2. Obviously, once the credit card was warmed up, it was time to go on a bit of a race registration bender. Take a look at my newly updated list of upcoming races, it's had a number of additions this week. Yesterday I signed up for an 8k tune up race two weeks out from the Frederick Half. I also went ahead and signed up for the open water race on Memorial Day weekend that I've been thinking about for a while. So, two weeks after the MOST IMPORTANT SWIM EVER, I will swim two miles. Should be fun. After almost three months of no races, it feels good to have a bunch of things on the calendar.
3. I had a bit of a breakthrough at tempo this morning. For the first time this year I felt good the whole time. It wasn't my fastest workout, but it was consistent. I didn't start dying in the third mile and completed four miles feeling strong (the last few weeks I've been told to stop at 5k because mile 3 has been so rough). I started a bit more conservatively and tried to stay relaxed. The first three miles were more or less evenly paced and I was able to go a bit faster in that last mile. Mentally, this was exactly the workout that I needed to have. My struggles toward the end in the last few weeks had really started to get in my head and those doubts popped up during Sunday's race. I don't need those kind of negative thoughts hanging around!
4. When I struggled in the later miles of Cherry Blossom, the main thing I kept thinking was, "I need to be running more." I'm not sure if this is truth or a myth, but I feel like I am better able to pick it up at the end of a race (or at least hold steady) when I've built up a strong base and my volume is up. (I also tend to do fairly well off of a taper, but only when there's something to taper down from!) High mileage is all relative and I'm someone who ran a 50 mile week for the first time last fall in my last big week training for the Philadelphia Marathon. So I'm not talking about anything crazy here. But I would like to spend April in the upper 30s-low 40s. I recently added a fifth run back to my schedule, so this should be a very manageable goal. I think this will get me to the start line at Frederick feeling confident about my abilities to run a strong 13.1, especially in the back half.
10 comments:
That seems like a lot of miles to me. I'm usually right around 25 running miles for the week.
Also can't wait to see you at Kinetic :)
I totally agree with the higher volume. DO MORE!! :)
You looked great out there this morning. Calm and relaxed. Good job!
you = getting stronger. that is all.
I like volume too. The trick is just to keep it very easy, so you don't compromise your workouts, and never do it to the point where you're too tired to complete the workouts or to recover from them.
I agree with Jessica- you looked really strong this morning. Glad to hear that you are finally starting to kick some tempo butt! Excited for your race schedule!
I would like this if it wasn't putting you on the road to May 12 swim success! But I do hope that my twingy calf stops twinging so I can run with you.
THE MOST IMPORTANT SWIM RACE EVER! Good luck with that. I'm excited race with you in a few weeks though and appreciate the encouragement for the registration bender :)
You are totally setting yourself for a 13.1 PR!!!
I've heard good things about the Frederick Half. Exciting!
Laughed out loud at the "race registration bender" -- so, so true.
Awesome on the tempo run feeling good the whole way -- that's the toughest training run for me.
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