I had two notable runs last week. One was good, one was BAD! You can read about the good one here. But of course you want to know about the bad, right!? If so, keep reading!!!
**Note: If the font size is all whacked out, I am sorry. I tried to fix it to no avail. If some parts are bigger than others, it was not my intention!**
For me, the anticipation of a race pace run is scarier than the actual run. I have run many race pace runs over the past several months and all of them went really well. I never missed my paces and they all felt like just the right amount of a challenge.
So on Saturday morning, when I was a little apprehensive to start my run, I reminded myself that in the past (most recently last weekend) all my race pace runs were fine. The hardest part was simply getting my butt out the door and doing it.
Guys, getting my butt out the door was the easiest part of my run on Saturday. Everything else was HARD!
I warmed up by running two miles. I didn't look down at my Garmin at all, but I felt a tiny bit sluggish. Nothing crazy... pretty normal for a warm up. As my Garmin beeped my second mile, I reset it and kicked it into gear. The goal was to run 6 miles at a 7:15 pace.
I was about 1/3 of a mile into my first pace mile when I knew that this run wasn't just going to be tough, it was going to be REALLY tough. My legs were so tired and felt heavy. It felt like I had already run ten miles on them! For the first time during a race pace run, I wondered if I would hit my marks. Should I even try? I just could not picture the run going well.
Somehow I finished the first mile and convinced myself to do another. After two miles, I knew if I busted out one more I could say at least I did half of my workout. This sounds dramatic, but with every step, I had to make the decision to take one more.
I just could not believe how difficult it was! A week before, I had run 5 miles at race pace pretty effortlessly. This was just not my day.
Mind game after mind game allowed me to complete all six miles. They weren't all exactly on pace, but that averaged out to 7:14 per mile- exactly what I ran last week. I was SO HAPPY I DID NOT GIVE UP!
Warm Up: 9:29, 8:12
Race Pace: 7:15, 7:18, 7:12, 7:23, 7:10, 7:02
Cool Down: 8:00, 8:02
The cool down was rough. That was the longest two miles ever. I really just wanted to skip it but I didn't. I walked for 10 minutes after as well and got in a good stretching session.
Thank goodness that workout is behind me! Hopefully next week I have a better race pace run!
That sounds like a really tough workout! I have definitely had runs like that where every step is a struggle. Usually it takes me a few miles to get into a workout and then I end up surprising myself in the end.
ReplyDeleteThat's sort of what I was telling myself- just one more, maybe I will get warmed up? Hehe. And I sort of did, I got a little speedier at the end.
DeleteWow--that is awesome. You didn't give up and you hit your goal pace! I am proud of you. I will never know why some runs feel so damn hard. I try to figure it out and there is just no doing it (unless it's obvious like you didn't get good sleep or you ate something that isn't loving you back...). I think, besides injury, that is one of the most frustrating things about running. But at least we all go through it and it's totally normal. That is what I always tell myself when I have a crappy run (which was last Saturday).
ReplyDeleteIt is so true, crappy runs are inevitable. I try to share the truly crappy ones with yas all so everyone knows it's not all sunshine and roses over here!
DeleteI know your readers appreciate that because as we have crappy runs or things that come up that might hinder our training we know we are not in this alone. It does happen to everyone, even the most badass runners, like you! A few blogs I read and I think "wow, they have great runs all the time and never deal with anything negative". Then you start to go into comparison mode if you aren't careful! Plus when you share the bad, your readers share their bad and hopefully it puts your mind at ease, too! I love this community you have built, Megan!
DeleteOh yeah comparison mode sucks. Paces are all relative, but we all have good and bad runs. It's better to feel like we're all in this together!
DeleteFor such a tough run, you did great!
ReplyDeleteI've had the font issue with Blogger too! Seems like it has a mind of its own sometimes. Sometimes I just scrap the whole thing and start from scratch.
Yeah I get the random weird font thing. So frustrating! Oh well, it keeps my readers on their toes, I guess!?
DeleteThank you, Wendy!
I always find that the first interval is the hardest whether it's a race pace run or a set of 800s. You'd think it would be the easiest because of fresh legs, but it's always my toughest grind and my slowest "fast" pace.
ReplyDeleteThe mental toughness that you gained from hammering out that run when all you wanted to do was quit is the strength that will push you into the PR zone. YEAH BAYBEEE! You did it.
Good point, this was totally a MENTAL run!! :)
DeleteI have yet to find a rhyme or reason. It's weird!
ReplyDeleteMan, I know this feeling. We ALL do. But sometimes the mental battle of getting through a run that just isn't fun and sucks is what makes us strong enough to conquer the next one, or the goal race. Way to stick to it!
ReplyDeleteThis run felt like BDR minus the cramping.
DeleteIt is true that sometimes running is mostly mental!
ReplyDeleteFor sure!
DeleteYOU DID IT. That's so freaking awesome. It's so easy to "excuse" yourself on tough runs but fighting through is the real win. The race will have its tough miles and your training yourself for it! Way to go!
ReplyDelete*you're (that was gonna bug me ;) )
DeleteThanks Helly!
DeleteYour last two miles were under goal pace! Especially the final one!
ReplyDeleteI had a run like that last week where I just thought, "there's no way in hell this is happening" and then when I was only half a mile away from being done I had a surge of energy. I think this proves how mental running can be. So many times it feels like we might not make it another step and then we finish with a really fast mile. I mean... how? why? Ugh! (but ugh in a good way, haha).
Because we are sooooo excited to be done! :) I think that is what it is for me, anyway. :)
DeleteI've always maintained that pace runs really aren't about your splits at all - it's about learning how to pace yourself and tolerate a certain level of discomfort. So in that sense, this "bad run" becomes more of a success story. The whole point of training is about overcoming challenges. It's easy to feel discouraged when a certain workout feels harder than normal, but you don't make fitness gains from workouts that feel like a cake walk. If all your pace runs felt good then that would mean your goal is too easy!
ReplyDeleteWell that's a good point! Honestly, all my pace runs for my 1/2 seems not too challenging... and then I SUCKED at my half. So maybe the fact that this run was a little tougher means the race will be easier. ;)
DeleteGreat job on both your runs. When I am in a marathon struggling through the last bit I always think about the crappy runs I had and that if I can get through those I can get through the race. Even though it sucks at the time I feel like they still make us stronger.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that reminder!
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