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Wake Up Call

February 6, 2012 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 45 Sunny

Comments:
WU: 2 mi. to MLK
15 min tempo, 3 min jog, 10 min tempo
Back to Veale
3x400 @76 "Race Pace", 200 jog between
CD: mile around quad

I had to practice early today and thankfully Ethan decided to come with me so I wouldn't need to do a workout alone. I woke up this morning with a sore throat and knew if I was going to get in a good workout this week it needed to be today before I really got sick. I had a talk with Coach first about my plans for the rest of indoor and I'll be running a 3k this Friday if I feel healthy enough and a 5k next Friday. Coach also decided to have me run the tempo today but that it should be my hard workout for the week.

I've been having a cramp on right side for the last two days that won't seem to go away no matter what I do to it and it really bothered me on the warm-up. Coach seemed somewhat concerned that I would be unable to stay with Ethan for the whole tempo, but we set out at 5:30 pace together and I held it without ever dropping anything slower than a 5:32 the entire tempo. We took our heart rates at the end and mine was 188, though I think it was so high from being sick just as much as it was from the difficulty of the tempo. I was expected to follow Ethan's lead for most of the tempo but ran most of it even or sort of pressing half a step ahead. I seem to feel better on tempos running that way for some reason. Back in Veale, I felt horrible on the 400s at race pace as I followed Ethan four seconds behind on each. I could feel my sinuses and head throbbing.

I came out today with a little nerve/spunk/fight in me that has been lacking for most of the year. I was striking on the balls of my feet for pretty much the first time the whole season. I was less mentally relaxed today, perhaps from the stress of running early, or my nascient cold, or my side cramps, or my poor race on Saturday, and I think it suited me well. Without the impending illness, this would be a good workout for me to build off mentally because. With it coming (and I'm awfully sure it is), I'll need to stay focussed even though results might not manifest themselves right away.

My problem this year so far is that I've been giving myself infinite patience and living in willful suspension of disbelief about what it taked to be good at running. I've been too comfortable so far and I don't deserve to be comfortable running a 16:17. I had more mental focus today and that needs to continue.