tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post8032985716464875399..comments2023-11-28T01:29:02.955-08:00Comments on Run Away Fast: Dealing with stressJaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-23113286214828570042012-03-28T02:08:52.064-07:002012-03-28T02:08:52.064-07:00Oh, one thing I forgot to mention - speaking of re...Oh, one thing I forgot to mention - speaking of replaying the negative work movie 24/7 - breathing exercises/meditations totally helped me with that. <br /><br />Good luck!!heatherhttp://runharrietrun.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-31296420151912483822012-03-26T02:06:23.478-07:002012-03-26T02:06:23.478-07:00On the stress issue, for myself, if I'm going ...On the stress issue, for myself, if I'm going through a particularly stressful period at work, I balance that out by adjusting my running (not ideal if running is a priority!). I stop 'stressful' running (intervals for example) and do aerobic running.<br /><br />I think you're right about the brain making the difference between the two workouts. Physiologically it doesn't make sense for the tempo to be no faster. East Africans commonly use surges in Championship races but would never run that way if attempting a world record (even pacing reigns supreme). I'd be surprised if HR data for the fartlek session was 'better' than for the tempo run. Average HR would have to be lower for the tempo but it might just feel harder if it's a workout you don't enjoy or look forward to.Ewenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01093209634556111656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-31643618840747269372012-03-25T11:55:20.011-07:002012-03-25T11:55:20.011-07:00Ah, Heather, thank you for reminding me of the mos...Ah, Heather, thank you for reminding me of the most important coping mechanism: humor. I must admit that I want to be a robot. I really do. Your advice is very helpful--amplify the good stuff in my life so it overwhelms the work crap. That will probably help me eschew constantly replaying the negative work movie in my head during my non-working hours. Thanks!<br /><br />It seems like speeding up and slowing down is less efficient from a physiological standpoint, so the answer has to have something to do with the brain. I think you make a good point about the effect of distance. I bet there's probably a range of distances where it works pretty well. I think it would likely not be a good choice for anything shorter than a 5k and maybe not longer than a 10-13 miler. It would be kind of fun to give it a try in a race. If nothing else, it would have a psychological impact on the competition!Jaymeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-63802344613286514012012-03-25T04:26:10.064-07:002012-03-25T04:26:10.064-07:00Ooh, so many interesting questions. First of all, ...Ooh, so many interesting questions. First of all, on the work thing - been there, done that (my old workplace was like junior high for the over-30 crowd. Awful awful working environment. My stomach turns just thinking about it), but not sure I would recommend my approach to dealing. I adapted a multi-step approach, namely: 1. shut off all visible emotional response between 9 and 5, remain vaguely friendly and neutral, adopt mantra "I am a robot"; 2. mercilessly mock the people involved in a series of scathing emails and Dorothy Parker-esque Facebook posts the rest of the time.<br /><br />It sucks, and I have no doubt your immune system and running were both affected by it. Seriously, my best advice is find as much joy as you can elsewhere and try not to dwell on the work situation too much. Really helpful. . . <br /><br />And this tempo vs fartlek question is very interesting! I wonder if speeding up and slowing down is ultimately less efficient, kind of a waste of energy, but maybe this effect only becomes noticeable over longer distances?heatherhttp://runharrietrun.comnoreply@blogger.com