Inflicting Pain? Thats just Plain CRAZY!

This is the Track at Genesys Athletic Club.  The track has three full lanes with cushioned Mondo surface. It is labeled for walkers, joggers and runners as a place to train all year long. At nearly ¼ mile, this track is the largest indoor track in Michigan and has an overhead timer so you can keep your time or set your pace. The track is also labeled with mile markers all the way to 10 miles for both the fast lane and the slow lane.

I was running low on time this morning. Running fast was the only option. Get in, get out and get going!
I decided to run till it hurts. I decided to feel it  then continue to run. Repeats sounded like a plan.

Today was FAST TRAINING DAY:
1 mile warm up
800M repeats with 200M C/D
1 mile C/D
Recovery run
Total miles 6.5.

PURPOSE OF MILE REPEATS:
Builds Strength.
I am going to need strength to get up Heartbreak Hill.

RUN TILL IT HURTS:

"Difficulties are things that show a person what they are."

Speed Works SUCKS. Yep I said it. SUCKS. It hurts so bad. I was breathing so heavy the persons in front of me turned around because they heard me coming!

How often do we PURPOSELY inflict pain upon ourselves over and over and over again?

As I felt my stomach turn inside out I questioned myself. "This is insanity, most people do not deliberately hurt themselves."
But rather then turn it down a notch I found myself running for more pain. I could hear other voices screaming "GO ANITA, Go, It has to hurt, it has to burn, GOOO."

The winter softens us up a bit. Pain is part of the plan for running stronger. Lets not get all soft.
Accept it. Plan for it. It is time to just suck it up buttercup.
We all have different levels of pain.
RUN HARD. Breath Harder. Feel the Burn. It is the greatest feeling when you have accomplished a tough training run. My endorphins were going off like the Forth of July. I felt like a crack head, I just couldn't get enough. Even after finishing I found myself in front of the punching bag throwing roundhouses. I had no anger just stoked my endorphins.  I want MORE MORE MORE!! (I love that commercial!)

"Never stand begging for that which you have the power to earn!"

I finished up stretching and icing in the Cold Plunge.

DID You Feel the BURN today? How do you mentally get through Speed work?


Anita