running is not as simple as putting one foot in front of the other... repeat as fast as the schedule prescribes. On Tuesday I was to run 10 miles with eight of those at MP. I start the first mile at a brisk 7:53. I feel a bit taxed but I blame it on "it" being the first mile. I am confident I will get to pace on the next mile. And so I did, 7:28. My lungs seem to be working a bit too hard for the pace. I would struggle on the next mile but manged to run it in 7:30. Alas, my body hit a wall; it shut down. I turn around instead of continuing to the five-mile turn-around point. I want to stop and walk. My upper body feels tired; it feels weak. I feel sorry for myself. I shuffle my way for the next three miles. At the end, I am dumbfounded. I don't know what happened. Had it been marathon day, I would have crashed and probably would not finish.
I am glad it happened during a training run.
My brilliant mind suggested I made up the missing six miles at MP the following day. The weather is cooler, 67F. It's a good opportunity to find out if it was the heat on Tuesday (although I had already discarded that idea as I have run faster times in similar conditions without bonking). I warm up for a mile. The MP portion will begin with the second mile. I run it on target, and I feel much better than the previous day. My breathing is more relaxed, not so my arms. I turn around at the four-mile point, and I have ran three miles at MP, but I am feeling tired. Not good. By the end of the fourth MP mile I "know" I can only do one more at this pace. Soon after this I have to stop altogether as I am gumption-less. What is up with me? Did I just go through exercised-induced asthma? Are my allergies really working my immune system to the point of exhaustion? Will I have to adjust my NYCM goal to a more realistic time?
Too many questions. Not enough answers. Or at least answers that satisfy my ego.
This Sunday I am running the full marathon distance as a training run. I wanted to run 10-13 miles at MP. I am hoping my lungs will show up.
Good luck to anyone racing this weekend, particularly those doing Chi-COW-go.
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3 comments:
Good luck on Sunday!
Great Job! You seemed to have handled the marathon pace portion well enough. Now recover well and get the sub 3:20 at NY!
My experience is that those marathon pace long runs are always WAY more painful than race day. Remember, you will taper for race day. Now you are still beating yourself up on a regular basis.
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