for this entire week, my focus has been on today's run.
16 miles with 12 at marathon pace.
i knew it was going to be hard. and i was ready to give it everything i had. this was going to be one of those workouts that could give me a huge confidence boost. i was up for the challenge. the whole week i've been talking to myself...trying to psyche myself up.
this week i found the book "run the mind-body method of running by feel" by matt fitzgerald. i have to say, i loved this book. great read. tons of great information, with lots of research to back it up. it's all about trusting your gut and running/training by feel. for me, being so inexperienced, it's hard to know what would work for me as far as training plans and different types of runs, since i am so new to running. but he has tons of valuable information, even for a beginner.
he has a whole chapter devoted to "trying harder". must have read over that chapter 2 or 3 times. it seems most applicable to me right now. the last couple weeks i have been trying to run more by feel, really pushing myself, and trying not to be so attached to what Garmin says regarding pace/heart rate.
just going out and doing my best on every run.
love what the author says, "The capacity to tolerate suffering is as critical to success in running as are the various components of physical fitness."
"The runner who is serious about realizing his full potential in competition must suffer for the sake of suffering in training."
i think i've become too complacent in my training. yeah...i try hard..but i really don't feel like i wanna puke after my runs. i used to feel that way. when i first started running...before i could run a whole mile at one time, i remember feeling like my chest was going to explode when i was finished. i gradually built up my time on the treadmill, so that i was running 30 minutes, but at the end i was always exhausted. i always pushed myself. after a while of doing the 30 minutes, i added 15 minutes of intervals. after i finished those, on most days, i felt like i was going to puke. but it felt so good! i did that 5 days a week. i REALLY was pushing myself. somewhere along the way i stopped pushing myself so hard. yeah...i feel like i give it my all on my tempo runs...but that's about it. i use my recovery runs..well to recover..but the other runs...i run them easy.
i think i've become too complacent in my training. yeah...i try hard..but i really don't feel like i wanna puke after my runs. i used to feel that way. when i first started running...before i could run a whole mile at one time, i remember feeling like my chest was going to explode when i was finished. i gradually built up my time on the treadmill, so that i was running 30 minutes, but at the end i was always exhausted. i always pushed myself. after a while of doing the 30 minutes, i added 15 minutes of intervals. after i finished those, on most days, i felt like i was going to puke. but it felt so good! i did that 5 days a week. i REALLY was pushing myself. somewhere along the way i stopped pushing myself so hard. yeah...i feel like i give it my all on my tempo runs...but that's about it. i use my recovery runs..well to recover..but the other runs...i run them easy.
"exposing yourself to intense suffering-in a controlled and sensible way, of course-will increase the amount of suffering you can tolerate in races and thereby increase your sustainable speed."
"Scientific and real-world evidence suggests that athletes increase their tolerance for suffering by developing "mental coping" skills that make the misery of fatigue more tolerable during repeated exposure to suffering."
the author talks about how he uses the mantra "this is where you want to be" when he is running hard. he talks about how, in his suffering, he often wishes the experience to be overwith quickly, but uses this mantra to remember to stay in the moment.
so today during my run, that was my mantra too. i kept thinking about getting used to the pain...staying right there in that moment...the uncomfortable feeling of pushing myself. reminding myself that this is how it will feel during the marathon. my goal was to push the whole way. to not have any regrets at the end that i didn't give it my all. the goal was to go under 9:00 avg for the run.
i didn't accomplish my goal...was a few seconds over.
but i am VERY happy with my run. i pushed myself the WHOLE way. the whole 16 miles. i stayed in the moment...and pushed. kept saying...this is where i want to be...over and over. the last 3 miles, i really had to go to the bathroom, but nowhere to stop, so i just kept going. so other than the stomach issues, i wouldn't have changed anything about this run. felt great and i'm super happy with it.
here's the stats:
16.09 miles/2:26:19/avg HR 160/ avg pace 9:05
9:34 HR 149
9:10 HR 160
9:00 HR 161
8:52 HR 162
9:07 HR 162
8:50 HR 164
9:06 HR 162
9:00 HR 160
9:00 HR 161
9:00 HR 161
9:06 HR 159
9:11 HR 160
9:04 HR 159
9:11 HR 157
9:09 HR 160
9:12 HR 159
0:47(9:05) HR 157
note to self: "pain is good because it teaches your body and your soal to improve" -Lance Armstrong
so today during my run, that was my mantra too. i kept thinking about getting used to the pain...staying right there in that moment...the uncomfortable feeling of pushing myself. reminding myself that this is how it will feel during the marathon. my goal was to push the whole way. to not have any regrets at the end that i didn't give it my all. the goal was to go under 9:00 avg for the run.
i didn't accomplish my goal...was a few seconds over.
but i am VERY happy with my run. i pushed myself the WHOLE way. the whole 16 miles. i stayed in the moment...and pushed. kept saying...this is where i want to be...over and over. the last 3 miles, i really had to go to the bathroom, but nowhere to stop, so i just kept going. so other than the stomach issues, i wouldn't have changed anything about this run. felt great and i'm super happy with it.
here's the stats:
16.09 miles/2:26:19/avg HR 160/ avg pace 9:05
9:34 HR 149
9:10 HR 160
9:00 HR 161
8:52 HR 162
9:07 HR 162
8:50 HR 164
9:06 HR 162
9:00 HR 160
9:00 HR 161
9:00 HR 161
9:06 HR 159
9:11 HR 160
9:04 HR 159
9:11 HR 157
9:09 HR 160
9:12 HR 159
0:47(9:05) HR 157
note to self: "pain is good because it teaches your body and your soal to improve" -Lance Armstrong
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