Tuesday, October 10, 2006

I think I just ran my last fall speedwork session!

I haven't decided yet for sure, but I think that tonight was my last speed session for the fall season. Most likely, I won't run a speed session next week, as the big race will only be a few days out at that point. I'm afraid that if I chance another speedwork session next week I'll get hurt and be totally screwed.
I kind of get paranoid at this point in the training program and start thinking about all the random ways I could get hurt and mess up my race. I'm somewhat accident prone, as most of you have probably determined by now, so for the next two weeks I'm seriously contemplating bubble wrapping my entire body.
Anyway tonight's workout: I ran 1200m repeats, and I must say...I smoked them. My goal for each repetition was 6:03 and I ran all four repetitions well under that (5:18; 5:31; 5:49, 5:39). I averaged out at about a 7:15 pace when I did the math. Disclaimer here: that may be slightly inaccurate as math was never my strong suit...hence the reason I'm a physical therapist and not an accountant.
I really thought that I was stinking the place up, as I felt like crap. I'm so allergic to all the fall pollen. I felt like my chest was in a vise and my sinuses were draining like crazy. I kept telling myself just to finish the repetition that I was running and then I could cut the workout short. Knowing all along as I told myself that I could quit early, that I wouldn't. Everyone knows that I am the queen of guilt trips and I'd make myself feel so awful about missing mileage that I'd have to find a way to make it up...even if it was only 3/4 of a mile. I know, that's awful.
Long story short, I finished the run, all of it. I'm really glad that I made myself get out there and do this workout tonight. All day long they've been forecasting rain, and I kind of had my fingers crossed that we'd get it so I could just get a nice leisurely treadmill run in today instead. The whole time I was running, I kept thinking (and hoping) that I was feeling rain; but alas, it was not to be.
Now that speedwork is out of the way (or is it?) I can focus on finalizing my pace goals for Chicago. I've decided that my ideal goal is a Boston qualifying 3:40, a more realistic goal that would satisfy me is under 4:00, and my just okay goal is anything that is an improvement on my previous PR of 4:19.
Now I just have to figure out how to plan to achieve my ideal goal so that if I don't make it at least I'll be in a good position to meet my acceptable, realistic goal.

1 comment:

MNFirefly said...

Awesome job!