Picking up Pace

"Good things come slow - especially in distance running."
-Bill Dellinger, Oregon coach

You often hear people say that life is like a marathon not a sprint.

My current training is a reminder that being patient is more important that being speedy.

I wanted to see if I was capable of running this Saturdays race, The Crim.  This race is a traditional race that I run every year.

Todays Training:
The Plan:
Distance: 10 miles
Target Pace: 9:30-10
Goal: 5 miles flat and slow, last 5 miles intervals, 5:1, picking the pace up.

Everything felt so good except my lungs. I always remind myself I can run through fatigue, pain is a different story. The key to running  through weariness is being your own number one fan;

1. Remind yourself that being tired is not being broken.
2. Learn how to run tired, it helps build mental strength
3. The first couple miles are usually the toughest, challenge yourself to get through those then assess  how you feel.

Being quiet is not one of my more popular characteristics. I was short on words as Andy and I ran. My mind was churning, racing at a faster pace than my legs. I was hoping as my distance accumulated that my lungs would adjust, giving me more confidence in my goal. Mentally, I was struggling. It is so discouraging when you feel like weak sauce. I created mini goals to give me mini victories making me feel less discouraged. With my distance growing, I felt thankful I was being disciplined to go slow and steady.



A Little warmer out than we expected.

At mile 5, Andy and I picked up the pace by over a minute. We added walk breaks every 5 minutes. The idea behind this was to work on 5 miles of stamina, then 5 miles of  picking up the average pace,using intervals. Picking up the pace helped me with my pace and adding intervals keeps me out of the hurt locker.

Because I had taken the first 5 miles so much slower, it allowed me to have enough in the tank to finish strong.
Todays run felt t victorious, but more importantly it gave me more confidence for Saturdays run.

"Concentrate on small segments of your race at a time. For example, rather than obsessing about the distance that remains, simply complete the next mile in good form...try another, then another, until the race is done."
-Jerry Lynch

Anita