speed day.
i'm tired of doing "useless running". I usually end up feeling like a pretender, get pissed, run hard, PR my mile/1k, then wimp out, PR a 5k, back off, run slow, maybe PR another 5k and maybe some longer stuff, lose my mile power, realize im running like crap, then have to get it back .. the loop continues.
the question is: is this a good loop or should I just be running fast? for example, if I want to sub5 split everything, ie run @ 4:5X for 3.1 miles, 6.2 miles, and even head-on-rim level 13.1 miles (no 26.2 miles), then why am I backing off once I make some solid progress on my 1km/mile? is it really that draining or am I just bitching out? IMHO, it's the latter.
just tired of it.
no more pretending.
also by pretending i mean: I want to run that kind of speed for such distances, but really it's just a fantasy if i'm not constantly attacking those speeds, several times per week, in intervals or one hard effort, etc.
just need to stop wasting my time.
plus, I feel so much better when I run fast. ie, my 5:00 min/mi 1km today felt like proper running. A 6:XX/7:XX pace doesn't feel like proper running to me. it's hard to explain but everything feels perfect at 4:4X to 5:0X pace. When I do it, I can feel that this is how i'm supposed to run: form feels incredible, GCT is quick, very strong bouncy contacts, good breathing, not much wasted movement, and i can picture myself running like some of those kenyans i watch.
i'll mix in slower running etc, but not by itself. every session has to have some kind of 4:XX pace work.
the last time I did this was when I hit my 17:33 5k on August 04, 2018. The week leading up to that, I made sure to hit 4:XX pace *every session*. I did it morning and night. I was really toast from it, but still hit 17:33 5k because my body, as burned out as it was, still had power.
I want to stay away from burnout for a while, this summer has been brutal. But, I plan on now taking advantage of the extra freshness i'll have due to more rest (more rest days). There's absolutely no excuse why I can't get better at 4:5X pace. I should be able to hit 2 miles at this pace before 2018 is over. I really believe that. I've hit it several times and sometimes it's just way too easy. The easiest it's ever been was last December, when I did that coral springs holiday mile. I had been training power that whole month.
my body adapts well.. it's just my mind that's weak.
i don't give a sh*t about 5:30 pace, or 5:20 pace, or 5:10 pace etc. I really don't. I mean it's cool PR'n stuff but all I care about is sustained 4:5X pace. It might sound weird but that's my obsession. It's not necessarily just the pace itself, ie the number, but there's something about running ~12 mph sustained that just feels perfect to me.
when I used high rep heavy breathing squats to bring up peak my vert, it wasn't easy reps. It was one hard all out effort teetering on the edge of collapse.. very frequent.. for months. that'd be like me grinding 4:3X-4:5X at the same frequency, for months.
give me a break.
that's what i should be doing.
/vent
09/04/2018bw = 142 (surprising)
bw before bed last night = ?
soreness = none
aches/injuries = left gastroc tweak = fine no prob, right soleus = annoying, lol, lateral hamstring tendons achy
aches upon getting out of bed: right soleus
calves painful to touch/massage = left more so, lol
cramping = none
morning quad flexibility = loose
morning hamstring flexibility = loose,
less clickymorning calf flexibility = loose but wrecked
morning adductor flexibility = loose
lateral hamstring tendons = achy
toenails: 2 left/2 right, but they've improved alot
feel = good
hours sleep: ~7.5
wakeup = 07:00 AM (turned alarm off at 5:30 and went back to sleep)
sub5 mile or sub3 km splits in 2018: 4 (mi) + 1 (km) = 5 of 50 
- sub5's: ..., 2018/07/14
- sub3's: ...
top3 finishes:2018: 21/29 (stay healthy!)
2017: 6/12
2016: 4/10
2015: 0/2
2006: 0/1
PR tracking:- 3-hills park, 1 mile hill path: {08/13/2018,7:45}
data collected throughout the day when I have my watch on:
HR low: ?
HR high: ?
log:07:10 AM: food: orange juice, rxbar, water
07:50 AM: workout: light + speed (sidewalk, legs dead/feel dead): 52m @ {1 x 800m, 2:27.5 / 4:55 min/mi, completely soaked, started off at 4.37 on dead legs - kinda dumb but fun}
08:30 AM: food: grapefruit juice
08:45 AM: workout: bw
09:30 AM: food: banana, water
10:30 AM: food: dunkin donuts: 4 x egg and cheese wraps, hazelnut frozen coffee w/ whipped cream, water
02:00 PM: food: bolthouse breakfast smoothie, rxbar, banana, water
04:00 PM: food: protein bar, small bag of golden oreos, water
07:00 PM: food: rxbar, water
07:50 PM: workout: light + speed (sidewalk/concrete, felt meh but ran fast): 44m @ {1050m, 3:15 / 5:00 min/mi, 1km @ 03:06, no watch, smooth with 4:30 kick}
09:00 PM: food: asian noodles, grilled chicken, beet juice, water
09:30 PM: food: koia cinnamon horchata protein drink, water
10:30 PM: food: 2 x banana, water
07:45 AM: workout: light + speed (sidewalk, legs dead/feel dead): 52m @ {1 x 800m, 2:27.5 / 4:55 min/mi, completely soaked, started off at 4.37 on dead legs - kinda dumb but fun}-
https://www.strava.com/activities/1820034721/overview
08:45 AM: workout: bw- good
- 5 life
5sec dead hang neutral grip pullups: BW x 5
full dips: BW x 5
calf raises: BW x 5
standing single leg lateral abductions: x 5
standing single leg straight raises: x 5
walking lunges: BW x 5
pushups: BW x 5
07:50 PM: workout: light + speed (sidewalk/concrete, felt meh but ran fast): 44m @ {1050m, 3:15 / 5:00 min/mi, 1km @ 03:06, no watch, smooth with 4:30 kick}-
https://www.strava.com/activities/1820034721/overview
that 1050m felt really good tonight. great for a "no watch" effort, also pitch dark. happy about that. was just way more focused too.. was already pissed off before the evening session.. i push myself good when I get angry at myself for losing focus etc.
morning session's 800m was WAY different than tonight's 1050m .. cadence mostly. like 210 SPM for the 800m @ 4:55, 196 SPM for the 1050 @ 5:00. The 196 SPM is way better. The avg also bumped up a bit at the end due to the kick. So a pretty smooth effort. I should be hitting 4:55 pace @ 185-190 SPM for a mile, at least. Then I should be hitting sub 4:40 @ 200 SPM.i guess the key now is: how do i keep this going for several months? not just 1 month then fall into the trap of having to back off.. but instead, how to keep this going through october, november, december, and onward? that's what I need to figure out.. nothing else.
pc
