A Breakthrough Run and Hood to Coast
For the past three weeks (since running a marathon on July 27th) I've swapped out my usual tempo runs for hill repeats in preparation for the hills Ill be running during the Hood to Coast relay. This Monday I decided to go back to the tempo to see where my legs and lungs are. My tempo pace has been consistently dropping since I incorporated tempo runs into my training. I started at a 7:40 pace this spring (March/April) and have worked my way down to 7:20/7:15 pace, which I was running in July just before my July 26th marathon. I've noticed an over all faster pace since my July marathon (and a greater comfort level at those paces) so I thought I'd attempt running my tempo run at "goal tempo" pace. My goal tempo pace for a 1:35 half marathon is 6:51-7:06. Those kind of numbers are a bit scary to me--they seem impossible. Six what?!?can I really run that? For an extended period of time?
I thought I'd give it a try because amidst all those questions and doubt was a wisp of confidence, a little voice that told me "yes" I could do this. "The evidence is there," I told myself. The track workouts, the fast finishes, the comfort at faster paces. I felt like I could do it, I just had to get out there and prove it to myself.
But I almost didn't get out there. On Monday morning when my alarm went off at 5:15am the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed and try to run a tempo run harder than I've ever run before. I rolled back over and thought I could do it later. But there's one thing that to me is infinitely harder than doing a tempo run at dawn on a Monday morning: running a tempo run on a treadmill. That got me moving. I thought, "If I just go nurse Jack I can decide then if I want to go through with this." As I sat there my mind still waffled back and forth between going back to bed and lacing up my shoes. Finally I thought of what I wrote last week. Excuses?Or reasons, Sarah?
I got our there, did my pre run dynamic stretch and eased into my mile warm up. My plan: run three miles at goal tempo pace. Most of my tempo runs have been 4-5 miles, but because I was trying a "new," faster pace I wanted to give myself a chance to succeed. Three miles seemed enough to test it out but not too much to quit and fall short, leaving me discouraged. My plan was to run the miles as follows: 7:10, 7:05, 7:00. I wanted to start just above my goal range just a bit faster than the paces I had run in July but finish in the mid range of my goal pace.
I started the first mile and felt like I was working hard but controlled. I glanced down at my watch and saw 6:55 pace. Woah! Slow down Sarah. Save it. Keep it controlled. That was my self talk. My watch beeped: 7:00 for the mile.
I started the second mile thinking "Great, Im gonna positive split these." I tried to keep it controlled. Stay close to 7:05. I focused on my form, stride, arms, breathing. Letting it flow. The mile beeped: 7:02.
Ok. I thought don't let this be a positive split. In the third mile I worked to keep the pace at 7 or just below. And when I looked down at the beep I'd succeeded: 7:00.
I hung in the pace for another .10 to finish the 5k in 21:48.
As I eased into my cool down I couldn't help but smile. I DID IT! Three miles at goal tempo pace. Baby steps, but a start to getting into the training I need to be at to run a 1:35 at the CHaD Half Marathon in October.
When I get back from Hood to Coast Ill start adding miles to these tempo runs and also incorporate some mile repeats at slightly faster pace. But for now I'm enjoying this little breakthrough. Baby steps. It's what makes the impossible possible.
Have you had a breakthrough workout or race recently? Tell us about it! Brag a bit:)
------------------------------------------- I'm on my way and officially have had time to get excited! In case you're new to the blog, I'm headed to Oregon (via Seattle) to run the Hood to Coast relay with Nuun. Ill be sticking around in Seattle after the relay to spend some time with my youngest sister who lives there with her hubby.
I won't be posting to the blog while I'm gone, but you can follow all the Hood to Coast action on my Instagram and Twitter accounts. (See links below.)
--Sarah
Want more from RunFarGirl? You can find me here:
Twitter: @Run_Far_Girl
Instagram: instagram.com/runfargirl
Facebook: Facebook.com/runfargirl262
Pinterest: pinterest.com/runfargirl
Daily Mile: dailymile.com/people/scanney