Calvin - RIP
As I ran down to Franklin Field at noon, I wondered what I was so afraid of. Same old feeling, I had a track workout that I wasn't sure if I could hit and there was this anxious feeling at the pit of my stomach. So I go for as fast as I can for as long as I can. And if this doesn't do it, so what?
What's the worst that can happen? I'll get out of breath? I'll experience some discomfort? I won't hit the target time? I will come up against my limits? Is there some primal fear that I will need to spend years in therapy to come to terms with?
I was not only feeling anxious but a bit down as well. Several things contributed to that, but it all came to a head when Kevin came downstairs this morning and said that Calvin, one of his two cats, died. Out of the blue. He was running around and meowing all weekend, and now he's gone. If you know Kevin, I'm sure he'd appreciate your condolences, as he's had Calvin for over 9 years.
Down and anxious is a bad combination, as I then start thinking of particulars as grander metaphors. Is this anxiety against putting it all out there on the track reflective of a larger reluctance to live life to the fullest? Crap like that filled my head on the way to Franklin Field this morning.
But there was a workout to do. Specifically:
6 X 800 - 400 jog in 3 mins nice n’ easy between repeats.
Set 1: 40/35/40/35 = 2.30. (i.e Change pace per 200).
Set 2: 74-74 even paced = 2.28.
Set 3 40/35/40/35 = 2.30. (i.e Change pace per 200).
Set 4 74-74 even paced = 2.28.
Set 5 40/35/40/35 = 2.30. (i.e Change pace per 200).
Set 6 72-72 even paced = 2.24.
I just focused on this and went to take care of business. Be fearless, I exhorted myself. The following times for the full rep are from my watch, the 200 and 400 meter splits are from memory.
Rep. 1 was 2:31 - 75 (37/37) and 76 (41/35).
Rep. 2 was 2:29 - 75 and 74
Rep. 3 was 2:31 - 76 (40/36) and 75 (40/35)
Rep. 4 was 2:31 - 76 and 75
Rep. 5 was 2:34 - 76 (41/35) and 79 (42/36)
Rep. 6 was 2:31 - 74 and 77
It seems like I had alot to say about these reps, but now that I've got them down the numbers pretty much talk for themselves. It took most of the first rep to get my pacing down and the second lap was more or less on target. The third rep again was alright, but by the fourth rep I feel like I hit a ceiling. I wasn't going to go any faster. On lap 5 I started slowing down, although I held the fast 200s more or less at goal speed. By the time I got to the last rep I knew there was no way I'd get a 2:24, but I went out as fast as I could. I was satisfied with the first 400 and thought I should have gotten the second 400 down a bit more. I finished with that feeling like a was totally spent but that I could have pushed a bit harder to cut at least a second or two off of that last 400.
This was one of the hardest track workouts that I can remember. I was really out of breath after each rep, and managed to recover okay with the long recovery. This put the stress on my legs, however, as recovered lungs just force the legs to move faster. Thus came the difficulty walking this afternoon. A deluxe version of OMW (Old Man Walk), if you will.
So I'm not down on my performance. Of course I would have liked to have gotten it a bit quicker, but it was an honest, all-out effort and that's the most I can expect. At Mike's prompting, I checked some of my workouts from last fall and see that I had 7 800s in the 2:33/2:34 range (400m rec) on this day, 10 800s in 2:33/2:36 range (400m rec) on this day, and 2x800 (2:27 & 2:26) and 6x400 (71/73 range) all with unlimited recovery on this day.
Its hard to compare these to todays workout, but reading the accounts were instructive. In at least the first and the third ones I went in there with no expectations, just go to the track and tear it up. If it ain't working for me, then that is the time to pack it up. I think this is one difference, today I had that last 800, in 2:24, looming over my head. I was trying to finesse today's reps in the time alotted rather than going unleashed. I don't know if that made much difference ultimately, but its interesting to think about. The other difference is that last fall those workouts surpassed my expectations, and that pumped me. Today my expectations are higher.
I got Mike's email only after I ran todays workout. He had one bit of advice I'll quote: "As you do each one, try to focus on exactly what you are doing, do not worry about what follows-one bite-sized piece at a time is the way to go." I wish I could have taken that with me today.
