You Can't Always Get What You Want
The Kurrawa to Pt Danger relay is less than four weeks away and my team-mate Nick is in great form. So its time for me to get some speed back, I don't want to let him down on the big day.
On the pgm at Pat's this morning was 8 x 1min efforts, with a 45 sec recovery. Well, just one of the recoveries was 45 secs, after that they got increasingly shorter and the final one was 31 secs.
As hard as I tried I just had no speed at all today. We do these at the same location each time and I know the spot I usually get to in 1 minute, but each time fell way short of it. Not to mention others who I can keep up with or stay ahead of were way in front. Oh well, I guess my reps were consistent ... consistently bad.
Busted a gut on the 8th and 'last' one only to have Pat tell us there was one more, this time not just one minute, but right to the end of the walkway we were on. Dang, I can't believe I forgot about it again. He always does that!
Clairie had a brilliant session, so much so that she was one of four runners Pat nominated for a prize of a Runners World subscription. It was up to the rest of the group to choose, biggest cheer got it. Despite my loud 'woohoo' for her, not surprisingly, she put in an even louder 'woohoo' for Nicky and so missed out. Though Nicky certainly earned it, after a great PB at Noosa Tri (2:15 I think it was).
On a positive note I got to chat to ultra runner Min on the warm down and after the session and pumped her for info on preparing for the 12 hours at Caboolture. I'm feeling pretty good about tackling it and really looking forward to training for it too.
On a negative note I just feel so slow at the moment. I know I'll never be 'fast', never have been. I suppose I'm more suited to the longer stuff, seems the further I run the better I do in comparison. I'm really happy with that, cos I love the long runs and long races. But .....
On the pgm at Pat's this morning was 8 x 1min efforts, with a 45 sec recovery. Well, just one of the recoveries was 45 secs, after that they got increasingly shorter and the final one was 31 secs.
As hard as I tried I just had no speed at all today. We do these at the same location each time and I know the spot I usually get to in 1 minute, but each time fell way short of it. Not to mention others who I can keep up with or stay ahead of were way in front. Oh well, I guess my reps were consistent ... consistently bad.
Busted a gut on the 8th and 'last' one only to have Pat tell us there was one more, this time not just one minute, but right to the end of the walkway we were on. Dang, I can't believe I forgot about it again. He always does that!
Clairie had a brilliant session, so much so that she was one of four runners Pat nominated for a prize of a Runners World subscription. It was up to the rest of the group to choose, biggest cheer got it. Despite my loud 'woohoo' for her, not surprisingly, she put in an even louder 'woohoo' for Nicky and so missed out. Though Nicky certainly earned it, after a great PB at Noosa Tri (2:15 I think it was).
On a positive note I got to chat to ultra runner Min on the warm down and after the session and pumped her for info on preparing for the 12 hours at Caboolture. I'm feeling pretty good about tackling it and really looking forward to training for it too.
On a negative note I just feel so slow at the moment. I know I'll never be 'fast', never have been. I suppose I'm more suited to the longer stuff, seems the further I run the better I do in comparison. I'm really happy with that, cos I love the long runs and long races. But .....
posted by Tesso at 2:45 PM
16 Comments:
Hey Tesso,
I think a lot of people wish they could be as "slow" as you! But I know the pain... a few weeks ago I just couldn't get my legs to move at all, and seeing others around me running really well was just depressing.
Listen to your body. Maybe you should have a go at a speedwork session on your own, and really listen. On the night my legs didn't work, I ducked out and ran some 400s, and then some 100s, at the end of which my legs started to feel normal. You've been running for long enough now that your body knows what it wants and needs. :)
You're a brilliant runner, and you're going to run really well at Kurrawa regardless of how fast you go in a single speedwork session with Pat.
You're coming back from injury. Let your body do what it needs to.
And keep in mind the real reason why you run - now matter how much we try to run for the glory, deep down we just run for the pleasure.
