Finishing fast has always worked for me...

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Once again I was crushed for time and figured the only thing I could do for a workout was a short run. The last three times I have run, I’ve gone out fast in an effort to both test my condition level and to challenge course records I set last summer. And in each case, I blazed through the early checkpoints, but lost it as I got nearer the end of the run. I decided on a different approach for this run. I hit my first checkpoint a full minute slower than I’d been running this course…which is probably a little over 2 miles into my run and about the half way point. It was a cool evening…good for fast running and I felt like I was going really slowly. I decided to ratchet it up. I made it to the three mile mark around 22:30…still 45 seconds behind the paces I’d been setting, but getting back 15 seconds. Still feeling very comfortable, I decided to push myself. I ended by running the last mile under 7 minutes over twisting, rooted trails…which for me is quite respectable and actually equaled the fastest time I’ve ever run on the course…with plenty left in the tank.

There are many theories and ways to run and race and I’ve always coached my runners to be able to finish fast. Going out hard and then losing a place or two over the final stages of a race can be demoralizing. The runner with strength in the finish tends to feel invulnerable…like no lead is too big for them to overcome. It’s not right for everyone, but it’s always worked for me.

I went back to eating the perfect Paleo dinner by breaking some cold chicken breast into a sauté pan, adding some garden fresh tomato and then scrambling in four eggs. It actually tasted pretty good, though not very filling. There is something to be said for fat and starches…they fill you up. I failed to add a smoothie, which would have done the trick. Being a little hungry after a meal isn’t the worst thing in the world, though, and something I should do more often.

Run workout: 33 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 550.