Lessons From The Garden

Sitting in my backyard these days may be hazardous to your health. We have two large apple trees that we've neglected to prune, and this year is a bumper crop for apples. The unsuspecting guest is liable to get an apple to the head, especially when the squirrels are having their lunch. It certainly makes outdoor dining more exciting.

This is a tiny, baby apple tree compared to the behemoths in my backyard.
Did I mention that I am not a very good gardener?

The abundance in my backyard has got me thinking though. Our running is much like a garden. We plant the seeds of desire, water our dream with our runs, fertilize with quality speed workouts, control pests with stretching and then harvest on race day. Our careful efforts can lead to fruitful output. Thankfully my running is in much better condition than the jungle I call my backyard.

A quick look around my "garden" leads to more insight. Water too frequently or not enough, and your plants start to suffer; run too often and you risk injury. Run too little and you'll make little progress. Plant too many seeds and your garden becomes a jungle - unmanageable, just as too many goals at once leads to poor training and performance. Neglect the fertilizer and your plants will not flourish, just as a lack of speed training will keep you in the slow zone. And beware those pests - preventive stretching helps stave off a host of injuries.

Gardening takes patience, something I find in short supply. I want beautiful, productive plants right now, with no effort, just as I secretly want a marathon PR just by wishing it so. But any experienced runner will tell you that these things take time. You have to run long many times before the body begins to make long term adaptations. Prime the soil, do the work. Growing your garden and your running does not happen in a day or even a month.

The Oregon Garden has been growing and developing for the past 13 years, but the tree that stands at the center of the garden has been maturing for over 400 years. Oregon's garden showpiece will continue to fill in and mature for many more years before it reaches its full glory. Joan Benoit Samuelson took over six years to achieve her marathon PR after her Boston debut in 1979. Running well and growing will take time, and we would do well to remember that. (That, and to not sit under the apple trees at my house!)

Are you being patient with your running? Are you nurturing it as you would your garden? Take one small step today to help your seeds of running grow.