Confessions
Okay, so we live in a confessional society. And a blog is one of the more conspicuous outlets for individual expressions of this societal need to bear our souls to a collective audience. To offer ourselves up to judgment and perchance to hope for redemption. So today I'll take a turn at this.
My first sin is a relatively venal one of omission. When GP sent the schedule over the weekend I just glanced at it. My mind was still focused on the Saturday track workout and Sunday's Cesar Rodney run. I assumed that Monday would, as usual, be an off day and I didn't look farther at the schedule until last (i.e., Monday) night. Of course I wouldn't be writing this if yesterday had been a day off. It wasn't. It was a full track workout. DAMN! This threw a wrench into things. Its not unusual that I space things I have scheduled. This fits the absent minded professor stereotype and I do admit that at times I use my profession to my advantage here when I'm trying to dig out from under an appointment I should not have missed.
But that doesn't help me here. What to do now? After some hand-wringing the plan became to run yesterday's workout today, and try tomorrow's workout, also a track workout, as planned. I figured this might mean a lousy workout tomorrow, but I could take that into account and I'd have easy days for the rest of the week so it shouldn't impact Saturday's 5k. Of course the dilemma is that this is exactly the kind of thing I got my ass handed to me for last week. Unilaterally altering the schedule is, I learned, a big Bozo no-no.
So there's this devil on one shoulder saying, "Yeah, I can do both workouts." There's the angel on the other shoulder saying, "You know better now." What to do, what to do?
I ran my plan to do the back to back track workouts past a running buddy of mine who shall remain nameless. He understood and shrugged, "You gotta do what you gotta do."
Then Rebecca called me this morning and asked me about my running plans. Foolishly, I told her. "What! That's dishonest... You're only hurting yourself... That's like lying to your psychologist..." were some of the remarks that I remember her responding with. She's got a way of throwing factual stuff at me in response to rebuff anything I say in situations like this. And finally, when I said I know what I'm doing this time around, she throw's KJ's comment on Sunday's Cesar Rodney blog entry into my face, "Yeah, you know what you're doing. Even your friends tell you you have no restraint."
"Okay, I'll think about it," was my lame reply as I packed up my kit and took it into work. The plan was just not to specify in the blog entry what day I ran on the track and what day I took the day off. But Rebecca's words stuck, it was like lying in therapy. Who would it benefit?
But I did go out to the track. I really wanted to run this workout. More than I've ever wanted to run a track workout. And the reason why was because I knew that I could. The workout for the day was:
After so many weeks of struggling with 75s, I knew I could hit this and I wanted to hit this. And this took me out to Franklin Field. And although it was a bit harder than expected, I did indeed hit these times.
400's went in 73.4; 90; 73.1; 91; 74.9; 91; 75.9; 90; 73.8; 91; 75.6; 99 (retied shoelace); 74.6 and 91. 19:27 total time.
Interestingly, the slower 400s were harder than the faster ones. On these reps I become more conscious of how out of breath I am and what hurts. I am off balance in getting the pace right - my body is screaming at me to slow down, but I don't know how slow. But then I was just able to crank it right back up to 75 second pace each time I had to. I'm incorporating the insight I had a few weeks ago when I learned to speed up with my legs where before it used to be I'd speed up from the head as an act of will. Now it is more a visualization, looking at my legs to stride longer and turnover quicker, and watching them go. Like breathing through my eyelids.
But as I finished this workout my appetite for deception waned. My conscience became emboldened by Rebecca's outrage. So in an open question to GP, I'd appreciate an adjustment to tomorrow's workout, if that is necessary. And I'm willing to take another ass-chewing if that is necessary. I get paid my salary to think, its hard to leave thinking in the locker room when I run.
7.5 miles total in 53.34.
