the last 2 runs i've had were plain sucky. my easy run didn't feel easy at all and my 6 mile tempo run turned into a 3 mile suck-fest. it's like someone had poured cement into my shoes and veins.today i realized i was just mentally pushing myself too hard. after a month of training for 2 races where i totally surprised myself, i had switched into type-a mode and my running turned into numbers and performance. my running had become work.
so i took the pressure off and told myself to just have FUN. my plan was to log in an hour on the treadmill but not worry about speed or time. i didn't bring my watch and covered up the display panel. and i ran to my heart's content. when my hour was up, i felt i could go for more, but i considered myself victorious for the day and decided to take an extra long time stretching.
i like this kind of running much better.
on another note, i finally decided i was about due for new shoes. one pair was already a year old and the one i trained in the most was about 9 months old. to my excitement, my custom orthotics meant i could ditch the heavy frankenstein motion control shoes for a lighter stability shoe. the difference is only a few ounces, but i could feel the difference instantly. my new brooks adrenalines feel super great: supportive yet cushiony. they honestly feel like i'm not wearing shoes at all. we'll see how they perform in the next 7 weeks leading up to santa cruz!
4 comments:
Sweet kicks!
I love those kind of runs where you aren't so focussed on numbers, just punch the time on the clock and have at it! Nice job!
Smart move. Whenever I get all caught up in pace / miles / HR etc, I just have to go out and run and remember that I do this because it's fun.
Love the new shoes! It's easy to get wrapped up in the numbers when you are in the middle of training! But then the running isn't fun any more, and it starts feeling like one more thing to cross off of the do to list. Good for you for finding a way to get back to the enjoyment of it!
I've gone through about 25 pairs of the Brooks Adrenalines and they are fantastic! I get about 500 miles out of a pair. If you really like them you might want to buy another pair in about a month and then start to alternate the shoes between runs. It gives the shoe's foam more time to recover and provides you with better cushioning over a longer period of time.
Don't let the sucky run drag you down. Remember the great runs and let the bad ones fade. You may have not eaten properly, slept well, or perhaps had a stessfull week that drug you down. Blow it off and move on!
Looks like you have a fun running schedule ahead of you. My wife Michelle is also running the Nike Womans Marathon. She's doing a girls weekend with about 10 others for the race. Look out SF here they come!
Run Happy in those new Brooks!
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