mind, and realize when you finish you have gone further than you planned?  I know this happens to more than me.  I was running the other day with a goal of three miles before PT (physical training) then three miles with cross training during PT.  This was an easily obtained goal in my eyes.  This week the temps have been horrible for running any time of day never mind the beautiful humidity of the western KY/TN border land.  So I started my first part at around 0445 and 4 1/2 miles later I was finished with part one.  I did not realize I had run that far or the pace I was going.  I kind of went into the zone and just pushed forward with it. 

     I went and got my PT uniform out and ran to my office to change before our morning meeting and the start of the day.  I drank down some refreshing HEED took some notes reset my watch and was ready to take my platoon on our Cross training day.  Right face, double time march!!  We were off just jogging at first then for the next 1.5 miles I had a guest want to speak to me so we went out at at 6:30 pace it was awesome talking and running then realizing the Platoon was way back so we had to double back and scoop them up.  I did not care it felt great to run that free and talk at the same time again.  We then started doing push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, crunches, sit-ups and some squat thrusts for about twenty minutes.  The energy was awesome everyone was pushing each other to go harder and do more.  

     Once the muscle break was over the run started again for about 3/4 of a mile then we hit the ropes.  You know you have always had the urge to climb ropes when you were running we just happened to find some to climb on our route.  The four ropes hung about 4o feet into the air off of a beam it was beautiful.  All of the platoon members ponied up and climbed them.  It is a thrill to be up that high hanging on just by what you can (hands and legs).  Then it was a short jaunt to a crazy looking area with lines painted in it, most people call these parking lots, we use them as the urban gymnasium.  Sprints were in order so after 8 x 100 and 4 x 200 we were ready to pack it in and head back the last 3/4 of a mile to cooling down and awaiting the rest of our day.  

     We all had been to the pinnacle of the zone which for us is "war".  We all now just found ourselves in a physical war of one upsmanship which created an awesome "zone" to train in.  By the end of the 12 who started 4 had left everything on the field and the other 8 were not far behind them.  It was a great training day which I eclipsed my goal of 6 total miles to hit almost 9. 

     Some times the zone is not peer to peer competition but it is an inner competitor that pushes us all forward. 

     What puts you in the ZONE?

Oh yeah all of the HEED was gone by the end of it all.