Keeping On . . .Keeping On

I think I've turned a corner in my running (I hope that's not the equivalent of saying, 'Hey y'all watch this' because that usually results in a ' moron of the week' YouTube video).  Lately, I feel able to mentally push through the tougher spots a little better.  I didn't realize how big that was. Also, I can . . . feel . . . my stride a little more.  By that I mean that when I'm running with the correct form, it feels right - and conversely, it feels wrong when I'm not using the right form.  Seems extremely basic, but it's a breakthrough for me.  

And - - I'm 17 shy of 300 total miles.  That's cool!  My aim is to hit it before this month ends.  

So That's the Feeling . . .

Today I hit . . . . the zone.  Yes, that mystical (mythical?) place that runners talk about apparently really exists.  Usually when I run, it's a constant litany of checks - Abs engaged? check.  Upper body straight? check.  Chin up, arms pumping (elbow to side hand to side), easy stride, roll from heel to toe . . . abs still engaged? check.  Toss in the pace checks, music critique, traffic awareness, and general environment processing and it's a wonder my mind doesn't wear out before my body does.  

Today was an easy treadmill run and for the first time I just . . . ran.  Turned off the brain and just tried to dial in a rhythm.  And all of a sudden, it just felt right.  My stride felt fluid and effortless.   And I swear, the treadmill slowed to half speed.  It didn't (I actually checked it finally - and that broke the whole spell) but I just felt like I was putting no effort at all into the run.  Pretty...friggin...cool.  Lasted 3/4 of a mile, but even the rest of the run was a really good one.     

Jacksonville Tour De Pain

The Tour De Pain consists of three races in 24 hours - a 4 mile on Friday evening, a 5K on Saturday morning, and a 1 mile on Saturday afternoon. I flew into Jacksonville for this race - what a rock star. I need a big personalized bag and a sponsor . . . Anyway, I read about it on line and decided it would be a nice reward for the training I've been doing, a good test of that training, and a little incentive as well.

I was a little nervous going into it. First, I was going from only having run a single race to doing three of them in a couple of days. Second, and mainly, I did NOT want to gas out in a race and have to walk - but I also didn't want to do worse than my previous 5K time. I used Hal Higdon's (Thanks Melissa!) intermediate training plan to get ready for this one - and didn't feel like I had really improved that much. Sure, my training runs have gotten longer since my first 5K in May, but I wasn't seeing any real change in my times.

I set what I thought were realistic goals - 40 min for the 4 mile, less than 30 min for the 5K, and a 9 min mile. Ran the 4 on Friday in 37:38 - over two minutes faster than I planned. I was ecstatic! It was a beach run, mainly packed sand, but there were about 4 spots (each way on the up and back) were you literally had to leap over water, plus the last .1 was soft and shifting sand. I could have gone home happy right there.

The 5K was on the streets. Much bigger field than my previous 5K - I think they said there were about 1100 people running. It's a cool feeling when that cannon (yes, cannon - very, very LOUD cannon) goes off and that big mass of arms and legs starts moving forward. Well, my 'less than 30' came out as a 25:54 - -and I couldn't stop smiling. (I also couldn't breathe for a little while afterward, but that's beside the point.) I guess Hal knows what he's doing!

So going into the mile, I was aware that 9 min was probably high. I verbally revised to 8.5 (and secretly promised myself that I would hit 8). 7:35 is what the clock showed at the end.
Would I have been happy if I had only hit my initial goal? Actually yes, but I also probably would have resigned myself to being a plodder rather than a runner. Now I'm walking a little taller - - - and starting to look for half marathons in 2009 . . .