Long run with MP miles. The longer I wait to think this run over, the better I think it went. The goal was 10 miles at 6:20 pace, then 8-10 miles at 5:45 pace. I went at this workout with the thought that it would probably put in me in similar discomfort to the late stages of the marathon, and mentally, I needed to be focused when it got tough. I wasn't disappointed.
The weather was fantastic--nearly perfect. Almost no wind, and 29F at the start. The first ten went by a bit fast in 1:02:42, with fairly even splits, but a drifting heart rate. The previous day's workout was doing its thing.
6:14(139) | 6:16(145) | 6:17(145) | 6:18(146) | 6:19(148) | 6:17(151) | 6:18(151) | 6:17(152) | 6:13(153) | 6:13(156)
The MP portion was a challenge from the start, although at mile two I felt very strong for a time. By mile 14, I was beginning to feel the creeping fatigue and telling myself I just had to be strong mentally and muscle memory would take care of the rest. 15 and 16 were a fog of effort, but I managed to keep the pace even though I felt like I was slowing considerably. The pace made a very real deflection at mile 17, and no amount of willpower was going to change it. Ventilation was way up, oxygen debt had started to incur, and I was slowing. I wouldn't have called it a bonk in the sense that I'm used to--the feeling of muscles with no gas and the brain not wanting to continue. This was more like picking up a ten pound bag of sugar and carrying it along for the run. The legs still turned over, the brain was allowing me to go on, the effort was similar, but the pace just slowed.
5:46(163) | 5:45(163) | 5:46(166) | 5:46(165) | 5:47(165) | 5:48(166) | 5:53(165) | 5:57(166) | 5:57(165) | 5:56(167)
Recovery to 120HR in 1:36 and to 110HR in 5:15. I extended myself today, hopefully not too far. I suppose I could have stopped at 18, knowing that Mystery Coach had allowed for that, but I felt like I could continue, and that it was somewhat a point I had to make to myself that when the running gets tough, I need to know that I'm not going to quit. It's a lesson I haven't learned often enough yet, and a lesson that pays dividends in a race like the marathon. After last week's short (failed) long run, I needed to believe that I could stick out a tough situation, and today, I did.
That said, I wonder if I could have been a bit tougher, and dug down to keep the pace under 5:50. The heart rate slowed a beat over the mile when the pace slowed, which makes me wonder if the cause was as much as lapse in focus as it was physical fatigue. Sucking air like I was running 1000 meter reps was very real at the time, so maybe not. I'm putting too fine a point on it, but it's worth mentioning.
Twelve hours later, I am definitely depleted and tired, but no soreness to speak of, probably thanks to the 15 minute cold bath (50F water fully covering the hips and legs, and yes, that too. And yes, it was extremely uncomfortable), and the recovery drink. If anyone out there is not using some kind of recovery routine following their harder efforts, you would do well to start. A recovery drink (4:1 carbs:protein ratio--pick your poison), light massage, and cold water baths work wonders.
Have a good weekend!
Run Two | Weather | Supplemental | Nutrition | Sleep | Injury
1 comment:
You planted the flag at 20 instead of 18, and even though it will probably take a little more recovery, I think muscling through it will make it easier to get to 18 in the low 5:40's next time. The coach will probably disagree with me (physiologically speaking), but the brain needs coaxing too.
Nice job today, that was a very hard workout. I'm confident these will get better for you as you adapt. As far as second guessing how much effort you put out there, it sounds like the heart rate, respiration and musclular fatigue told the tale. The gig was up, and turning the run into an anaerobic slugfest after 90 minutes doesn't seem like such a good idea.
Now get Cindy to tell us about her race.
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