Rule of Thirds

Waking up before 3:00 AM isn't all that unusual. Actually starting the run before 4 is. Such a feat used to occur more often; I even had a slogan for it: Out the door before four. Alas, it's been a while. Today, however, a long run on Lester Rail Trail was the goal, and for some reason,  the earlier the better. Exactly what reason is that, you ask? Damned if I know. But it surely is nice to finish a long run and still have a good part of the day remaining for non-running activity.

Although I'm still getting my mileage in, this week hasn't been as good as the last one. After suffering from sinus issues for a few weeks, I had finally came out of it last week and began to run well again. And then this week happened. Our wonderful grandsons brought/conveyed to us some nice Middle-School germs that we weren't used to. And Bob's Your Uncle, we were sick all over again. All the germs tend to take their toll on my running. Therefore, this week was another not-so-good one.

But today would be different, I hoped. I started slow, but the pace improved when I was joined at 5:00 AM by two friends, and then again at 6 by two other friends. These guys and gals got me moving as the twelve-ish mile pace became nine-and-a-half--ish. Just what I needed. Although the total, overall pace never quite made it to sub-ten, it was a very good eighteen-mile run.

The best part? I learned something new: The Rule of Thirds. I'd heard the term before, but not in relation to running. And I kind of understood it intuitively, but it was good to hear about it from my running partner.

The rule of thirds in running is a guideline that states that when pursuing a big goal, you should feel good about a third of the time, okay a third of the time, and crappy a third of the time. If the ratio of your feelings is roughly in this range, then you're doing fine.

The rule of thirds can help you:

• Shift your perspective: It can help you realize that okay days are part of the process of growth and are not something to shrug off.
• Find the right balance: It can help you find the right balance between pushing too hard and not enough.
• Identify burnout: If you're having too many crappy days, it might be a sign of burnout approaching.
• Look back over your progress: It can be useful for looking back over your progress.

Generally, the rule of thirds can be applied to other areas of life, such as relationships and jobs.  

For me, I plan to do my best to guide my running such that my good days are for big efforts like race days, my okay days are for a great deal of my everyday running, with the crappy days interspersed in there. Again, I (and probably most runners) do know this intuitively, but it's good to recognize it and to be conscious of it.