I Can't Count .... Failed Speed Session

Goal: 8 x 200m then 1 mile at sub 6:30 then another 8 x 200m

Well that was a complete cock up.

It all started so well too. I trotted up and down the path and did a nice little warm up run, then measured the 200m* from a big blue signpost and drew a line on the path with a stone as my finish line. See – all organised. Feeling smug, I jogged back carefully to my blue signpost – my starting line – and took a deep breath and set off.

I’d estimated that my speed would have to be just slightly less effort than a flat out sprint, so started off feeling like a smaller, more feminine version of Usain Bolt (although I quite sure I looked Insane rather than Usain with my mad eyes fixed on my finish line and arms waving like mad) however the distance seemed a lot further than I’d expected. I got about two-thirds of the way and I still had much further to go.

My legs started going on strike and refused to maintain the speed and I started slowing down coming up to the finish like. Well that was a LOT harder than I’d expected. Checked my Garmin. 57 seconds. Really?! I was supposed to be starting these intervals every minute, I was completely whacked and I was expected to have THREE SECONDS recovery?

I’d obviously been hopelessly slow. There was no way I could set off at that pace again with 3 seconds recovery. I wasn’t sure I could do that distance at that pace again with 3 MINUTES recovery. Definitely not another 15 repeats with a fast mile in the middle.

I just couldn’t do it.

I decided to cut this session short and find a hill to run up instead. I set off up Hardingstone Hill and while puffing and panting my way up the top, it struck me. I suddenly twigged why I couldn’t do the 200s ... because they weren’t 200s ...

I’d measured the distance out on my Garmin but I’d set it in miles so I’d measured 0.2 miles* not 200 metres for the interval. Ah. Whoops. Instead of running 200m, I’d run 320m. No wonder a) it took me bloody ages. B) why I couldn’t maintain the pace and c) why my legs were most definitely telling me they weren’t doing another 15 repeats at that pace over that distance.

Oh well. I carried on running up the hill. The run wasn’t a disaster. It was just going to be a different session to the one I’d originally planned. With less intervals. And more hills.

Garmin Info Here:

Speed Session Fail ... but still a good day

Today was supposed to be a good, hard speed session. Well actually … yesterday was supposed to be this session, but after a couple of fairly intense cross country runs on consecutive days I’d had a rest day yesterday instead.

So … TODAY was supposed to be the good, hard speed session. It all started off well enough. I had 5 x 4 mins of 10k pace which was to be 6:30 – 6:45 min/miles with a minute rest, then 5 x 2 mins of 5k pace (6:20 – 6:30 min/miles) with a minute break.

After a warm up - including a run back to the car when I realised I’d left my sunglasses on (only realised when I went for a pre-run wee and nearly dropped them down the loo) – I set off. This pretty much set the tone for the entire session.

For some reason even my warm up wasn’t comfortable. I was doing a steady 8:30 – 9 min/mile which is a reasonably slow warm up pace for me. Stretched the warm up out a bit longer … maybe it was the heavy lunch I’d had a couple of hours earlier … or hayfever … or gnat fear. Was grasping at excuses to try and explain why I didn’t want to do a speed session.

Deep breath and pressed the lap button. Realised I was going a bit too quickly so adjusted my pace down, turned the corner and straight into a headwind. I pushed on, but I found I was tiring quicker than I should have been even with the wind. The seconds were taking forever to tick past and it felt like the 4 minutes would never end. Gasp … drag legs on … splutter … Finally the beep meant I could stop.

One minutes break REALLY didn’t feel like enough. Gave myself a mental shake. This is a speed session. It’s MEANT to hurt. Suck it up, buttercup.

Set off on the second lap … puff, pant. WHY is this feeling so hard? I know I can run this pace! I ran this pace at the end of my MARATHON for the sprint finish. Argh! I finished the lap with nothing left in the tank. Nothing.

I stopped for my minute to see how recovered I felt, but even TWO minutes later I was puffed out. I wasn’t going to manage 5 of these … let alone 5 x 5k pace intervals after these.

The feeling of failing at a speed session is even more extreme than the huge high after a successful one. But it wasn’t going to happen. There was a problem for some reason. Whether it WAS the heavy lunch, hayfever or just a bit under the weather, I wasn’t going to manage this session. Sometimes, doing the right thing just means knowing when NOT to run.

It wasn’t any less frustrating even so. I knew I could run this speed – in fact I’d run intervals at faster than this last week with only 15 seconds recovery, rather than the generous minute today.

Sigh.

I’d managed only 2 intervals, but that didn’t mean that this had to be a failed run. A failed run would be one where I trailed home not having bothered even trying. I’d tried and while I hadn’t done the session, I’d expected to, I still count any day that I run as a good day. It’s my ME time. My time I can please myself and not have to make inane conversation or pick up toys from the living room carpet or try not to get irritated when the car in front of me stalls at the traffic lights. My time to think my own thoughts and listen to my own breathing and the sound of my feet on the trail.