Tess,
Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You have been injured and have done very little speedwork recently. Just take care of yourself, stay positive and it will come.
And yes, I wish I could be as fast as you!
J
Tesso
This is definitely not the time of year to be beating yourself up for not running fast intervals, bloody hard work as the mercury and humidity climbs. They are also about recovery and if you run 8 1 minute gut busters and only taking 31 seconds to recover, something is going to give in the speed dept.
I admire you Brisbanites running these balls out sessions in your weather, no mean feat. Keep it up!
I reckon your doin alright Tess :-)
Get what you want? Who said you should when you aim high? Would you really be any happier if you aimed lower and then achieved it???
Keep aiming high Tesso - it's what inspires you and the people around you - thanks! :-)
Gee how many 1 minute speed bursts are you planing for the Kurrawa race?
Me,I am just plodding away building my aerobic base and have some speed sessions planned for May/June next year.
"On a negative note I just feel so slow at the moment. I know I'll never be 'fast', never have been."
LOL - hahahahahah ...
Thanks Tess - I needed a good (hahaha) laugh to start the day off today ...
hahahah ... sorry ... can't stop ... hahahahah
I'm with Miners.. just picked myself off the floor! Try running at my speed for a while and then you'll appreciate how fast you really do run. If it helps I'm sure that chocolate tart they have at the Lindt cafe makes you faster so I prescribe one of those for Friday afternoon!
Tess you are fast!! Fast Fast Fast.
So you didn't quite get to where you normally do. HELLO WAKE UP. you have been gone from speedwork for 4 weeks!!!!!!
Wait until a few weeks time and you will be back up there in front of me chasing Liz.
Then again, if you start doing some 3-4hr training runs on the weekend I think you might need to prepare yourself for some slow (for you) results in Pat's sessions.
Like I said to you the other day, I am seriously considering dropping a speed session to do more mileage. At the very least not worrying so much about my performance. I can't afford to get injured again and neither can you.
Chin up girlfriend. Distance is our forte - not speed. Though damn if I could even dream of catching you in a half or marathon!!!
What silverfox said. Except for the bit about admiring you Brisbanites for your ball-tearing training in the heat. I actually think you are all as loopy as fruit bats in a Morton Bay fig tree :o This is the time of year for aerobic conditioning (IMHO). Makes you fast too...eventually. But don't forget the clams!
It is very frustrating when we return from injury and are not as good as we were but that will be fixed with time.
Enjoy being back and remember your team mate will be happy you are racing and not still out injured! Enjoy the journey.
TA
Ps Thanks for the congrats.
Hey Tesso you are starting to sound like me. If you are feeling slow don't worry about it. You are running well so the speed will steadily improve, specially with all the work you are doing.
*hugs* I'd love to be as slow as you ;) The weather sucks for speed at the moment, that's for sure - plus, as everyone keeps saying, you've been injured.
I'm thinking all these aerobic conditioning people might be onto something!
hee hee hee ... sorry ... still .... hahahaha .... can't stop ..... laughing ... ha
just what were your (hahahah) times from (haha) the last few City 2 Surfs again?
haha .. .. hee hee hee
hee hee hee ... ha ha
ha ... sorry Tess ... (blinks away tears) ... ha ... hee hee ...
I know exactly what you mean - I get better the longer I run too. Plus I prefer the distance - those short runs are just too painful!
Tesso, in regard to 'knowing you'll never be fast'... I don't think you've reached your potential as a 'fast runner'.
It would be up to you to decide if you wanted to achieve this goal. It's not an easy goal - many distance runners just choose to run longer events such as marathons (a relatively easy thing to do compared to becoming fast at distances between 3000 and 10,000m)
The 'sacrifice' would be giving up on marathons (and certainly ultras) in the medium term. Pat would be able to guide you with what training is suitable in achieving your potential as a 'fast' 5000m runner.
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