Wow, it is so hard to believe it is only two weeks to Stow Lake 5K & the end of my spring racing season, and only about 3.5 weeks until my vacation!
I don't know why it should be so funny to notice training working and yet it never fails to entertain me. This week's mid-week workout was 6 x 1K at 5Kish pace (not that I really know what that is right now, but the intervals were supposed to be at roughly 6:40-7:05 pace). On paper that still seems REALLY FAST to me but on the first three intervals I found myself running ~6:45ish pace, I don't want to say comfortably, but with a feeling like "You know what, this isn't that awful, I could do it for a while."
The last three definitely got harder, particularly keeping the legs turning over quickly towards the end of the interval, but I still managed the last one at 6:48 pace without feeling like I was going to die. So in the end I ran them all between 6:41-6:48 pace. If you'd have asked me a year ago if that was ever in the cards again, I probably would have laughed. Even just a few months ago I probably would have grimaced doubtfully.
Then on Sunday I had 12 miles, with fartleks for the middle four, 2:00 fast/2:00 easy, which I decided to do actually *at* Stow Lake because a) it's a nice place to run & b) I never really run fast there it & seemed like I might as well take the opportunity to practice.
"Fast" wasn't really defined so I tried to do the first 2:00 by feel & without looking at my watch, aiming for "as fast I can run that feels like I can do it eight times without redlining" & apparently that was around 6:45 pace, which shouldn't have surprised me after Tuesday but still kind of did. (I even saw 5:51-5:52 pace on my watch for some of that last hard 2:00, and you can be sure any time I see sub-6:00 on my watch under any circumstances, I will 100% mention it on the internet.)
While obviously I need the physical benefits of all the speed-focused stuff as much as anyone who is trying to run a fast 5K, I actually think my bigger hurdle has been mental; it's been so long since I've been able to run a 5K at sub-7:00 pace and so long since it was a pace I ran with any regularity that it's hard to believe it's something I can actually do, even with the right training. Running these workouts at what to me still feel like SOOOOPER fast paces has helped my brain kind of re-calibrate & go, "Okay, you know what, yes, 6:45 is a pretty hard and somewhat painful pace and also you have now trained your body so that it can actually maintain it for a while, possibly for an entire five kilometers."
Because after those workouts, I did find myself thinking that, yes, I actually think that physically I *could* run a 5K at that pace right now. Yes, it will be super hard and painful towards the end, but well, that's just racing, isn't it?
Of course, as I was reminded a couple of weeks ago, it all comes down to having a good day & getting the rest of your ducks in a row in terms of rest, recovery, mental state, etc. But I am feeling optimistic about Stow Lake!
~*~*~2 Weeks to Stow Lake Stampede 5K~*~*~
Grand Total: 38 miles- * 29 easy
* 9 speed
Monday 5/2: Rest
Tuesday 5/3: a.m. 3 easy to/from gym + 1 hour strength + p.m. 3 more easy = 6 total. This was a difficult mental health day for reasons I am sure many of you are already aware of & in the afternoon I was going a bit nuts & really needed a little physical activity to get the bees out of my skin.
Wednesday 5/4: warm up, 6 x 1K VO2 max (6:40-7:00 pace) / 2:30 jog, cool down 5 easy. In the gym we've been putting serious work toward strengthening my hamstrings and adductors, especially on the right side. It is clearly working because I woke up quite sore in my right hamstring/adductor! I could have tried the workout but I thought better to take an easy day & do it Thursday instead.
Thursday 5/5: 2.7 warm up, 6 x 1K VO2 max (6:40-7:00 pace) / 2:30 jog, 2.3 cool down (= 10 total) + 1 hour strength. The downside of moving the workout to this day was having to back-to-back it with strength. C'est la vie! Let's just say I ate a hearty dinner.
Friday 5/6: 5.5 easy. Grocery store run! + a little extra.
Saturday 5/7: Rest
Sunday 5/8: 4 warm up, 4 miles of 2:00 fast/2:00 easy, 4 cool down = 12 total.
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