Yesterday, I had a tempo run. Am I using that word right? I went to the rec center, stepped on the treadmill, ran a warmup mile (8:57), took off my warmup clothes, ran another warmup mile (8:57), uptempo mile (6:22), (8:57), (6:22), (8:57), (6:22), (8:57), plus two .1 mile kicks (5:00 pace). Phwew -- I'm glad I'm writing this, because I don't think I'd understand it if I had to read it. It's like all the worst parts of Calculus crash up against the book of Revelations.
Again, I'll preface this conversation (mid-post preface) by reminding us all I was on a treadmill, and was, therefor, cheating in a sense. But I felt pretty great, really. Those are the fastest mile repeats I've run since high school -- half my life ago, holy crap! -- and I am pleased with the times.
My question for myself when I got home: did I run them fast enough? I felt great. I taxed myself. I pushed my limits. But, if I recall from high school sports, if you don't puke or earn some kind of injury -- heel spurs, hip flexor, ITBS, shin splints -- well, you're hardly an athlete at all.
Of course, in a sense, I jest, but how does one know if one pushes hard enough? I often imagine myself hooked up (like Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV) to the Russian version of NASA mainframe as it measures my systolic and disystolic pressure every second of every day, but I think that kind of observation might be above my pay grade.
I jest, but how is a runner, a common folk, to know if she or he pushes hard enough? In fact, am I getting too competitive, even now? Should I just leave the run at: felt great, do it again in ten days, or should I set a goal for a 6:15 mile pace? I have been running for years without a log, which means, in part, that I haven't really been tracking my progress; I've been setting random goals and achieving them or forgetting them; I've been running intuitively, willing to back away from any pace, less aware of my body. Now, I'm paying more attention, running more often (largely as the result of this blog), and pushing myself harder.
Is that a good thing? I dunno.
If I do have a 5K goal, it's to get in under 20:00 sometime soon, and, if time still works the way it did when I was younger (though I don't think it does), a 6:22 pace should be just about right if I can maintain it during a race. I really don't want to get injured. I've often read that in training, one should not increase one's workout by more than 10% each week, but is that just mileage or is that time or is it any combination there of? Calculus* -- why do you forsake me?
I suppose, the bottom line is that any good running routine requires a delicate balance of listening to your treadmill and listening to your body. So I'm going to go on like this with a maintenance run today and tomorrow and a long run Sunday (hopefully outside), pushing hard when my knees say it's okay and backing off, even if my watch scolds me.
Tuesday: 3.4
Wednesday: 3.4
Thursday: ~13.0
Friday: ------
Saturday: 3.4
Sunday: 3.4
Monday: 7.0
Tuesday: 3.4
Wednesday: 3.4
Thursday: 8.0
Previous: 71.1
Year To Date: 79.1 miles.
Running Days: 14
Days off: 5
Stretching note: okay, I pulled each foot up to its accompanying butt cheek twice in between mile one and mile two. So if I get injured at this point, I can blame it on God or Somebody Else. Naysayers, satisfied?
*Also, yes, I know that's not really what Calculus is. Thank you very much in advance to any smarty-pants reader who wants to point that out.
Again, I'll preface this conversation (mid-post preface) by reminding us all I was on a treadmill, and was, therefor, cheating in a sense. But I felt pretty great, really. Those are the fastest mile repeats I've run since high school -- half my life ago, holy crap! -- and I am pleased with the times.
My question for myself when I got home: did I run them fast enough? I felt great. I taxed myself. I pushed my limits. But, if I recall from high school sports, if you don't puke or earn some kind of injury -- heel spurs, hip flexor, ITBS, shin splints -- well, you're hardly an athlete at all.
Of course, in a sense, I jest, but how does one know if one pushes hard enough? I often imagine myself hooked up (like Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV) to the Russian version of NASA mainframe as it measures my systolic and disystolic pressure every second of every day, but I think that kind of observation might be above my pay grade.
I jest, but how is a runner, a common folk, to know if she or he pushes hard enough? In fact, am I getting too competitive, even now? Should I just leave the run at: felt great, do it again in ten days, or should I set a goal for a 6:15 mile pace? I have been running for years without a log, which means, in part, that I haven't really been tracking my progress; I've been setting random goals and achieving them or forgetting them; I've been running intuitively, willing to back away from any pace, less aware of my body. Now, I'm paying more attention, running more often (largely as the result of this blog), and pushing myself harder.
Is that a good thing? I dunno.
If I do have a 5K goal, it's to get in under 20:00 sometime soon, and, if time still works the way it did when I was younger (though I don't think it does), a 6:22 pace should be just about right if I can maintain it during a race. I really don't want to get injured. I've often read that in training, one should not increase one's workout by more than 10% each week, but is that just mileage or is that time or is it any combination there of? Calculus* -- why do you forsake me?
I suppose, the bottom line is that any good running routine requires a delicate balance of listening to your treadmill and listening to your body. So I'm going to go on like this with a maintenance run today and tomorrow and a long run Sunday (hopefully outside), pushing hard when my knees say it's okay and backing off, even if my watch scolds me.
Eleven Day Tally
Monday: 8.4Tuesday: 3.4
Wednesday: 3.4
Thursday: ~13.0
Friday: ------
Saturday: 3.4
Sunday: 3.4
Monday: 7.0
Tuesday: 3.4
Wednesday: 3.4
Thursday: 8.0
Previous: 71.1
Year To Date: 79.1 miles.
Running Days: 14
Days off: 5
Stretching note: okay, I pulled each foot up to its accompanying butt cheek twice in between mile one and mile two. So if I get injured at this point, I can blame it on God or Somebody Else. Naysayers, satisfied?
*Also, yes, I know that's not really what Calculus is. Thank you very much in advance to any smarty-pants reader who wants to point that out.
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