Hello all.
Welcome to another blog by another guy, in this case me.
I'll skip the introduction, since you can find that in the top right corner and I don't want to insult your intelligence any more than my insane ramblings (to follow) will.
Today I began training for my first ever marathon. I'm using the Pierce, Murr and Moss book Run Less, Run Faster.
I think that I am in pretty good shape, all things considered. I have several reasons for such assumptions.
- I am in the army, and train excessively throughout the year.
- I was a wrestler in high school and had unending endurance.
- I am stubborn, and I feel that quality is in some way athletic.
So you can understand how it feels to have my ass handed to me by three simple miles.
Today I ran what is called Key Workout #1 for week 16 (the weeks count backwards to marathon day). I did a 10 minute warm-up, followed by three miles as a solid pace, finishing off with another 10 minutes cool-down.
Here's what happened.
My intended pace was 7:21 per mile.
First Mile: 7:27
I started off great, but around the third quarter-mile my compression shorts started sliding down a bit. My running shorts were resting comfortably on my hips, but my undershorts found their way to my knees. I can't explain how, but it happened.
Second Mile: 7:32
Now I'm running ten seconds behind my pace time and I'm sucking wind. I start to think I can't perform these workouts as intended and I'm getting very demotivated.
Third Mile: 7:21
I get pissed off at the track, the wind, and my own failing lungs and go balls out for 4 minutes. I realized I'd covered more track than before and slowed down to a more manageable pace and finished right on time.
After my cool down I realized just how sweaty I had become. It was pretty serious.
I have at least proven to myself that I can make the pace, if only once. Now I need to make that my only pace.
And I need new shorts.
2 comments:
Good luck!
I'm using the same plan, 5 weeks ahead of you. (At pretty much the same pace too!) So it will be cool to watch you do the same things.
Stubborn is a great quality to have in training - just don't let it lead you astray. Great job on the first of many great workouts - you hit it with super speedy times.
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