Tuesday, May 1, 2012

All Things Considered

So I haven't posted in a month.  Blah blah didn't feel like it blah.  I'm posting now.

I ran sparingly throughout the month of March and the beginning of April.  I'm back on track with consistent running again, trying to build a good base in preparation for long races this fall.  I'm also looking at a 15k on the 12th of May, so I'm trying to get ready for that as quickly as I can.

I had a nice 8 mile run on Sunday, with 7 miles just a little slower than what I thought would be my 15k race pace.  Afterward, I thought about how well that turned out, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.  Then I was reading someone's blog (I don't remember who's), and they had a so-so performance, and said they were happy with it, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.

Then came this morning, 2x2 miles at around a 5k pace.  I decided based on my previous tempo work that if I could put both reps under 15 minutes it would be a good run.  14:49, 14:53, check and check.  At the end of the second interval I should have been wasted - completely blasted with nothing left.  I wasn't.  I think I could have put a 3rd interval in the 15 minute range if there had been time for 2 more miles.  My heart rate came down fairly quickly, my conditioning is much better than expected right now.

All things considered, I think the expression is an excuse.  Saying it is like giving ourselves permission to just be adequate.  There is far too much "meets expectations" in our lives right now.  Running is one of the things that a person has absolute control over - we're not running on teams, we're only accountable to ourselves.  If we want to take it easy, we can, if not, it is entirely up to us to stick with a hard workout and see it through.  When given the choice, I'd really like to be the kind of person who busts his ass working hard, regardless of the task.

All things considered, I need to quit being so wimpy and run hard when the schedule calls for it.

2 comments:

  1. Great post! I am a lazy runner and when it gets to winter in South Africa, I quit running for a few months. This year, however, I have decided not to stop but run throughout, even if I just manage once a week. I am not going to use the excuse of 'It's too cold' anymore and hopefully by the time Summer rolls in, I'll be ready to tackle races again.

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    Replies
    1. Yea, but you can get by with running less in the winter. Winter is time to build your base with easy miles.

      How cold does it get in South Africa?

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