So, I've been so inspired by running that I am blogging three times in a week. I think this means I will also return to my writing for other things soon and try to finish the book I'd started.
In any case, yet another lesson from yesterday. Yesterday was my first run with a my training partner, Lauren, since May 7. That was after her marathon run--for which I had spent a lot of time training with her--and before I had my running meltdown on Mother's Day. She had been at the 5K on Sunday, when my running was anything but consistent (6:29, 7:01, 6:58) but hadn't run as she'd just gotten back from London.
So, we arrived at the track and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was open by about 5:15. We didn't have big plans for the track workout. We just wanted to start--her toward feeling herself after not running much while she was away and me toward feeling like myself in my running again. I had told her that unlike most of the winter and early spring workouts where I was pacing her, I was going to be the "rabbit" for her to chase.
So, we ended up doing "just" 6x400. (For those who don't run track that is one lap around an Olympic track.) Neither one of us really needed to push as I had done my not so hot 5K on Sunday followed by a hard distance workout on Monday and she was congested. But my 400's were run at 1:26.8, 1:28.7, 1:28.4, 1:28.3, 1:28.4, and 1:26.4. That last one was a little faster mostly because my watch was not ready to start when we got to the starting line, and I encouraged my friend to run ahead. When my watch was ready, I caught and passed her before finishing. She ran 1:40's the whole time and then came in around 1:38.
Running only 1.5 miles at pace--not the longest track workout we'd ever done. Running 1:26's to 1:28's for me--not the hardest I'd ever run. The key was that this was the most consistent run I'd don in a long time. With the inexactness of starting and stopping one's own watch, these were really all essentially the same time. And that was with no one right by my side. And it was with just a sense of how to keep myself going.
Sometimes the consistency is the most important thing. Whether it is in running--to get into a groove and feel like I can keep going. Whether it is in career--not trying to cram too many things in too early but to spread things out and build over time. Whether it is in parenting--making sure that the kids aren't given too much to do all at once but are allowed to grown and develop at a pace. Whether it is in studying--making sure that one pace's oneself going along rather than waiting until the end.
So, some things in life can start too fast and fizzle. Some things in life are dangerous to wait and then stress out at the end. Consistency is good. And yesterday was a great way to be reminded of that. Now, I hope to be able to take this back to my next race.
For that, I have to build not just the consistency but the distance as well. That is the next challenge.
In any case, yet another lesson from yesterday. Yesterday was my first run with a my training partner, Lauren, since May 7. That was after her marathon run--for which I had spent a lot of time training with her--and before I had my running meltdown on Mother's Day. She had been at the 5K on Sunday, when my running was anything but consistent (6:29, 7:01, 6:58) but hadn't run as she'd just gotten back from London.
So, we arrived at the track and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was open by about 5:15. We didn't have big plans for the track workout. We just wanted to start--her toward feeling herself after not running much while she was away and me toward feeling like myself in my running again. I had told her that unlike most of the winter and early spring workouts where I was pacing her, I was going to be the "rabbit" for her to chase.
So, we ended up doing "just" 6x400. (For those who don't run track that is one lap around an Olympic track.) Neither one of us really needed to push as I had done my not so hot 5K on Sunday followed by a hard distance workout on Monday and she was congested. But my 400's were run at 1:26.8, 1:28.7, 1:28.4, 1:28.3, 1:28.4, and 1:26.4. That last one was a little faster mostly because my watch was not ready to start when we got to the starting line, and I encouraged my friend to run ahead. When my watch was ready, I caught and passed her before finishing. She ran 1:40's the whole time and then came in around 1:38.
Running only 1.5 miles at pace--not the longest track workout we'd ever done. Running 1:26's to 1:28's for me--not the hardest I'd ever run. The key was that this was the most consistent run I'd don in a long time. With the inexactness of starting and stopping one's own watch, these were really all essentially the same time. And that was with no one right by my side. And it was with just a sense of how to keep myself going.
Sometimes the consistency is the most important thing. Whether it is in running--to get into a groove and feel like I can keep going. Whether it is in career--not trying to cram too many things in too early but to spread things out and build over time. Whether it is in parenting--making sure that the kids aren't given too much to do all at once but are allowed to grown and develop at a pace. Whether it is in studying--making sure that one pace's oneself going along rather than waiting until the end.
So, some things in life can start too fast and fizzle. Some things in life are dangerous to wait and then stress out at the end. Consistency is good. And yesterday was a great way to be reminded of that. Now, I hope to be able to take this back to my next race.
For that, I have to build not just the consistency but the distance as well. That is the next challenge.
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