Day 15: Flip Flop...
So it's been a long time since my last entry, and to be honest, I've been doing a lot of flip-flopping! Friday was supposed to be a rest, the Saturday a fast 3 mile run, Sunday a relaxed 5 mile run, Monday a rest day, and today a relaxed 3 mile run.
My last journal entry was written on Thursday night, and so Friday and Saturday I took a break from running. It might be because of the four days of straight running I did, I'm not sure. But I definitely rested those days.
Sunday, I did Saturday's workout. I kicked the treadmill's butt! I thought of the "death by treadmill" workouts that SmileLisa does, but I know it was not nearly as extreme. This was a 3 mile workout that the schedule indicates as "fast." For some reason, long runs don't faze me. But anything to do with speed... anyway-- that's why I'm doing this right? To get out of my comfort zone? :) Hal Higdon says this about the "fast" runs on the schedule:
Fast: For several of the Saturday runs, I suggest that you run "fast." How fast is "fast?" Again, that depends on your comfort level. Go somewhat faster than you would on a "run" day. If you are doing this workout right, you probably do not want to converse with your training partner, assuming you have one. It's okay now to get out of breath.
So I interpret this to mean: "uncomfortable." So for this run, I did a 6.5mph pace for the first mile (9:13min mile). Then the next .75 miles, I did my 8:30min mile pace! THEN, the next .25 miles, I did a 8min mile pace! I was DYING. So for the third mile, I went back down to the 6.5mph pace/9:13min mile. But for that last .25 mile, I blasted it at a 7:30min pace which totally killed me!
So that was my "fast" 3 miles. And I hated it. But it's growing pains to help me with my speed.
Yesterday, Monday, I did today's workout: 3 relaxed miles even though it was a rest day.
So the only workout I skipped so far is the 5 mile run, which I was supposed to do on Sunday. I am planning to do that today, and I'm excited because it's so nice out and I mapped out a better route than last time. I'll let you know how it goes!
My last journal entry was written on Thursday night, and so Friday and Saturday I took a break from running. It might be because of the four days of straight running I did, I'm not sure. But I definitely rested those days.
Sunday, I did Saturday's workout. I kicked the treadmill's butt! I thought of the "death by treadmill" workouts that SmileLisa does, but I know it was not nearly as extreme. This was a 3 mile workout that the schedule indicates as "fast." For some reason, long runs don't faze me. But anything to do with speed... anyway-- that's why I'm doing this right? To get out of my comfort zone? :) Hal Higdon says this about the "fast" runs on the schedule:
Fast: For several of the Saturday runs, I suggest that you run "fast." How fast is "fast?" Again, that depends on your comfort level. Go somewhat faster than you would on a "run" day. If you are doing this workout right, you probably do not want to converse with your training partner, assuming you have one. It's okay now to get out of breath.
So I interpret this to mean: "uncomfortable." So for this run, I did a 6.5mph pace for the first mile (9:13min mile). Then the next .75 miles, I did my 8:30min mile pace! THEN, the next .25 miles, I did a 8min mile pace! I was DYING. So for the third mile, I went back down to the 6.5mph pace/9:13min mile. But for that last .25 mile, I blasted it at a 7:30min pace which totally killed me!
So that was my "fast" 3 miles. And I hated it. But it's growing pains to help me with my speed.
Yesterday, Monday, I did today's workout: 3 relaxed miles even though it was a rest day.
So the only workout I skipped so far is the 5 mile run, which I was supposed to do on Sunday. I am planning to do that today, and I'm excited because it's so nice out and I mapped out a better route than last time. I'll let you know how it goes!
Replies
Great job Jessica!! That is so exciting! I am very happy to hear that you are whooping that treadmill\'s butt and making your runs happen. Some sources may disagree with me on this, but I feel like as long as you are getting your training in, you should have flexibility to pick which days you do certain runs. So as long as you are getting your rest (rest means no running *hint hint* ;) ), longer slow runs, and tempos in, it shouldn\'t matter what day # it falls on. You are doing so well with customizing this plan to fit your schedule and life. Go Jessica! :)
smileLisa is right about getting the workouts in and not worrying about the day of the week that you do them. However, you should keep the hard/easy concept in your schedule. If you have a hard day, the next should be either a rest day a very easy day. Generally speaking, it\'s best to limit the number of hard days to two a week (although some runners can do a lot more than that). Speed workouts are hard workouts. Long runs are hard workouts. If you miss a workout completely, don\'t worry about trying to make it up. Life happens. Missing a workout on occasion won\'t ruin your training. Many times it\'s what you really needed. Try to keep the overall mileage and intensity of the schedule and modify it as needed.
7:30 pace is moving pretty good. That\'s a lot more fun to do outside with the wind you create blowing by you. You\'ll get a much better sense of moving fast when you\'re outside.
Keep up the good work,
Todd
wow, I don\'t know a technical thing about running so I\'ll send encouragement and a hug!