Finally Got In A Good Run

09/29/09
Tuesday

In the last two weeks after the 12 mile bruiser I only ran 10 miles and 9 miles. I don't know what came over me, Though I did have surgery on Monday and I did have the wedding in Vermont, I still should have had time to get in some quality runs.

It boils down to feeling crappy and not having the desire to get out there. No one specific excuse I guess. At first I was looking for reasons, but now I just consider it a couple easy step down weeks and look forward to getting back into some fun running.

I spent the day wondering if I was going to feel like running when I got out of work or would my delema continue..... I drove to Pineland and as I changed, I could feel the excitement growing. I knew I was going to enjoy the run but decided not to run sprints. Instead I would run the 5k course starting out easy and see what transpired.

The first mile I felt pretty tired and sluggish, I came dangerously close to calling it quits and heading back. Instead, my attention was drawn to a runner coming the other way. It made me feel better....I don't know why but I surely was not going to stop now and walk back to my truck.

By the second mile I started setting in a bit and decided to finish the 5k at least. I started enjoying the smell of the woods and I think I became lost in thought as the end came quickly and suddenly I was sprinting to the imaginary finish line. It felt really good and I was satisfied, I waited about 30 seconds to catch my breath and started what I thought was going to be a cooldown mile.

I made to the mile mark and starting feeling pretty good. I hit the down hills and decided there was no way I was going to stop now, I decided to finish the loop I was on. I had a great mile five @7:08pace. This is when I realized my problem was that after running all the longer distances, it was taking me longer to settle in and get warmed up.

Back when I was racing a lot of 5ks (mostly on roads) I would feel horrible for the first 1/2 -3/4 mile then I would start feeling better and hitting my speed. Now after training for the 50K, running mostly trails and racing longer distances, my warm up period has increased.

It makes sense now that I think of it. I remember many marathoners saying it took 5 miles for them to settle in. Of course what that means to me today is that I am really not ready to race a tough 5k and I think I was letting the pressure get to me.
Of course I am not ready, I haven't trained for it and actually have not raced anything shorter than a 10K all year.

I finished the 5.6 mile run feeling tired but great. I could have easily continued but it was getting dark and I still had some things to do tonite. It was inspiring to want to go longer at the end of my run tonite. It was a good run and very relaxing (to the brain).

Stats:

1st mile....8:44...152-160
2nd ........8:15...154-162
3rd ........9:22...157-164 (mostly up hill)
.2@6:46pace...160-162 (kick then continue)....3.2miles @27:03(8:27pace)
4th(4.2)....9:51...149-154
5th ........7:08...156-163 (downhill)
last .45@7:12 and kicking...158-162.... (2.5 miles@20:09..8:17pace)

Total run:
5.6 miles....47:12(8:26p)

Here is something really strange.....my Garmen 305 and the nike + plus read exactally the same milage today??? That has never happened in the trails. The splits were off but that is because the garmen shows an average and the Nike shows a snap shop of the mile moment.