But I'm overthinking now. The workout went fine, I'm just in a depressed funk today. Not running related, just one of those days.
Total 9.5 miles in 76:23.
What's the worst that can happen? I'll get out of breath? I'll experience some discomfort? I won't hit the target time? I will come up against my limits? Is there some primal fear that I will need to spend years in therapy to come to terms with?
I was not only feeling anxious but a bit down as well. Several things contributed to that, but it all came to a head when Kevin came downstairs this morning and said that Calvin, one of his two cats, died. Out of the blue. He was running around and meowing all weekend, and now he's gone. If you know Kevin, I'm sure he'd appreciate your condolences, as he's had Calvin for over 9 years.
Down and anxious is a bad combination, as I then start thinking of particulars as grander metaphors. Is this anxiety against putting it all out there on the track reflective of a larger reluctance to live life to the fullest? Crap like that filled my head on the way to Franklin Field this morning.
But there was a workout to do. Specifically:
6 X 800 - 400 jog in 3 mins nice n’ easy between repeats.
Set 1: 40/35/40/35 = 2.30. (i.e Change pace per 200).
Set 2: 74-74 even paced = 2.28.
Set 3 40/35/40/35 = 2.30. (i.e Change pace per 200).
Set 4 74-74 even paced = 2.28.
Set 5 40/35/40/35 = 2.30. (i.e Change pace per 200).
Set 6 72-72 even paced = 2.24.
I just focused on this and went to take care of business. Be fearless, I exhorted myself. The following times for the full rep are from my watch, the 200 and 400 meter splits are from memory.
Rep. 1 was 2:31 - 75 (37/37) and 76 (41/35).
Rep. 2 was 2:29 - 75 and 74
Rep. 3 was 2:31 - 76 (40/36) and 75 (40/35)
Rep. 4 was 2:31 - 76 and 75
Rep. 5 was 2:34 - 76 (41/35) and 79 (42/36)
Rep. 6 was 2:31 - 74 and 77
It seems like I had alot to say about these reps, but now that I've got them down the numbers pretty much talk for themselves. It took most of the first rep to get my pacing down and the second lap was more or less on target. The third rep again was alright, but by the fourth rep I feel like I hit a ceiling. I wasn't going to go any faster. On lap 5 I started slowing down, although I held the fast 200s more or less at goal speed. By the time I got to the last rep I knew there was no way I'd get a 2:24, but I went out as fast as I could. I was satisfied with the first 400 and thought I should have gotten the second 400 down a bit more. I finished with that feeling like a was totally spent but that I could have pushed a bit harder to cut at least a second or two off of that last 400.
This was one of the hardest track workouts that I can remember. I was really out of breath after each rep, and managed to recover okay with the long recovery. This put the stress on my legs, however, as recovered lungs just force the legs to move faster. Thus came the difficulty walking this afternoon. A deluxe version of OMW (Old Man Walk), if you will.
So I'm not down on my performance. Of course I would have liked to have gotten it a bit quicker, but it was an honest, all-out effort and that's the most I can expect. At Mike's prompting, I checked some of my workouts from last fall and see that I had 7 800s in the 2:33/2:34 range (400m rec) on this day, 10 800s in 2:33/2:36 range (400m rec) on this day, and 2x800 (2:27 & 2:26) and 6x400 (71/73 range) all with unlimited recovery on this day.
Its hard to compare these to todays workout, but reading the accounts were instructive. In at least the first and the third ones I went in there with no expectations, just go to the track and tear it up. If it ain't working for me, then that is the time to pack it up. I think this is one difference, today I had that last 800, in 2:24, looming over my head. I was trying to finesse today's reps in the time alotted rather than going unleashed. I don't know if that made much difference ultimately, but its interesting to think about. The other difference is that last fall those workouts surpassed my expectations, and that pumped me. Today my expectations are higher.
I got Mike's email only after I ran todays workout. He had one bit of advice I'll quote: "As you do each one, try to focus on exactly what you are doing, do not worry about what follows-one bite-sized piece at a time is the way to go." I wish I could have taken that with me today.
But I'm overthinking now. The workout went fine, I'm just in a depressed funk today. Not running related, just one of those days.
Total 9.5 miles in 76:23.
posted by seebo | 4:56 PM
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