So, my best ever 10K run time is just over 54 minutes & today I did it on the treadmill in 53:33!! So, I totally know that is relatively pathetic compared to most people who run (and, run well) -- but, for me it is pretty good. It was 8:37 per mile pace.
My heart rate was in the upper 160's for the beginning & middle of the run & then went into the 170's for about the last 1.5 miles.
I felt strong today - probably because I had taken the last 2 days off from my workouts (hard to get a workout in when the kids are off from school & there is so much to do before Christmas...).
In fact, for today's workout, I actually did a 1.5 mile warm-up run & then did my 10K PR. So, in total, I did 7.7 miles. Just glad I felt good through it all. I totally hate those runs that are so hard & feel so terrible. Although, I do realize that those feelings are all apart of the training - they must come & even though they feel terrible, they ultimately DO make me stronger & more well-conditioned. Not to mention, those terrible "feelings" are usually no more than my mind trying to over-ride my body & tell it what to do. Rarely, do I ever really feel that bad...but, sometimes my body would just LOVE for me to stop running & my mind loves to chime right in and agree that the discomfort is too much to bear & that I should totally STOP.
I think a HUGE part of training (as I have found out over the last couple years) is so much of a mental game. Yes, it has a lot to do with how strong/fit my body is, but it also has a ton to do with how strong my mind is. And, I do find myself actually lying to myself during those hard workouts - where my body & mind are trying to convince me to quit.
When I am lying to myself about the pain of a particular workout, here is how the internal conversation typically goes:
Me: MAN! This hurts so bad! My legs are DYING! Ok, I am only going 1 more mile & then I am totally done!
Me to Myself: Legs - just SHUT UP! This is NOTHING! You are only doing a 6 mile run - think about all those people that run marathons & ultramarathons in training & preparation for Ironman races.
Me: Yeah, but those people are super-human. They have conditioned themselves to train for 3,4,5, or even more hours in a day. And I, am but a mere mortal!
Me to Myself: True...but, whatever I set my mind to do...I CAN do!
Me: Okay...I CAN DO THIS. I am not giving up & I am NOT cutting my workout short. If I want to get stronger, I have to put in the time.
So, you see....lying to myself actually DOES work...most of the time! I really WOULD be lying if I said that I never let my mind get the better of me, though.
But, this is a process. Both for my body & my mind. Everyday that I try my best, I really DO get stronger.
No comments:
Post a Comment