'Clickin...'

I wish I could sometimes explain my training. Sometimes there is neither rhyme or reason to why things all of a sudden begin to ‘click’. This past week has been one of those weeks. Could it be the forced rest of being sick? Maybe the good week I had last week? Maybe the long run I went on that I felt I really needed. Possibly doing some types of workouts I really trust (hills) or the more Bikram Yoga classes (my next post will be about Bikram) I have been attending. More simply (or more complex??) it’s all of these things I do to prepare both physically and mentally to get ready race. This almost always seems to happen to me at just the right time. Luck…maybe…coincidence…possibly…preparation…more than likely. My only concern is that it goes too well this week and I do too much… eeeekkkk.

Monday: I love runs the day after a big hill session. Me mechanics always feel great even if my legs feel a little tired. 60mins that felt easy but was very quick. A little Bikram Yoga later in the evening.

Tuesday: Yippee-ki-yay… Head out for a planned 12 miler….over the next hour I try to hold back my pace with a relaxed effort purposely running smoother, but trying to run slow, but it’s impossible… I love those days. I am hitting easy day splits that I have never hit before, but I can’t seem to run slower. Even when I do…I can’t. Hit the ‘Mundy Park power line hill’ and simply cruise up with little effort in a little over 8mins and the best part is that it’s muddy, which usually means slow, but not this time. Once I hit the top hill I force myself to run even slower. The result is 19.5 kms (approx) in 1 hr 14 mins

Wednesday: Hmmmm….’I ran too hard on Mon and Tues’ I tell myself. ‘You idiot!. I guess we’ll find out today’. This is my last tougher session, so I want to stay relaxed and not smash myself. The idea was to run the equivalent of a km (I have a section of Mundy park blacktop loop that I know is my standard ‘3mins’ ) jog 60 sec so my HR didn’t drop too much and then run back a bit slower (but at the same pace as my 12 x 3mins section last week), but relaxed. I think I got just the right mixture as my first 3mins was about 5 sec quicker (and uphill) and my second 3mins was bang on.
5 x 3mins harder-1min jog- 3mins hard- 2min walking rest. As I finished my thought of ‘doing too much and too hard’ were unknown as I figured I’d find out on Thurs.

Thursday: A gym session was on order and they have a new set up at Chimo Pool out here in the burbs, and it’s also about a mile from Mundy Park. I head out for my run with no idea of how fast I am going, but I feel slow (uh oh) and flat. I get into the Mundy Park trails and find out why I feel this way. I am actually running very quick, especially considering my workout yesterday. It’s been wet around Mundy Park and it’s been slower running recently, so I am shocked by my splits considering everything. Once again I simply try to stay smooth, but become more relaxed. ‘Slow down and relax you idiot’ is my mantra now. It happens…form gets smoother and my effort level drops, but something happens which I am not prepared for and I am pleasantly surprised. I thought I was running quick before, but now I am running easier and about 15-20 sec per mile faster…I run for an hour, but figure I covered 15kms in 57 mins and each 5km was 30-40 sec quicker than the previous one…a little gym work after (nice gym BTW).

I’ve written too much… tune in tomorrow for Friday-Sunday's report.....I don't know how today will be (sat) or tomorrow, but Friday made me smile and cringe.....