Wait. Is it 8:17 or 8:13? Wait. Is it 8:47 or 8:43?
The thing with Run Less Run Faster is that you are supposed to stay as close to your prescribed pace as possible. I always leave the house thinking I know what pace I’m supposed to be running, but then I get out there and I FORGET!
It happened Wednesday during my tempo run. The first mile, which I ran in 8:19, I thought: Oh, pretty close to 8:17; cool! Then a second later: Wait. Was it supposed to be 8:17 or 8:13? I decided it was 8:13, and I ended up being correct. Today, not so much.
About 2 miles in, I thought: Wait. Am I supposed to be running 8:47 or is it 8:43? It’s gotta be 8:47. Yeah, it’s definitely 8:47.
Runmesia!
Why, in the end, did I think it had to be 8:47? Because trying to get to 8:47 was kicking my ass! I just kept telling myself I could do it and that it would get easier. I tend to have an easier time during the second half of a long run.
For the long run, RLRF suggests starting slower and then running a little faster than your prescribed time…and it’ll all even out. I had the slower part down, but I had a little trouble with the faster part.
So, today, I made the mistake of running a new direction on the trail by my house. I’d thought it was paved after a mile, but it wasn’t. Loose gravel all the way. Loose gravel is a lot like running in sand. Rough on the ankles. I ran without music, which is new on a long run for me.
The trail ended and I had to turn around. I took a side road through a neighborhood that I’ve taken before so I could have some non-gravel time. It’s straight with small rolling hills for about a half mile and then a really big hill at the end that’s about a quarter-mile.
Mile 1: 8:54
Mile 2: 8:55
Mile 3: 8:43 (Yay! If only I’d remembered this was the pace I was supposed to be running.)
Ended up taking on this hill:
From the top (Mile 3.5 exactly):
Then it was back to the trail toward home. Unfortunately, I knew I would end up running at least the last mile on a gradual uphill, so I tried to bank a few seconds on the gradual downhill. Sort of worked.
Mile 4: 8:47
Mile 5: 8:35 (trying to bank time a little)
Mile 6: 8:39
Mile 7: 8:46
Since my overall pace ended up being an 8:45, I guess it’s not that far off my 8:43. So it’s done. So it’s one run. Monday, I head back to the track!
5 comments
So, do you stop to take pictures or do you take them on the run?
I thought it’s called runner’s brain 🙂 I say and do things during and right after a run that completely don’t make sense 🙂
Oh gosh that happens to me all the time! I usually try to look at my training schedule several times before I leave and hope I remember it. Looks like a pretty run next to the lake.
Nice scenery!
What pretty views, especially the lake. Your times are all really great, especially with the hills in there. When I was doing RLRF, I always carried little cheat sheets with me (or wrote them on the back of my hand) to remember my target paces! 🙂