How Much Discomfort Can I Tolerate?!

Weather - 55 degrees, cloudy, windy, rain. Felt good on my long rain today, and I got lucky with a sudden change of temperature - yesterday was running in ice, today I was soaked in warm rain. Ran first 7 miles at a steady, energetic pace, and then picked it up for the last 3 miles, running at threshold pace. Legs and lungs felt strong, and it feels good to actually break into double digits for a run. Afterwards 4 sets of strength exercises, stretching, and 10 minute walk home. 

Weather - 25 degrees, sunny, somewhat windy. An easy 4 miles today. With the race this Saturday I am trying to plan out a way to train this week which will optimize my performance. This past year I always took two consecutive zero days before a race, which allowed me to feel fresh and energetic on race day. However, since starting my running journal I find myself interested in trying to run consecutive days without break. I need to discover what mileage I should run on the Thursday and Friday before a race. I plan on running hard on Wednesday, so definitely easy on the next two, but how much mileage? I am thinking 4 on Thursday and 2 on Friday. 

Weather - 28 degrees, cloudy, not much wind. Ran to Busey Woods and did my favorite workout - running the loop trail with hard 800 followed by easy 400, repeated until exhaustion. I struggled with my breathing again, it seems to happen more often when it is below 30 degrees. When I ran 10 miles on Sunday in 55 degree sunlight I felt relaxed with deep, easy breathing. Today I was able to keep my breathing deep, but I sounded like a freight train, I needed every particle of inhaled air to keep up the hard pace. I guess I am one of those runners who can't excel in the cold. If I struggle in Saturday's 5 mile race with my breath, I probably won't meet my target time of 37 minutes, but that is fine, the whole point of running for me is the effort expended - if I can follow Steve Jone's words, then I know I am doing the best I can - “If I am still standing at the end of the race, hit me with a board and knock me down, because that means I didn't run hard enough”

After todays run I did 4 sets of strength exercises, followed by a 40 minute walk home. 

Weather - all over the place! When I left my house a sweeping mass of snow was falling, a strong wind creating a horizontal wall of white to poke through as I ran along the icy streets.  When I reached the arboretum I glanced up at the hill and felt it beckoning - "you want to learn about life, about yourself ? - challenge me if you dare" it seemed to be thinking. It was a pyramid of white with a heavy, glowing gray sky above it, a pale sulpher sun hidden by clouds that wrapped around it as if it were a swollen tooth. I began doing 150m hill repeats, hard sprints up followed by a walk down for a full recovery. The 15-20mph wind was directly in my face as I sprinted up the hill. I powered my legs, lifted my knees, swung my arms - and was beaten down like a rag doll each time I attempted to ascend this white chunk of power. At about the 5th repeat the clouds unfurled, the sun shown, and blue skies blitzed the snow and I watched it melt along the pathways around the hill. I somehow managed 10 repeats, then ran 3 easy miles around the arboretum and to Carle Park, where I did 3 sets of strength exercises, stretched, and 20 minute walk home. 

Weather - 29 degrees, not much wind, gray sky. 3 easy miles, felt ok, although I had a bit of asthma towards the end of the run. This past week my right achilles tendon has been a bit stiff upon waking in the morning. It feels better after a few minutes of walking around. I will plan to do some easy running next week, and will try not to increase my mileage, I am probably doing too much too soon.    

Weather - 31 degrees, cloudy, no wind. It felt good to run 3 easy miles without wind. Tomorrow is Da Deer Run 5 mile X-country race. It snowed about 3 inches last night, so it looks like the race will be run on snow. I have never run a race on snow, or for that matter, in the winter. Those two reasons joined together with my state of in-between fitness means I have no idea how I will fare. Last summer in the days leading up to a race I would imagine myself running a fast training run, and I would transfer that pace to an imaginary race - seeing myself running the course, plotting my pacing strategy, and kicking it hard the last mile. I was surprisingly accurate in my guesses of actual race times. For the 7.5 mile Lake Run in May, 2007, I thought it would be possible to average 7:00 minute miles for the race, and that is what I hit. But I don't have any real feel for tomorrow, so I won't even bother thinking about the 37 minute target time I would like to achieve. When I imagine running the race I see myself struggling with my lungs, and having to slow down, slow down. Not a good race image, but a lot of my training has been going that way, so there is no reason to think it will change for the race. Regardless, I am looking forward to having a fun time knocking myself out running through the winter woods!

