On Saturday I'll be running my second-ever 8k road race, back in Iowa. To refresh my memory, I reread my post about the race last year. This is one reason why I like to blog about races - I'll never forget them. My time last year was 40:21, but this year I think i can run much faster.
My goals for the hilly 8k (5 mile) race are:
Goal A: Run a 35-something race. Everything goes right and I feel great. The temperature is good, not too hot or humid like it has been.
Goal B: Run a 36-something race.
Goal C: Run 37 or 38-something.
To be honest, any time above 38 minutes will be a complete let down for me. I want to run well. And, I feel like I need to run well to prove to myself that I am still a decent runner. Let me explain....
I don't know if this is normal or not, but ever since I stopped training for half marathons and started to train for the full Chicago marathon, I have felt incredibly slow. My long runs are done at an 8:30 pace, and I am doing tempo runs and speed work throughout the week, but I feel like I have lost a lot of my speed that I had in the spring. Did it disappear? I am not sure, but many days I feel like it has. I know that I am hard on myself and am a perfectionist and I need to take into account the heat and humidity that we have had this summer, but it still sucks. When I run fast, I feel better about myself and my ability. When I run slow, i lack confidence in myself and start on a never-ending path of self-doubt, which is not healthy.
I have a lot riding on this race for my own running confidence. I need to run well to prove it to myself that I have retained some of my spring speed. With saying that, I realize that I have set the expectation bar incredibly high. Hopefully I'll run super well and hit my A goal. That would be amazing.
Did you feel like you lost speed when you trained for a marathon?
My life as a runner, perfectionist, athlete, 20-something, and type 1 diabetic.
I think it's normal to feel that way, particularly when coupled with HOT summer runs, which have a way of making you slower.
ReplyDeleteBut the truth is, you're probably quicker than you think.
In the spring, I did a 5k three weeks after my first 50 mile race. I hadn't done anything other than an easy paced run for 5 months and took 30 seconds of a 5k PR that I'd had for quite a while. That taught me that it takes more miles than I was running to call them "junk miles."
Good luck!