The success or failure of a training buildup can swing on small decisions. Knowing when to back off pace a bit. The right time to force a workout, and when to ditch it. When to dig deep and reach a breakthrough, and when to avoid injury and be able to run well on future days.
This week gave me three chances to practice listening to my body and deciding which tact to take.
Tuesday is track day, but when my alarm went off at 4:50 a.m., getting up and putting in some hard effort laps at the local high school felt impossible. I didn’t want to get out of bed, and I certainly didn’t want to do a workout.
Somehow I rolled out of bed and got ready for track. But when I arrived, there was no HOTV workout index card. Usually there is a posted workout at the start/finish line. But our workout leader was absent, and so was the card.
I decided to warm up and see if anyone else had the assignment for the week. At the end of my warmup comes my predictable trip to the bathroom. But all of the doors were locked. Another chance for me to bail on the day and go back home to bed.
Instead, I extended my warmup to the closest park to use its bathroom, then returned and did my own workout. I picked easy-to-remember units (4 X 400m, 2 X800m, 4X400m) and knocked it out. I went from not wanting to show up at all, wanting to go back home with no workout posted and no bathroom available, to feeling good about some track laps.
Thursday was tempo day, and I wasn’t able to start it until around 9:30 a.m. It was quite hot. So I decided to run where I could find the most shade possible and back off the pace significantly.
I ended up running a little quicker than I thought was possible in the heat and surprised myself. Starting the workout knowing I wouldn’t hit the paces I wanted to allowed me to relax into the workout. I backed off and still recorded some solid miles (4X1.5 at tempo pace).
Saturday was long-run day for the week. The heat and quick miles from earlier in the week made my legs heavy and tight. Very quickly I realized I wouldn’t be able to continue my month-long streak of lowering my long-run pace weekly.
So I focused on the distance instead of the pace. Halfway through, I didn’t know if I would be able to finish. So I told myself I would walk if I had to, but I was going to finish my planned mileage.
Something changed in the final five miles. I had been dragging. Each mile felt uphill, and my feet like lead weights. But then, my turnover quickened a bit. I felt a little breeze. And I closed with my five fastest miles. Still much slower than I will need to be each mile for my September race, but I got a mental boost from not quitting.
I don’t know if I will hit my goal in Washington in five weeks. It’s possible I’m not even close. But if I can pull it off, weeks like this past one will be crucial. I chose to show up and then adjusted based on an objective evaluation of how my body felt.
Just a few more hot weeks to go.
Weekly log
Monday: 8 miles easy around town; 7 miles easy double.
Tuesday: 7-mile track workout with 4X400m, 2X800m, 4X400m with 200m recoveries; 8 miles easy double.
Wednesday: 3 miles easy for a recovery day.
Thursday: 13-mile workout with 4X1.5 miles at tempo pace with 1-mile recoveries; 4 miles easy with the HOTV social crew.
Friday: 6 miles easy.
Saturday: 23-mile long run with final 5 miles slightly quicker.
Sunday: 5 miles easy for recovery.
Weekly total: 85 miles.
Boston Beard 2024 week 7 highlights: Recording another week with two workouts and a long run, putting together a playset for my daughter (with a ton of help from my community group), watching the Olympics with my family (especially the track events).
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