Weather - 19 degrees, cloudy, windy. I woke this morning feeling well rested and excited about the race. When I began my drive to Bloomington it was 29 degrees, which seemed pleasant enough. I noticed that every 5 miles traveled on the highway the temperature dropped 1 degree, so that when I arrived at the race site it was 19 degrees. After registering I ran 2 easy miles on the plowed asphalt roads that circled the park. My legs felt refreshed and strong, and my lungs were close to full breathing capacity. As I stretched I gazed out at the course, it was covered in 1-2 inches of snow/ice, and I did not want to think about what that would mean. Standing at the start line with 115 runners I placed myself at the middle of the group. When the starter blew his whistle I tried to get into a comfortable pace, and tucked in behind a group of runners after passing 9-10 people in the first 400 meters. The first mile was uneventful, although some of it was into the wind, and since I was not thoroughly warm yet my face stung from the cold. We had to cross 4 knee high hurdles during the first mile. I noticed some of the runners were able to cross these without breaking stride, one foot landing atop the bar and then pushing forward. I did not trust my balance, and so I slowed down for each and used two hands to push myself over. I did not make any moves or surges during this part of the race and I think I was passed by 1 runner. The course consisted of a number of small ascents and descents, and many sharp turns, which required the use of caution to avoid slipping. When I crossed the 1 mile marker an 8:30 split was called out. I realized my pace was too comfortable, and I started to push harder. I passed 5 or 6 people within the next 400 meters, but I soon realized the difficulty of moving at a quicker pace. It seemed impossible to get firm footing, with each step I did not know if either of my feet were going to curl inwards, splay outwards, or land flat. After securing itself on the ground, the foot would then push off on a base layer of ice. This caused me to expend more energy than normal, and I could feel myself begin to tire. When I reached the 2 mile marker a 15:02 split was called, and I knew something was wrong, as I could not have run a 6:30 mile, so I guessed that the first mile was marked long. At about 2 3/4 mile I felt a burst of energy and made a fast surge, passing 3-4 people in quick succession. I then could see nobody ahead of me, and I realized I was going to have to lead a pack of runners for the final two miles, which did not seem appealing. I usually surge strong until reaching the next group, but because I could not find one I had to decide when to slow down. That decision was made easy for me when I passed the 3 mile marker. I was cutting a sharp left turn on a descent and when my left foot pushed off the ice it lost its balance and I fell on my left knee, both hands on the ground, my right leg flat on the snow. I was momentarily stunned, because I had never before fallen while running. After being down for 2-3 seconds, I got up as quickly as I could, and tried to regain the previous pace, which I could not do. An image of Lasse Viren falling in the 10000 meter '72 Olympics flashed into my brain landscape. I slowed down a bit, and I waited for the runners behind me to catch up. I thought this might be a good thing, because running alone on the windswept course was probably not the best strategy. One runner was gaining on me, and I could feel myself getting tense, wondering how I was going to fare during the final mile and a half. The best thought of the race occurred at this point. I told myself to relax, to feel this as it was - a run through the winter woods. I became more aware of the outer surroundings, leaving my inner anguish to itself. My stride grew longer, easier, and my breath grew deeper. I may have even smiled a bit. When I reached the 4 mile mark no runners had yet caught me, I was still alone, and I was gaining on someone up ahead. About 1000 meters to go I was passed by a runner who was hitting it hard, and I wished I could have challenged him, but I knew I did not have a 1000meter surge left in the tank. I put my head down and tried to gut it out. With 400 meters to go I caught the runner I was chasing and he moved aside to let me pass. However, just at this moment I died, and could not pass. He turned and looked at me, saw that I was struggling, and he picked up his pace. We ran stride for stride, crossing 3 more hurdles together. I noticed someone was gaining on the two of us, and if I did not do something soon, I knew I would be passed yet again. With 100 meters to go I saw the finish chute and I instinctively kicked hard. I felt elated to have found an extra gear or two, and I left the runner beside me and crossed in 39 minutes even, 4 seconds ahead of him. I realize that a 7:52 pace is quite slow, but I need to remember that I am currently not in race shape, and with the course conditions being what they were, I am pleased with my effort. After the race I ran a 1 mile cool down, ate a banana and a Cliff bar, and drank some water. When I returned the rental car in Urbana it was 31 degrees and raining. Being 3 miles from home, I decided to run 2 miles to Carle Park instead of walking in the rain, so I was able to accumulate some additional mileage. When I reached the park I did 3 sets of strength exercises, stretched again, and walked 20 minutes home. I wish all days could be like this one.