After Monday's run and condensed leg workout at the gym, we took Tuesday off as planned. Wednesday morning we headed out to the track. We were scheduled for a 3 mile run, which we completed in 31:06, a 10:13 pace. Felt pretty good! (for 4am :) )
On Friday I met Christi at the gym at lunch for 20 min of interval training. We were informed that the course for the Half is deceptively hilly, so we decided to shift the focus for the day from speed drills to hill intervals.
Ideally we would have done 30 minutes, but we were a bit condensed for time.
5 minute warm-up, 6mph (10 minute pace)
2 min at 4% incline
2 min recovery run
2 min at 5% incline
2 min recovery run
2 min at 6% incline
2 min recovery run
3 minute cool down run, 6mph
We both felt like we could definitely go longer, so the plan is to take it up to 7%, and then gradually drop down at 6%, 5% and 4% intervals. But it was a good start. I was able to maintain the same speed until I hit the 6% mark, and then I dropped down to 5.5mph.
Hills can make or break a runner. They are often a runner's downfall, especially if they train regularly in flat terrain, like we do here in the desert. However, I was incredibly inspired when I watched the 2012 Olympics, when Stephen Kiprotich used a hill to take the lead over his opponents and won the gold medal in 2:08:01 (by the way, that is almost 30 minutes faster than my HALF marathon finish time last year...lol). It was AMAZING to watch as his opponents slowed down and he used that moment to propel himself forward in order to maintain the lead for the rest of the race. It's something I will never forget and want to be able to utilize that technique in the future. (Not that I'm racing anyone, but you know what I mean...)
Back to training...
Saturday was supposed to be cross-training. I had a very busy day scheduled and was going to be gone for the majority of it, and then we were hosting a BBQ that night. I had hoped to get my cross-training in on Friday night (Zumba) but I didn't make it in time. Saturday, I was really tired (got home late) so I didn't get up extra early, so my cross-training was a loss for the day. To top it off, I made poor food and drink decisions throughout the day and got very little sleep, so my Sunday morning run was not only slow, but I felt nauseous the entire time. Not exactly ideal circumstances. To make matters worse, our 5 mile downtown run got shifted due to time constraints, so we decided to run 2 miles to the gym, run 2 miles there, and run 1 mile back. When we got to the gym, it was closed, so we ended up looping around. We only completed 4.34 miles instead of the 5, which is better than nothing, but not the full mileage we were supposed to complete. I was very disappointed because even though we were both tired, I was feeling especially bad, and it was mainly self inflicted. I should have been more focused, more hydrated, and insisted on going to sleep earlier. Oh, and I should have skipped the red wine.
When you are not feeling up to par, at least for me, and you lose sight of your running map, it mentally is hard to stay focused. I like to know where I am running and how much farther I have to go in these moments. Since we didn't have that, it was not the most successful run we've had. 4.34 miles in 48:06, an 11:04 minute pace.
I think the most discouraging thing was that it hadn't been that hard in a long time. It was a reality check. However, I think it was just what I needed to snap me back into shape:
- I need to sleep more.
- I need to hydrate more.
- I need to stay focused.
- I need to stop eating things that I am supposed to avoid, because my food intolerance and IBS just can't handle it.
- I have to remember the fun. :)
This about sums it up:
:)
No comments:
Post a Comment