Today's run was hard. The scheduled workout was 5 X 10 minutes at a 6:45 pace; 3 minutes easy in between sets. In addition to the tough workout, it was 84 degrees; but with the humidity, felt like 92.
Let's be honest, with 10 days to Lean horse; this was the last significant workout. Although I know this workout would probably not affect my performance at Lean Horse, I realized I needed to nail this workout if just for mental reassurance. As I was running this, I knew I could do it, but it was hard. Then I thought, how easy is running 50 miles? I can surely put up with 50 minutes of running today because in a couple weeks, I'll be needing to put up with a quite a few hard hours of running.
I checked my Garmin for my splits. I ended up running about a 1 1/2 miles each interval, with paces coming in at 6:43; 6:42; 6:44; 6:45; 6:44. I hit it. After my last split, I gave myself an imaginary pat on the back and thought "a job well done - a great confidence booster!"
On a side note; I was out running for about an hour and twenty minutes today. People ask me, "What do you think about on your runs for so long?"
I think many different things. Today, I gave some thought to coaching my two sons' soccer teams, I thought about some of the stuff I needed to get done at work, that my garage needs to be cleaned out, and my tools need to get organized in my basement.
However, I'll admit, I'm a "simple minded" guy. I usually think about things as I'm in the moment. For example, when I'm at work, I think about work stuff. When I'm coaching my sons' soccer teams, I think about soccer; when I'm home, I think about the stuff that needs to get done around the house. SO, while I run, the majority of my thoughts are about, you guessed it, running...
Today's time was spent thinking about hitting those pace marks, if I was running too fast, too hard, or too slow. I thought about how good it felt to go fast, and how easy an 8:25 pace felt compared to the 6:45 pace. I thought about keeping hydrated and staying in the shade as much as I could to keep cool.
Sorry - nothing too dramatic here - like I said, a simple guy with a simple mind!
FYI...I tried the Clif Crisp Apple with caffeine electrolyte replacement drink mix today. Let's say is has been "tossed". The HEED subtle strawberry flavor so far is still the pick.
Very impressive!
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