I didn't get to walk out the 10K route today. A lot of things did not go the way I wanted today, and I didn't feel well. Additionally, it was 90 degrees today and as I felt worse and worse, I was worried about my run.
I kept referring back to some of the best running advice I've received - essentially, don't think about it, just do it, because you're always going to feel awesome afterwards, so why bother debating it with yourself?
However, I had a bad headache, and my stomach is quite unsettled, and I'm falling-asleep-on-my-feet tired...I also got a blister from my Interview Shoes this morning...combined with the heat, I was genuinely concerned that I may not feel better after a run today.
Since I didn't get to run in Columbia, and then part of my day got sucked away, it became apparent I would have to run close to dusk again today to avoid as much heat as possible. I don't know, it was just a day where everywhere I looked I saw an excuse, some more valid than others. One thing about this training schedule, though, is that if I don't do a day, it really screws up the whole system, and that gives me more motivation than anything else. I don't want to have to repeat another week!
After my third or so nap today, and supper, I headed out at dusk, with storms breathing down my neck. I decided to re-do the route from Day 19, since it's another walk 5, run 7, walk 5 day. I shortened the opening walk by a block, so that I would be able to gauge about where my finish would be (I was so tired at the end of the run, I'm not exactly sure where I stopped on Day 19), and it would be closer to a 5 minute walk home.
It really felt like a long way down that main road, but I realized knowing where the finish was helped with today's run. 7 minutes is a long ways, no point in checking the time. I was breathing very well today, and I stayed focused on it. Since I could actually breathe through my nose, I made sure to do that, and did so most of the route. My breathing was very, very controlled, and I was ecstatic about it. I wasn't winded, I still thought I was keeping a pretty good pace, and except for a couple of very quick little twinges in my side, I was in no pain, not even from my blister!
I still felt lightheaded/dizzy, but I cannot believe how amazing it was to not be panting like a freak show for the run today. This is a really big deal for me. With the summer heat coming, I fear I'm going to end up running on the tiny track at our gym. I'd rather not have everyone in the entire gym be able to hear my breathing, but if I can repeat today, I'd be comfortable there.
I ran with my mp3 again today, and listened to Tchaikovsky for the entire run. I'm realizing that listening to the classics really is a good way for me to stay calm and keep a good pace.
Anyway, I only considered looking at the clock once, and that was early on, when I knew I was nowhere near the finish line, so I decided not to. I just kept going until the alarm went off. I felt AMAZING. I literally could have kept running, possibly for minutes longer. In spite of all the things that were hurting and bothering me, I had a perfect run - I. could. not. BELIEVE. how great I felt when the alarm went off. It took me no time to get my breath back, and I hustled on home. I was still too far away to make it exactly in 5 minutes, but it was closer.
My 5K/10K time predictor wasn't all that fantastic, but I have a lot more faith in being able to increase to 8 minutes running in two days. I'm also getting better and better with the breathing, and I'm more certain than ever that running at night, with classic music, is the way to go for me. I felt so good (this is probably a huge mistake), I didn't even ice when I got home.
On another note, back to Brother's 10K story, his coach told him something to the effect of, not to worry about the finish, but to relish in the fact he had done something that some 99% of people would never do. We weren't sure about that percentage, so I tried to do some research. It's hard to gauge how many people run in marathons (of any given distance), because there simply isn't a good way to gather all the data. However, the numbers I found online still hold that only 1-8% of the population run marathons. My competitive nature is kicking in. I don't care about winning one (duh), but I do care about doing something that 99% of people will never do.
Weather: 82, Cloudy/Dusk, No Wind, 71% Humidity
Time: 8pm, Walk 5, Run 7, Walk 6
Distance: 1.97K (1.23m)
Elevation: +30.1/-30.6/net -.6 ft
5K/10K: 49:14/1:44:04
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