It was hot out yesterday and I spent about 10 seconds wondering if I really wanted to run. After 10 seconds I just stopped thinking about it and went.
MON RUN!
Scheduled: 15 min warm-up, 20 min Half-Marathon Pace Tempo, 15 min cool-down.
Distance: 6 miles total.
Breakdown: 11 min. (1.5 mi) warm-up, 20 min. (3 miles exactly) tempo- see notes below, 12 min. (1.5 mi) cool-down.
Tempo Pace: 6:36 min/mi
Notes: I WENT TOO FAST. This is why I hate tempo runs. I don’t know how to do them. I just try to go as fast as I can but then it always ends up that I can never hold that pace for the duration required. So I held strong for the first 10 minutes at which point I REALLY wanted to stop. I just felt tired and completely spent. TEN MINUTES! GAH! But I kept going and I tried to focus on stepping again and again. And I had my music going, too, which helped… somewhat. The course was mostly flat except for a hill at the 4:00 minute mark (and then the matching downhill after, phew). So here is what happened next. From 10-16 minutes I pushed through the feeling and I kept checking my watch… another minute had gone by… only a minute?!
And then… At the 16:00 minute mark I HAD TO STOP. I felt like such a failure but I had a cramp that had gotten worse and worse and so I just stopped. I took 1 minute to breathe and just gather myself. And then I picked right back up and finished the 20 minutes. After that short stop I had a little more strength and pushed hard to the end, but the fact that I stopped really frustrates me because I need to be teaching my body to speed UP and be STRONG at the end of my runs.
I am not letting this get me down, though, and I am glad I finished it out. I recovered pretty quickly and only took an extra minute to run the cool-down (without pushing myself too hard), and my legs felt tired but not terrible.
Okay… so that was that.
I had an enjoyable rest of my evening, feeling at least a little bit accomplished having FACED the tempo run. I went over to hang out with Elliot and his roomies. Elliot made us a terrific salmon-veggie stir-fry and we watched the end of Running The Sahara (it was on TV) which always renews my running fire. SERIOUSLY if you haven’t seen it… DO IT.
Today is a rest day. Tomorrow is an easy 5-miler and then I have some Yasso 800s to do on Thursday.
This morning I got up and did some core! I officially feel IN THE GROOVE with this.
Here’s what I did, changing it up just a little bit:
1-minute plank
30-sec each side plank
Pyramid crunch-set
1-minute plank
30-sec each side plank
Pyramid crunch-set
1-minute plank
30-sec each side plank
15 pushups
I actually got pretty sweaty today! Ew! So I jumped in the shower just to rinse off. I wear my hair up to work most days so I didn’t have to do my hair.
I came in to work feeling ready for the day. Which of course, is always good.
I hope you are having a good day!
13 comments:
i am finding that my planks and push ups get me sweaty too, so i guess it's a good workout!
Hey the temp out are about not going all out so next time get a goal like try to run the 1st 2 miles at 7:00 mile pace and the thir one try to push you have to learn to pace your self
have a great day
Tami- WE ARE DOING AWESOME. thanks so much for doing this with me!!!! 15 in a row this week!!
Eric- i just left you a message on your blog, but THANK YOU so much for this idea. i think it is a MUCH better approach. i need a garmin to gauge my pace mid-run, but shooting for 7 min/mi for the first part of the run and then trying to speed up sounds like a much more realistic and beneficial workout!!!! i am going to do this next time.
Hey Lacey,
I'm the same way with tempos. Actually, that 6:36 pace sounds about the pace I would be required to do for a tempo. I AGREE with Eric, the only way I get anything out of a tempo run is working into it, like a 3 mile tempo run where the first two miles are 7:20-7:15 minute pace and the last mile is sub-7 and cruising. Granted, I guess tempos are supposed to be what a race feels like, but most races we start out too fast and then try to hang on. I like to progress to fast instead of starting out too fast and then dyyyyiinnngg.
I started doing push ups and sit ups each night because of you. We'll see how long it lasts, but I'm planning to hang on as long as you do. :o)
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i would love to run the marathon together, i'll come down or meet you some place for a few long runs...it's going to be a challenge...26.2 is a looooong way
I have that problem with tempo runs, too. Actually, with most runs with any sort of purposes - I go too fast. UGH! Way to stick with it at an incredible pace!
Nice AM core workout, too!
I'm not smart enough to send an e-mail with a comment response, so I'll just reply here. :o)
I only eat raspberry Hammer Gels. (Or triberry Gu in a pinch.) The thought of non-fruit gels gives me the heeby jeebies. Everyone is like, "mint chocolate is like cake batter!" Which would be awesome if I was standing at my counter making cupcakes licking the spatula. Not so much running. I had a vanilla Gu once accidently and it was pure frosting. Again, delish if I had a cupcake, but not so much parched and exhausted.
Although, now I'm kind of thinking I do want some cupcakes...
Hey lacey - don't give up on the tempo runs yet. What pace are you trying to run your half marathon at?? Get back to me and we will talk so you can start loving tempo runs!
a 6:36 tempo?! wheewwww girl no wonder you were so tired! You'll get the hang of it though, and knowing you, you'll reach that 6:36 tempo pace soon enough!
seriously, I'll say this over and over - I love our morning core challenge/whatever! LOVE IT. Even in the hotel room, I plopped right down and did my pushups. Skipped the plank today because I was still half asleep when I decided to finallyyyy get out of bed (jet lag for an hour time difference? no way...). :)
Sorry you had a not so good run. Tempos are tough, but I love them!
I think that sounds like a pretty productive day! Don't be discouraged by your run. I think you did great!! One step at a time. And you did ten times better than I would have done!
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