I have been doing my little "runs around the block", as I have been calling them. The sane part of me says, "It's okay to run over your prescribed HR for a while." The insane part says, "Stick to the plan."
Some of you may think I have confused the sane and insane aspects, others of you know the true insanity for an endurance athlete is to 'Go Slow', thus I am in the right frame of mind.
As the weather cools here, more people get out for running, which means more people running by me. Its so frustrating that I know I would have normally never been passed by these people. Its bad enough I am averaging over 12-13 minutes per mile so I can keep my HR down. Runs that used to take me 25 minutes, now take 45 minutes. Gawd. Is personal humiliation a part of my recovery?
I have dreams about racing a sprint triathlon. I see myself in the water cruising past newbies. I feel the sweat on my brow as I absolutely fly on my bike at 95 rpm and 23 mph. My HR is through the roof but I am way up front. The 5k run is at full speed. I am blowing gaskets and just trying to hold on to my breakneck pace. When I see the finish line a hundred yards ahead, I find one last final surge in me and I celebrate my success with tears in my eyes from the pain, exertion and enthusiasm. My arms are raised and I am done.
That dream is going to be a long time coming. In the mean time go ahead and pass me. You will notice the tattoo on the back of my leg or perhaps the one on my cap. You can smile inwardly that you're faster than an Ironman this day. I will be looking at you too. Plotting, planning, waiting. Remembering your gait and your build. Someday I will be released from this imposed sanity and I will hunt you down and I will smoke your ass.
Some of you may think I have confused the sane and insane aspects, others of you know the true insanity for an endurance athlete is to 'Go Slow', thus I am in the right frame of mind.
As the weather cools here, more people get out for running, which means more people running by me. Its so frustrating that I know I would have normally never been passed by these people. Its bad enough I am averaging over 12-13 minutes per mile so I can keep my HR down. Runs that used to take me 25 minutes, now take 45 minutes. Gawd. Is personal humiliation a part of my recovery?
I have dreams about racing a sprint triathlon. I see myself in the water cruising past newbies. I feel the sweat on my brow as I absolutely fly on my bike at 95 rpm and 23 mph. My HR is through the roof but I am way up front. The 5k run is at full speed. I am blowing gaskets and just trying to hold on to my breakneck pace. When I see the finish line a hundred yards ahead, I find one last final surge in me and I celebrate my success with tears in my eyes from the pain, exertion and enthusiasm. My arms are raised and I am done.
That dream is going to be a long time coming. In the mean time go ahead and pass me. You will notice the tattoo on the back of my leg or perhaps the one on my cap. You can smile inwardly that you're faster than an Ironman this day. I will be looking at you too. Plotting, planning, waiting. Remembering your gait and your build. Someday I will be released from this imposed sanity and I will hunt you down and I will smoke your ass.
6 comments:
I hear ya. At the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday I had to run the first half with the 5:00 pace group. I could not control my HR - 230, 191, 212... every time I tried to run it shot up, and then back down when i walked. Fortunately it settled down around mile 12 and I was able to run strong to the finish for a TCM PW (personal worst) of 4:34.
But I kept thinking, "I hope no one sees that IM tattoo on my leg", too!
We shouldn't care, but I know we do. I wanted to keep explaining to people who were cheering who (in my head) must have been thinking "poor thing - it's only mile 4 and she's already walking".
i JUST started training with a hrm, so even though I was never fast, omg, i'm in zone five just THINKING about running! today i was in zone 4 for five long sloooow miles. tell me this gets better. I know you are not doing HR training this by choice, as i am, but i'm sure it's a brilliant way to train. I just can't remember why at the moment!
I'm just catching up and heard about your new daughter!!!! I'm sooooo excited! Girls are cake until later so enjoy her little! You will melt and she'll have you wrapped around her precious little pinky! That's so exciting! Mistress will need to have a baby shower!!! Hmmm...
Consider these runs as all base training. That's something we forget about, and this is just a good, enforced base period. Training for the ultra-marathon has been killing me because it requires me to walk, and target 10-minute pace. Crazy as it might have been 10 years back, 10-minute miles may as well be walking.
But it's what is needed to reach 50 miles. If you use this as solid base training, you'll be SO far ahead when you get the green light for more intensity.
Keep your mindset right, and all will be well.
That post make me want to go out and tear something up.
You're ass-smoking days are coming, one around-the-block-run at a time.
The tatoo says it all. No need to prove anything!!!
I hear you though.... I am 4 years this week post op of a VERY long injury struggle. I had almost given up all hope.
I am JUST now getting some of my speed back.
And to think, I was just getting OK with being the slow one again - and my body is just filling me with surprises lately....
I think the same will happen for you. I would say patience, but trust me - I know how that goes!!
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