A Series of Set Backs
This afternoon was a glorious day for a run, sunny, with no wind, and temperatures in the 50’s. I had a nice 4.3 mile route that includes 4 miles, 2 out and 2 back on a bike path, and marked, at the 1, 1.5, and 2 mile spots as part of a 5 mile race held annually in September. The first mile is uphill, then flat, while the second mile is all uphill. The reverse is then true for miles 3&4.
I began my run with a .15 mile warm up, and unfortunately I felt stiff. My goal for the run was to try to run each mile under nine minutes. I had left my HR monitor at home, so there wouldn’t be any beeping if I was out of my target zone. To my disappointment, I reached the first mile in 9:40. With the uphill mile staring my in the face, I changed my goal to running every mile under 10:00. I was at the 1.5 mile mark in exactly 5:00, so I tried to bear down during the second half of that mile. I reached mile 2 having failed again, in 10:03. I had lost it for this run, my legs felt like led, and I clocked the downhill mile 3 in 10:32. I trudged on, for about 2/10th of a mile, when I tried to concentrate on my form, and renewed my focus to keep this last mile from being my slowest one of the day. The mile ended, like all my previous ones in disappointment, as I crossed the line in 10:39.
For the first time in 4 weeks doubts have entered my mind. I am now planning to alter my running schedule to eliminate Thursday’s killer hill run, and add a rest day before my half marathon on Sunday. Of greater concern is that for the first time since I started wearing orthodics, about a year ago, my feet are hurting, reminding my of the plantar fasciatus that kept me sidelined for quite some time ~13 months ago.
October 30, 2007 at 6:41 pm
sweetums, you gotta remember that you played a thousand games yesterday, so i’m guessing this is probably just residue tiredness from it (and probably caused the stiffness since you used your muscles in different ways). no need to change your goals just yet in my opinion - if it becomes a trend for, say, a couple of weeks, make the decision then. but i’d sway from a definitive conclusion just yet… and for what it’s worth, you’re still a running rockstar in my book!
October 30, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Hills are just that, hills, they remind us that they are in charge of the road and we must work harder to get to the top. I would look at what I learned overall from the run, my hill runs are almost always (depending on overall distance) 30-40 seconds longer that a flat course of the same distance. So I have my hill distance course pace (that I work on and try to better) and try not to mix that up with my same flat course pace. Plus you had some killer plyometrics the previous day, so you could use it as a recovery run.
October 30, 2007 at 10:32 pm
It sounds to me like a day of rest is whats in order for you. Sometimes we push ourselves too hard and these little setbacks are our body’s way of saying "hey take it easy for a day, I need some recovery time"
Your doing awesome, just think of all the gains you’ve made in such a short time. Give yourself permission to have either a day off for rest, or a day of a nice easy run as a recovery day. You deserve it and your body will thank you.