 |
| A quiet track. Just how I like it. |
Took a nice light jog and dynamic warm-up from my house to the high school track (about a mile).
My goal for this tempo run was to prove to myself that I could be 'better than the last mile'. I like this concept because when you think you've just pushed yourself as hard as you could go, you end up surprising yourself. In any run I do, unless I warm-up for about 40 minutes, my first few miles are my slowest. I can't seem to get out of that rut, but luckily for me, I typically have many miles after to make up the time.
Here is how my 'Better than the Last Mile' run went:
My legs were pretty heavy and still a bit sore from Tuesday's workout, but I pushed through this one nicely. After yelling at myself at mile 2 for not being better than my last mile, I proved to myself I am a lot faster than I sometimes lead myself to believe. Strangely enough, my body feels in most control and comfortable around the 7:10 pace, but my conditioning and strength is not there yet to maintain that pace for a distance run. This is what I strive for though.
Friday:
Nice long stretch (2x) and rest.
Hello 20 Mile Saturday:
Woke up at 5am to eat, foam roll, and stretch before traveling about 30 minutes to an entrance for the Montour Trail. This was my first time on the course, and I must say, it is beautiful. At that hour it was not crowded, very quiet and peaceful, and tons of restrooms. To be sure I hit my 20 mile mark, I ran 10 miles away so I had to complete the 10 miles back to my car.
It was tough. The first 14 miles I felt great. 16 and 17 were so-so, but when I hit 18 I mentally was challenged. My legs ached, I was out of water, and I had entered the part of the trail where the trees no longer shaded the course. I promised myself I would slow down, but not stop. The final mile was off the actual trail, at a conjunction that led to Peter's Park. I downed a Gatorade and banana at the finish and luckily my boyfriend lives close enough that he came to drive me home.
Positives:
- I mentally conquered that run. My mind drove me further than my legs would have on their own.
- I tested out my race outfit to be sure there was no rubbing, and it was comfortable. Loved it. I was apprehensive trying the Nike Epic Run Boyshort, but they didn't move the entire run. They were less restrictive and fit my body type better than typical running shorts.
- I found a new trail I will definitely take more advantage of in the future.
Enjoy your training!
On your left
No comments:
Post a Comment