My first sin is a relatively venal one of omission. When GP sent the schedule over the weekend I just glanced at it. My mind was still focused on the Saturday track workout and Sunday's Cesar Rodney run. I assumed that Monday would, as usual, be an off day and I didn't look farther at the schedule until last (i.e., Monday) night. Of course I wouldn't be writing this if yesterday had been a day off. It wasn't. It was a full track workout. DAMN! This threw a wrench into things. Its not unusual that I space things I have scheduled. This fits the absent minded professor stereotype and I do admit that at times I use my profession to my advantage here when I'm trying to dig out from under an appointment I should not have missed.
But that doesn't help me here. What to do now? After some hand-wringing the plan became to run yesterday's workout today, and try tomorrow's workout, also a track workout, as planned. I figured this might mean a lousy workout tomorrow, but I could take that into account and I'd have easy days for the rest of the week so it shouldn't impact Saturday's 5k. Of course the dilemma is that this is exactly the kind of thing I got my ass handed to me for last week. Unilaterally altering the schedule is, I learned, a big Bozo no-no.
So there's this devil on one shoulder saying, "Yeah, I can do both workouts." There's the angel on the other shoulder saying, "You know better now." What to do, what to do?
I ran my plan to do the back to back track workouts past a running buddy of mine who shall remain nameless. He understood and shrugged, "You gotta do what you gotta do."
Then Rebecca called me this morning and asked me about my running plans. Foolishly, I told her. "What! That's dishonest... You're only hurting yourself... That's like lying to your psychologist..." were some of the remarks that I remember her responding with. She's got a way of throwing factual stuff at me in response to rebuff anything I say in situations like this. And finally, when I said I know what I'm doing this time around, she throw's KJ's comment on Sunday's Cesar Rodney blog entry into my face, "Yeah, you know what you're doing. Even your friends tell you you have no restraint."
"Okay, I'll think about it," was my lame reply as I packed up my kit and took it into work. The plan was just not to specify in the blog entry what day I ran on the track and what day I took the day off. But Rebecca's words stuck, it was like lying in therapy. Who would it benefit?
But I did go out to the track. I really wanted to run this workout. More than I've ever wanted to run a track workout. And the reason why was because I knew that I could. The workout for the day was:
2 mile warm up and mile of strides.
14 laps of 75/90 - Odd laps @ 75; Even laps @ 90. Goal 19.15.
2 mile cooldown.
After so many weeks of struggling with 75s, I knew I could hit this and I wanted to hit this. And this took me out to Franklin Field. And although it was a bit harder than expected, I did indeed hit these times.
400's went in 73.4; 90; 73.1; 91; 74.9; 91; 75.9; 90; 73.8; 91; 75.6; 99 (retied shoelace); 74.6 and 91. 19:27 total time.
Interestingly, the slower 400s were harder than the faster ones. On these reps I become more conscious of how out of breath I am and what hurts. I am off balance in getting the pace right - my body is screaming at me to slow down, but I don't know how slow. But then I was just able to crank it right back up to 75 second pace each time I had to. I'm incorporating the insight I had a few weeks ago when I learned to speed up with my legs where before it used to be I'd speed up from the head as an act of will. Now it is more a visualization, looking at my legs to stride longer and turnover quicker, and watching them go. Like breathing through my eyelids.
But as I finished this workout my appetite for deception waned. My conscience became emboldened by Rebecca's outrage. So in an open question to GP, I'd appreciate an adjustment to tomorrow's workout, if that is necessary. And I'm willing to take another ass-chewing if that is necessary. I get paid my salary to think, its hard to leave thinking in the locker room when I run.
7.5 miles total in 53.34.
posted by seebo | 2:12 PM
2 Comments:
Great post, and nice workout.
You seem to be making the argument that this "adjustment" to the schedule was more about foolishness than "ego," as the coach likes to put it. And that being the case you may want to think about hiring a personal assistant in addition to a coach. But whether the reason behind your choice to adjust your schedule will save you a tongue-lashing remains to be seen.
For the record, I thought KJ's comment was spot-on the other day. I'm curious to hear what the coach says, f-bombs and all...
Don't get me wrong - I've run hundreds of 8:30 miles with Seebo, so I know he's capable of restraining himself when the pressure's off. But seeing him dog it in a race on Sunday convinced me that he's dead serious about his 5k.
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