Any day I run is a GOOD day.

Week 8, Day 4: 5 x 1 miles ... Didn't Happen

Week 8, Day 4

Goal: 5 x 1 mile repeats at 7 – 7.30 min/mile (8 mile total)

Actual: 3 x 1 mile repeats at 6:45 min/mile (7 mile total)

I was looking forward to this session. I’d had a busy day but this was a session I was confident about. I’d hit well within this pace running 5 miles in a Santa outfit on Christmas day … 3 hours after Christmas dinner so I was pretty sure that I could fly around the track and enjoy this one.

The plan was a 2 mile warm up around the town and then back to the track to start the session. The warm up was fine and although the night was chilly, it wasn’t any colder than it had been for the last few days.

I started the session and struggled to keep my pace steady. I’d taken my jacket off for the first set as I tend to get very warm when I’m running – I prefer to run in a vest and capris if possible … even in February! – but I was getting very cold and feeling unusually fatigued. The first 4 laps were completed in just under a 7 min/mile but this wasn’t particularly comfortable.

I spent the 2 minute break between repeats putting my jacket back on as I was struggling to keep warm and my fingers felt swollen. I completed the second set and again struggled to keep the pace and I couldn’t clench my fists as I was getting too cold.

There was something wrong here. I decided that I would try to complete the third mile repeat and call it a day. I’m all for pushing through, but it felt like there was nothing in the tank and the only thing that I would manage if I did the full 5 sets would be an injury and increasingly inconsistent laps. I don’t tend to give up but I felt there would be nothing to be gained here. There’s a difference between normal running pain and what I was feeling here. My body was saying “this is enough”.

Possible reasons for the struggle:

• I’d been in a sauna at lunchtime trialling a new gym and it could have been dehydration … although I’d had 2 glasses of apple juice and 2 enormous mugs of tea.
• We’d been training at work and I hadn’t had time to eat before the session and it had been over 6 hours since lunchtime … although it had been an enormous lunch.
• I wasn’t dressed properly for the cold weather … although I wasn’t dressed differently than usual.
• I was coming down with a cold – my 3 year old has a hacking cough and a high temperature at the moment … although no symptoms have since materialised. 
• I’m putting it down to a combination of the factors above. Also I have to have a difficult session every now and then … if every session went completely to plan what would be the point of hard work and practise?

Summary

2 mile warm up

3 x 1 miles on the track at 6:45 min/miles

2 mile cool down

Week 8, Day 2: Garmin Troubles & a Lack of Light

Week 8, Day 2

Goal: 5 x 1600 in 7 – 7:30 min/mile ... changed halfway through to Thursday’s session of 6m with middle 2 at HM pace

Actual: 6.12m total with middle mile 1 at 6:58 min/mile and middle mile 2 at 7:30 min/mile.

I struggle with Tuesdays. It’s a dash home on the M1 through rush hour traffic to get to the nursery before 6pm and then a whirlwind of stories, baths and settling of the 3 year old. Then it’s a wait until 11pm to pass over the child monitor before I can head out for a run.

Last night, I had planned to run the mile repeats. I’d diligently used a route planner website and drawn out a route which was slightly over a mile and wasn’t too hilly, deserted or busy. The trick was finding the fine line between having to constantly dodge people and hurdle canines and choosing somewhere so deserted that I’d get spooked if a rabbit  hopped across my path. The route I’d chosen seemed fine. Interestingly bendy, a bit of a hill and a few roads to cross but it was street lit and less than 2 miles from home.

I completed the 1.5m warm up and ended up at exactly at the start of the loop. Perfect. Set the Garmin to record my average pace over a mile – GO! 6:58 min/mile. Fine.

Tried to reset the Garmin for the next mile ... nope. It wasn’t playing. Pressed the right buttons. Then the wrong buttons. Then tried to play Fur Elise. The Garmin wasn’t having any of it.  

I would struggle to complete the laps properly without having an average pace. The loop was on a housing estate and there were a lot of corners and hopping on and off of kerbs. If I could record the average, then at least I’d get an idea but just checking the Garmin occasionally wouldn’t give me a very accurate idea. Bother.

At least I knew the route and the distance of the loop. I decided to do another loop at 7:30 minute mile and complete 6 miles and substitute this run for Thursday’s session which was 6 miles with the middle 2 miles at half marathon pace (7:30 min/mile). The first lap would have been slightly too quick, but the rest of the run would be fine. See ... not a complete loss!

Completed the lap at half marathon pace and then ran a gentle lap for a cool down and ... darkness. Someone had pushed the ‘Power Off’ button on the streetlights and everything was suddenly plunged into darkness. I’d forgotten about this ...

