But convincing the mind is the hard part.
So yesterday, Speedy Track Club decided to substitute the regular weekly interval workout with a one-mile time trial. I knew about it for a few weeks, but I hadn't really bought in to it. I guess I could run an all-out mile. But I did so well in the summer with the mile (a surprising 5:52) that I wasn't motivated to try and beat that yet. But my training is going well, so I figured I'd give it a shot.
Then JJ posted on Loopville that she did a 5:58. There's some motivation, right? Kind of wanted to beat that.
So I warm up with a mile, and I feel sluggish. Then we do 6x100 accelerations. Meh. Then 6x200 at race pace with 100 jogs. Dang! That's pretty hard work for before a race! I just wasn't feeling speedy. And I think I was afraid of the pain that running sub-6 would bring. Mentally I had already checked out. I was considering bailing altogether and not running it. Then I thought I would just run a hard 6:30 or so. Walking to the line, I still hadn't decided on a strategy.
There are two guys I do intervals with that are normally the same pace as I am. And they are master pacers. Every interval they are right on pace. They were shooting for sub-6. So I figured to chase them for a while and see how it felt. Stay close to 6 minute pace and hopefully I could finish strong and go sub-6.
So off we go, and I slip into my spot behind the fast people and ahead of the slower ones. My pacers were just ahead of me, but already slipping away. And I let them. I had already convinced myself not to really push myself. Fail.
But I was still running hard. Went through lap 1 in 90 seconds anyway. Surprised me a little. So I thought I might as well keep this up for a while. It was hard, but I figured to keep at it as long as my body would let me. Lap two my pacers got a little further ahead (20 yards maybe?) and I ran 92.
Lap 3 I was hurting, but passed a couple people and maintained. Another 92. But now I could smell the finish and pushed on the gas - and there was plenty left in the tank! It was tough, but I was accelerating. I started to catch up to my pacers who had gotten further ahead. I realized maybe I could slip under 6 if I cranked it up. So I did. And there was even more left! On the last stretch I probably made up ten yards on my guys, and Garmin had me running sub-5 pace, but I finished just behind them by about a second. In 6:01. D'oh!
So, last lap 87. And the speed I felt at the end convinced me I definitely could have run faster. Probably a lot faster. I just needed to tell myself to shut up and go out harder and go for it. Oh well. Lesson learned. My negative mind conquered my able body. This time.
Still. 6:01 is pretty fast. And now I want to smash it next year! No reason I can't get a lot faster! (if I stay healthy) 5:30 sounds like a good goal...
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