At 9:30 tonight - on my way home from the gym - my car said it was 92 degrees. Today was just a sauna - something like 100, with a heat index over 115.
To make matters worse, the air conditioner at work is broken, so I am spending sweltering days in my cube. I was happy yesterday that the heat didn't get above 80 degrees. Today it was rubbing 82. I left a little early. Tomorrow I'm going to go in for a standup meeting, and then come home - where my air conditioner works - before leaving for a weekend at the BBC with the Usual Suspects and Matt and Jen. It appears to be a little better down there - merely topping out in the mid to high 90s. And the air conditioner at the BBC is a little weak, too. Great.
So - listless from all the heat - we ordered sushi from Chiu's, and about 8 something I figured - this was my best chance to go to the gym and get a run in. Because as much as I might want to 30-30-30, that might not happen if morning temps are in the 80s at the beach....
I was already resigned to redoing the last run. It called for 20 minutes non-stop and I couldn't do it. I had to stop for 3 minutes after 10 minutes of running. So I wanted to do it this time - run for a solid 20 minutes. I got in my car and looked at the C25K app and saw Week 6 started off with a run 5 - walk 3 - run 8 - walk 3 - run 5. Definitely doable - but I wanted that challenge. I wanted to get that 20 minute straight run in, dammit!
Went upstairs to the treadmills, stretched, and did the same as last run - not wired in to anything, just propped the C25K app up on the treadmill, did my 5 minute walk warmup, and then dialed it up to 5mph, and went for it - keeping my arms low and loose. The first five minutes practically flew by. I had a little tightness in the bad left calf, but nothing bad. The second 5 was a little more effort. The leg tightened up a little more, and it felt like I was never going to get out of the 13 minute zone.
I hit the halfway point and was like, I can do this! I got it licked! Somewhere after the 10 minute mark my calf loosened up a little, and then went sort tingly and numb - didn't hurt, didn't pop, but it was kinda strange. That 3rd 5 minutes wasn't bad either, but near the end, it was feeling long and was taking some effort, and I had to call on a little inspiration.
The last five minutes was ... interesting. My calf was numb - so I wasn't worried it would pop, but it did give me some concern. I was a little labored, but generally okay. I didn't seriously think I needed to quit - I entertained the idea, but it was relatively easy to go - nah, just keep going. But my GOD, it seemed that half the run was in that last 5 minutes. The time just wasn't moving. I was stuck on 4 minutes, and 3 minutes, and 2 minutes. And then I kinda started to struggle. But I was bound and determined to get this 20 in.
I looked up for most of the last minute - I don't think I saw it go to :59. But by the time I looked down - I was at the last 10 seconds. Good feeling!
So, here's the thing. I really want to do 6mph+. It's a small goal, but I feel like that puts me in striking distance of an under 30 minute 5k. It's still slow, but it's kind of this psychological thing. When I started running again earlier this spring, I was whipping off 6.5mph to 6.7mph, and it felt natural and it felt good. Granted, that was for short time periods. But I was proud of that pace.
But I just haven't been able to sustain it. Since I started recording this stuff - 6+ is just too fast for me; I burn out early and the rest of the run is a struggle to catch air. I've dropped to 5.5mph, thinking I could push it later in the run. But like the last run, I couldn't even do that - I bottomed out at 10 minutes running 5.5mph.
So, I tried 5mph and it was okay. So maybe that's my pace. Which is kinda depressing. That's a 12 minute mile - which puts me at 36 minutes plus for a 5k. Hell, my Thanksgiving run was better than that and I ran a crappy race that day and was all over the place. But maybe that's what my pace is. After all, my goal - as I told someone today - is to a) survive and b) finish. No time goals, I just want to go out there and finish the tri.....
And run a 6+....
So I came home and pulled Beth's roller out and did a little rolling on my calf. Still a little wonky feeling, but I think I worked a little something out of it. Tomorrow it's to the beach, and I'm not sure what exercise I'm going to get in - maybe some evening swimming? But - if the heat cooperates - I really want to try a 30-30-30 Sunday morning.
No comments:
Post a Comment