Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Pace It, Sprint It and Throw some Lemons in It



Wow, the smoothest run I've ever had, and the longest one at that: 7 miles!  I probably averaged a 10 min mile, which is a WIN for me because I didn't cramp, pant, bleed ... or ... cry... ok ok so it's never that bad. But I definitely concentrated hard tonight, knowing it was the longest run I've ever had to this point.  It's SO crucial to pace myself.  As people will dash out in front and to the sides of me on race day, I will have no idea if they run marathons regularly, if they're early sprinters, or whatever their story is.  What I do, is set a comfortable stride.  Whether my comfortable stride is slow or fast compared to yours, I would rather make it through these seven miles without bleeding ... and ... wheezing .... and know that I could keep running into that next mile.  And tonight... I definitely could have!  I can sit here and chow down on my Healthy Choice Pineapple Chicken, and guzzle the third glass of my post-run staple, ice cold lemon water, and not want to vomit. It's the little things, I tell you.

I have been training myself, in all of my runs, to sprint the last 100 yards or so.  I know exactly what inspired this otherwise insane idea.  When Alejandro and I would take our three or four mile runs when I first started at this back in September, I had would get some psychological panties-in-a-bunch complex when he would run even the slightest bit in front of me.  So I asked him to run a half step behind me, and he would, and I would be able to concentrate better.  Then, somehow, he would slip into a hair's length of first place whenever we would cross those last few concrete squares of sidewalk, and I would get so frustrated, internally.  (Weird, right?)  So one night, I just sprinted right to the end, when we turned the final corner for the home stretch.  Problem solved.  Now, when I do it alone, I imagine coming down the home stretch of my nicely paced race, and sprinting majestically through my photo finish... and winning that grand prize of.... oh, wait. Not quite like that.  But I know, deep down, that this will benefit me on race day.  The pure final-mile adrenaline and the mental training that I've put myself through should make for one heck of a finish.

That, and those two little words circling round and round in my head,
"Be! Unstoppable!"

2 comments:

  1. Aha! So that's why you always sprinted in front at the end. And I thought you just had to go to the bathroom...

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  2. Good on you for the sprinting. It's a great way to get your heart rate up, without keeping it at such a high level for a dangerous period of time. That's how I always thought of it at least. I'm a fan of sprinting at the end too. I'll jog modestly, then do a heavy-run for a quarter-mile or so, and finish it out with a sprint.

    Oh what a rush that leaves you with!

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