Lately the training run that has been getting my running-shorts-panties in a wad is the pace run. I’m not lying when I say this pace is not really “my pace.” At least not yet. I was actually going to do my pace run Monday night but when I got past my warm-up mile, I talked myself out of doing it. D’oh! I ran my easy run instead. Of course I could say that I needed the easy run and justify however I could, but honestly, I was just being a chicken.
And since the pace run is so important and there is no rest for the weary, I rescheduled it for Tuesday morning. Considering it’s only the third week I’ve gotten the pace run in, I finally felt more “normal” running it than I have previously. I’ve been so nervous about going too slow that I was killing myself by going too fast. I did have a little help Tuesday morning by way of another runner in my running group who kept me on track. I am most grateful to her and actually started to feel as though I could do this. The pace felt more comfortable and more “me.”
It’s hard work getting to a lofty goal. I commend all of you who do this for each and every race. I don’t know how you do it, but I commend you. I don’t know if I have the mental strength to do it for each and every race, let alone this one.
I’ve said that this is the race where I give it my all. I don’t want to look back at this training cycle and feel like I didn’t put in the work. I want to say, “I trained hard. And it paid off!”
All in all, I guess the only thing for me to do is take it one run at a time. And stop being a chicken.
What’s a race you’ve worked extra hard for? Ever feel like you’ve set a super high goal for yourself? Can we ever achieve world peace?
i've worked hardest for some of my triathlons. in some ways, it's mentally exhausting more so than physically.
BQ was my biggest goal. I worked my ass off for that. Really, I think it shrank significantly with all of those miles. I trained so hard that I wished I would be sick so I could spend a day on the couch doing NOTHING. It was worth it for the pride of working so hard and achieving my goal.
OMG I feel you!!! I have 4 days till the pressure is off!
You will do awesome, I know it. I'll answer the last one. World peace? I highly doubt we will see that in our lifetime unfortunately. It's one of the things I pray for on a daily basis when I'm running actually.
LOL at the chicken picture! You seem to have plenty of determination so I am thinking you will have no problem reaching your goal for Miami. I think we all have those moments where it seems impossible but you will work past it and those pace runs will become second nature. YOU CAN DO IT!
You just have to remember why you want to achieve your goal (to prove it to yourself, to commit, to just get faster, etc) and that should be the motivation to get you out the door. And that's all you need to do…get out the door. The rest will take care of itself with consistency.
Cut yourself some slack. It was at least ten degrees cooler Tuesday morning than Monday night, and having someone to run with certainly makes a huge difference in your motivation. Remember that you ran Monday night anyway, and even just a regular pace is better than not having run at all. I didn't think I had it in me to cut 20mins. off my marathon time in less than 12 months, but it worked out somehow. You'll do it!
Somehow I know you won't back down. I just always tell myself as long as I never stop trying it's never a failure, just a set back so then I have no reason not to try for those lofty goals! Good Luck!
I can't believe you are doing Marathon Pace Runs this early in your schedule (assuming you are doing what I think you are doing. IE – run 60 minutes; 40 minutes at Marathon Pace and gradually increasing over the weeks). For Miami, I would be starting them the middle of November. But then again, that's just me. I know there are many different schedules out there. Do your best and you will be rewarded!
The 1958 Olympics were the hardest for me!
BOK BOK BOK BOK BOK!
also, pace runs are much easier to manage (for me) when i do them on a track, because i can evenly split the quarters.
Boo stop being a chicken. You know you've got this. How many times do I have to point out how much a better, well rounded, athlete you've become?!?! Huh?!?!? You've done nothing but get better and better with each cycle!!!!!!!
A chicken can run 9mph, so maybe it's not such a bad thing to be?
From the title I thought this was about Thai Food….damn you for making me think.
OK, so here is how it goes down. I work my a$$ off in training and I'm not going to fret the race b/c that is my reward. My reward for my hard work is running/riding/swimming at the pace I've dreamed about during all those hard as sh*t training days.
I leave it out there and if I don't make it so be it, but it won't be from a lack of trying. I am going to go as hard as I can as long as I can and if I blow up well then I know what my next training cycle involves.
For example, my coach asked me what I wanted to do 70.3 Austin in. I told her sub 5:30…..guess what I finished in 5:28:06.
So now Puerto Rico is next in March and I want to qualify for Vegas. What is a time that will get me close to that? 5:00…..guess what I told my coach my goal is for Puerto Rico….yup 5:00. The training is going to be hard and is going to suck on A LOT of days but I will follow that training plan to a T and run/ride/swim fast so that on race day I'm fast. If on race day the elements aren't with me then so be it but it won't be from a lack of trying.
Ask yourself this: What's worse? Trying and blowing up or going conservatively and regretting that you did not try harder?
I'm kind of in a similar place right now. I know that it's my brain more than my legs that are holding me back. It's hard to make that leap when you still think of yourself as someone who runs at X (slower) pace. But it seems like pace runs are the perfect time to push your limits!
I'm also running the Miami marathon and have set a lofty goal for it. Training harder than I'm used to is freaking me out a little- but i think I'm doing what's right for me instead of taking it easy like I usually do. I want to bail on runs but I always have to ask myself "how bad do I want it?"
I like your comment about taking it 1 run at a time. That's what is keeping me sane right now.
Happy training!
No, no no, an urban chicken. Because those are much cooler, natch.
But seriously, I think the pace workout freaks out everyone at first. I haven't even incorporated it into a training plan yet–it's the next big improvement when I get back to hard core training (c'mon, spring 2013!). You'll get there–you always do!