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2x DeFazio 5K tempo

July 22, 2019 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 80+? Pretty hot

Comments:
Good day of work. Did not run in the AM, then saw five patients. Got a decent amount of coaching done beforehand, so I was free to run around 1PM.

Did a decent amount of stretching and core activation - including "high stepping" - befoe the run. This really helped, as I felt the best and most athletic I've felt in my stride in a long time.

The posture is key:
* hip hinge (which gets the pelvis/hips beneath and behind)
* "vag up" -- which decreases back extension and facilitates the core and hip flexion

But the key today was a couple leg cues:

1. [Right] hip loading. I keep coming back to this: making sure I'm actually (truly, symmetrically) hinging and loading the right hip. It's just a little extra "butt back" (something I've come back to the past week)

2. "Salazar/Walmsley Stride": good recovery and pulling beneath and up. This is where high-stepping comes in: the hinge position makes it possible; then you simply "pull" the leg from beneath and behind, making an efficient circle

3. "Flick & Pull" pawback. This gets that crucial "anterior depression" of the pelvis:
* longer stride (yet still beneath you, since the hip's hinged"
* better cushioning
* a strong landing of the lower leg beneath the body

All this came together pretty good today.

Ran easy to EWEB and did 4-5 strides along the way. Then got after it. Did NOT look at the watch during (or after the reps). Instead, I wanted to go by feel and without judgment.

Of note: a big riverfront construction (revitalization) project is about to start. It's going to effectively wipe out this coveted, "historic" loop for me for at LEAST two years. A barrier was up, just up river from EWEB, but it was preliminary and I was able to go around.

Ran the 5K loop, working the stride, as well as staying breath disciplined. The first 5K felt pretty sustainable. But it was HOT.

Jogged about 5 minutes, mostly in the shade, and held my head over the spraying fountain at EWEB, then did the second rep.

On the second one, one interesting focus was the idea of "getting outside myself": instead of trying too hard, or putting too much pressure on myself, I imagined I was pacing/helping someone else (like CA). This does a few things:

* it makes it seem easier (because you have to "hold it together" and "look strong" for the other person)
* it gets you out of your own discomfort (you're focusing on helping them)
* it strips away any self-judgment (it's not "your" workout, it's "theirs")

This helped a lot, especially when it got harder and hotter in the second half.

Completed the two 5Ks, doused a bit more, then jogged home. Felt pretty decent.

Afterward I checked my watch. Solid (but unspectacular) splits:

19:35
19:28

Solid...but not amazing. I'll take it, and need to be grateful, but I'm hoping for ongoing improvement.

Rest of the day:
* home to eat (oh yeah: did this on a 19-hour fast!)
* studied
* HYPERBARIC chamber appointment! (First since January) - and napped inside!
* solid yoga class
* beers with David and Brooke

Good day