Thursday, March 1, 2012

I'm On Fire!!

Today is a run day. 

Yesterday it started snowing at about noon - heavy, wet, slushy snow - and wasn't supposed to let up until ten this morning.  It may have been a run day, but it certainly did not feel like one when I woke up.  Twenty nine degrees outside with a winter mix coming down and plenty of puddles & slush piles to step in.  Ugh!  Who wants to run in that?!

Trust me though, I'll run in that before I touch a treadmill.  
I'm the total opposite of EMZ, the Treadmill Master  
We may not understand one another, 
but we have a mutual respect.  haha

Either way, I mapped out my run and headed out.  I compromised and told myself "If it's really that bad, I'll cut a bit out of the run, but I at least have to do 3 miles."  Well...  I didn't have to worry about that.  About a mile into the run, I felt like this...


But looked more like this guy:


Around 1.5 miles into a 5.28 mile run, I mentally checked in on myself.  I felt good and figured I was running a rough 7:30 pace.  I felt that was pretty good, so I decided to try and maintain it.  The pace felt comfortable.  Then with a rough 0.75 mile left, I kicked it up a notch.  With a distance of what I thought would take 4:00 to finish, I started the mental calculations.

The run in total was around 5.25 miles.  Assuming six miles and 8:00 pace, that's 48:00.  I looked at my watch...

34:xx

Ok.  Maybe the calculation is too rough.  Let's assume five miles and 8:00 pace - that's 40:00.  That gives me 6:00+ to finish, which is pretty easy.  How about five miles at 7:00 pace - that's 35:00.  With a quarter mile extra, I might be hitting....  WHAT?!

On a run that I didn't want to do in the first place, where my feet are soaked, my thumbs are numb, and I've changed distance decisions multiple times, I might be under 7:00 miles?!

I hit the finish at 37:28, officially 7:06 mile pace.  Super pumped!!!  And my heart rate was only up to 146 at the end of the run.  Love it!  Let's see where my 9 mile run takes me on Sunday.

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Questions
1.  Do you ever find that the runs you don't want to do end up being the best ones?
Maybe it's the fact that my mind is focused elsewhere and I'm not pushing for a time.  

2.  Would you run in snow?, rain?, slush?  Or do you hit the treadmill in those conditions?
I've run in rain, snow, a hurricane, snowstorm, 100+ degrees, -10 degrees...  Mentally, I can't take a treadmill.  You don't go anywhere.


Swim fast.  Bike smart.  Run hard. 

4 comments:

Matthew Smith said...

Those runs are my favorite...where you feel amazing and can't believe you just busted an incredible run! Great job on the run, and that includes getting your butt outside in the nastiness!

Emz said...

mutual respect - - - for sure.
that amazes me you'd run it that!!!
holy
crap
YAY on a rockin' run!!

it's 72* here today - perfect treadmill weather. ;)

Gashsam said...

Yep, it happens a lot. This morning mentally not prepared for a 3km swim in miserable rain and wind and Coach says. Hey Sammi that was an awesome swim. And it was! Go figure.

Snow or Treadmill? hmmmm I don't see a 'none of the above hit Snooze and roll over button' so I will take the snow option. Sorry Emz ;)

Suz and Allan said...

Great run!