I was looking forward to track all day because I had missed a couple of weeks post marathon. Coach EK had some crazy plan worked up for me in his mind and I couldn’t wait to get out there and go all roundy-round on the asphalt. My legs felt fine all day and as I love speedwork, I thought I was ready to go.
Unfortunately, this was not to be the case. I arrived at the track and did my warm up with P-Funk. I then got with Coach K who said we’d try some speedy 800’s. He told me to stick around 3:25-3:30 for four of them.
So what do I do? I hit the first one like a bat out of hell at 3:16. I’m fairly certain this is the fastest 800 I’ve ever run. My legs were rubber by the last 200 and I wondered if I could do another. I took my recovery lap and hit the second 800 at 3:30. I was completely sucking wind the second lap around the track. My shoulders were killing me and my throat was hurting. By the third 800, I hopped in with Hollster and Cute K, only to make it 400 before I threw in the towel. I just wasn’t right.
As I tallied up the excuses, I felt like a horse’s ass explaining why I had such a bad workout. “My legs hurt.” “My throat hurts.” “Must be getting sick or suffering allergies.” “My shoulders hurt from spin.” “Waaaaah!”
Truth be told, these excuses are more for the ego than they are for anything else. I know we runners sometimes feel the need to explain why our workout didn’t go as planned and I think it’s more for ourselves to save face, when in all reality our running buds don’t really think anything of it. They just want us to be able to run again and not be hurt. Why is it so hard for me to just say, “I had a bad day.” I know I’ll be back at the track next week and I know why things just didn’t go my way last night. A silly combination of stuff just happened. As they say, shit happens.
I’m taking this as a lesson, and hope you all will too, sometimes workouts don’t go as planned and there really is no need for the excuses. Chalk it up to “I had a bad day.” We do it with work all the time, why not do it with the one thing we use to relieve the stress, not cause more?
I'm sorry you had a bad track workout…I'm with you. It is hard for me to say, "I had a bad day". LOVE the cartoon! Have a great weekend!
I wouldn't say you had a bad day and so what if you did. You ran a kick ass marathon recently and really didn't take much time off after that. So you're still awesome.. period.
Sadly, regardless of how crappy or how awesome a bike is, the rider will evetnually fall.
That cartoon is hilarious!!!!!
I love making excuses. Kind of a hobby!
Excuse me, ma'am, but your first 800 interval was a 6:32 pace…helloooooo. I think you just popped your cork a little early on the Yasso train, something we've all done. I wouldn't call it a bad night at all, you just went out a little too hot. Looking forward to eating some cootie bungalows with you on Sunday and NOT being sad like Bob on his head in the cartoon! We'll have fun. You can laugh at me trying to pull my wetsuit on over my big ol' butt.
I feel the same way about races. No excuse needed, sometimes it just isn't there. Have fun with the ows!
That cartoon is AWESOME. hahahahahh
hmmm . . . I think I said something close to Casey – don't be blaming the bike – just because you "felt the need for speed"! Great T-shirt and cartoon! Good luck in the OWS – sorry I will miss it! You are the strongest swimmer – so don't let anyone drown!
I love this post! I too fall in the vicious excuse circle all the time. I will do as you do and start calling it what it is a bad day!