Drove to Liberty Park and warmed up for about 2 miles, then did 2x5k with a target HR of 176 for each, with recovery jog in between until HR dipped below 140 bpm.
5k #1: Overall AHR 176/MHR 182/Overall pace 6:01
Mile 1: AHR 169 (5:53)
Mile 2: AHR 179 (6:07)
Mile 3: AHR 180 (6:04)
0.1: AHR 180 (5:46/mi)
Recovery jog took around 8 minutes until HR dipped to 140 bpm.
5k #2: Overall AHR 179/MHR 186/Overall pace 6:04
Mile 1: AHR 174 (6:05)
Mile 2: AHR 180 (6:09)
Mile 3: AHR 183 (5:57)
0.1: AHR 183 (6:09/mi)
Cooled down for roughly 1 mile.
During the last mile or so, I started to feel a slight twinge in my right arch. I've never had any pain there before and I was instantly concerned about possible plantar fasciitis. As a precaution, and because I just finished Born to Run, I took my shoes off and cooled down barefoot on the grass and the wood chip path.
As for the workout, I was pleased that I was able to hang on at an effort above 178 for over 2 miles of each repeat. I stopped looking at my monitor after about the first 1/2 mile of the second 5k because it was clear that I was going to be well above the target of 176 if I wanted to hang on to any kind of respectable pace. The effort felt solid, but I never felt anaerobic--in fact, my breathing rate was still at a pretty reasonable level at the end of the second repeat.
The fact that my pace is still so slow after several months of reasonably hard training is puzzling and a little frustrating to me. It seems like my body is not responding or adapting to the training as well or as quickly as it has in the past. Maybe it's because I turned 35 last week and, now that I'm an old man, need a longer buildup, a bigger base mileage, or something else altogether. I guess I have to keep reminding myself that it's been almost 3 years since I last trained hard for anything, and I should expect it to take longer to achieve a lofty goal than it would have if I had been able to build on my success from 2006 without more than a short break. I'm starting to wonder whether I need to revise my goals for St. George this year to something challenging but realistic.
Stepping back for a moment, I love that I'm able to run at a pretty decent pace without pain and that I've been able to stay so healthy thus far in my training. I love getting out and running before it gets light outside and being done with a hard workout before most people have even gotten out of bed. I love being able to run hard for mile after mile and still have enough energy to play with my kids all day. Even when my goals seem a little out of reach, this is a great sport that pays amazing dividends, and I'm grateful that my family and schedule allow me to pursue it. | 