The council had decided that as a cost saving measure that they would turn the streetlights off between midnight and 6am. In theory ... marvellous. We all save money and wouldn’t need the streetlights because we would all be in bed sound asleep dreaming of our next working day as good citizens.

However, the council didn’t consider that there might be a few people who might NOT be in bed asleep and who might appreciate the guaranteed hours of darkness to go and pilfer other people’s belongs. And mad runners, too of course.

There wasn’t a lot of lycra around, but the amount of cars up on bricks because of having their wheels stolen was getting ridiculous. You would have thought the police would be able to track the wheel thieves down by finding out who was buying bricks in multiples of 4 ...

At least the session was completed ... even if my run home was slightly more murky than I’d expected. I hadn’t worn a headtorch this evening, but this meant I could slip in and out of the shadows unseen and unnoticed. I’d like to say unheard too but with my heavy breathing it sounded as though a prank caller was practising out on the streets.  

Session Summary:

Distance: 6.12 miles

1.5 mile warm up – comfortable pace

1 mile lap at 6:58 min/mile

1 mile lap at 7:30 min/mile

1 mile cool down

1.5 mile panicked sprint home.

Hula Hoops Don't Work On Me

Decided I really should do some exercise other than running and as I’d bought a DVD on hula aerobics 6 months ago which hadn’t even been taken out of its cellophane, I thought this might be the exercise for me. I got a hula hoop from The Mr’s dad who had a brief moment of enthusiasm for hooping but had given it up as a bad job. This should have been my first warning. Mind you, The Mr’s Dad isn’t really what you think of when you think of someone who does hula hooping.

The hula hoop was yellow and green striped with a sparkly pink bit and it had beads inside it which rattled when it moved. It was obviously a kids hula hoop but as it fitted around my middle without my middle touching the edges I couldn’t see this being a problem.

My Nemesis ...

I put the DVD on and did the warm up with consisted of shaking bits of your body and waving your bum in a circle, rather like a cat on heat. No problems there. Must have been a moggy in a previous life. The next part was where it all went wrong.

The instructor (who DID look like someone who hula hooped) picked up the hula hoop and started effortlessly spinning it round her midriff. I picked my hoop up too. It fell down. This was to be a theme.

I’ve done hula hooping before and I’m positive it wasn’t this hard last time. I picked the hoop up, waving my bottom frantically, the hoop circled my middle in a listless sort of a way once or twice and then it fell down.  The instructor gave ‘helpful’ information like “If the hoops starts falling down, move your hips down and it should come back up”. It didn’t. It just meant I was sitting on the floor. On the hoop.

Humph.

After 8 minutes of me dropping the hoop every 7 seconds, tripping over 13 times and knocking everything off the shelves, I decided that today is obviously not the day for hooping. I would consign this hoop to the role of giant hoopla ring (should I ever need to hoop anything really big) and go in search of a proper hula hoop. Suitable for adults. And idiots unable to hula hoop without help.

First Club Run ... Thumbs Down!!

First race with the club made me feel I had really let myself ... and everyone else down.

I had had a tummy upset throughout the day but had felt fine in myself and was really looking forward to the run. I was a bit nervous as it was my first run with the club – with any club - so I wanted to do well and I was meeting up with a few people there.

A few people had said how hilly it was, but I tend to do quite well on hilly courses usually and I find they’re a bit more strategic than the flat out runs. A bit more interesting too. But I struggled from the off.

I went off too fast and got caught up in the moment. After 2.5km my tummy started gurgling and I started thinking about dropping out. I’ve never not finished a race before and I was telling myself to keep going otherwise the next race will feel harder but I hated every moment of it. I kept visualising a big DNF next to my name and thinking about how humiliating it would be. At 3km there was a corner and I stood next to the marshall and said „I’m out“. But a clubmate caught up to me and said, „come on, run with me and we’ll walk up the next hill“.  A club member who’s quicker than me at track and who I’ve hardly spoken to before, slowed down to help me.

Totally summed up the friendliness of the club. Someone who hardly knows me stopped to help and to encourage me. We ran the whole way to the finish, overtaking people and not really being overtaken and running up all the hills. I didn’t feel great and a marshall driving past asked if I were OK – obviously not looking my healthiest at that moment – but I didn’t stop.

The last 0.4km was the hardest. Bizarrely the sign which said 400m to go made me feel worse not better. But I kept going and overtook someone else with about 200m to go.

I finished almost 4.5 minutes slower than my last 10k but so, so grateful to my club mate for pushing me through. A friend who joined the club recently did really well and I could honestly be thrilled at her success rather than jealous. My irritation was purely at myself for not doing enough tempo work. But ... learn from mistakes. At least I now know what I need to concentrate on.