Don't ever settle

HOLY SMOKES!

Pretty much sums up my Thursday workout. It was the same workout I had dreaded last week, 3 x 3 mile repeats. This week I had a more positive attitude and was actually excited to see if I could run the repeats faster.

I had posted earlier on my Daily Mile account how fatigued and sore I was from running 22 on Sunday. My 5 mile run on Tuesday was brutally slow; I felt like I never got into my normal rhythm. I ended up running close to my home again in case I called it quits. My 5 miles on Tuesdays & Thursdays isn’t a set in stone run. I can run if I choose too and fit in the amount of miles that work with my schedule.

I ran my repeats at the same time and on the same route as last week. My plan was to run the first set more conservative and then really push the last 2 sets. I came up with my plan of attack before I realized I would be running in the freezing cold and rain. Mother nature in Spokane has not been friendly lately.

After my warm up I did some quick stretches and took a drink of both my powerade and water. I brought powerade along hoping that if I drank a little after each repeat that would help me with the cramping & swelling I have been experiencing.

The first repeat was COLD. The wind and rain was hitting me from all directions. I hit the 1.5 mile mark and told myself that it was okay if I didn’t run these repeats fast. I thought about how much nicer it would be to run these on my TM, but then I thought about my goals and decided that I WAS NOT GOING TO GIVE UP.

I wasn’t going to settle for mediocre run.

I wasn’t going to let the weather dictate my workout. My goals. My dreams.

The second repeat felt better, more natural. It was really raining cats & dogs at this point. My garmin had so many water droplets on it that I couldn’t read my pace. I only guessed that I was running sub 6:50s.

I kept on repeating to myself: YOU GOT THIS.

On my third repeat I couldn’t feel anything because I was so frozen. I thought about sitting in my car, heated seat on and heat on high. For once I wasn’t thinking about food! I still wasn’t able to get a good read on my garmin, but felt like I was moving at a pretty good pace. Somewhere between miles 1.5-2.5 I looked down and saw that I was running a 6:21. WHOA! I slowed down because that pace was nowhere near the target of 6:55-6:40. Ended up finishing the last mile in 6:37. J

I quickly grabbed a drink, threw on my rain coat and gloves and headed out for a cool down run. I am glad that I brought some powerade with me in addition to the water. I don’t know if the rain washed all of my sweat away, but I didn’t feel like a salt block once I was done. I also wasn’t swollen and experienced no muscle cramping. I am going to have to make powerade or Gatorade part of my daily routine now.

Next week I have 4 x 3 mile repeats on the schedule. Do I dare say that I am slightly excited for them?!

Questions for you:

Have you ever had a workout become your favorite when you thought you would dislike it?

--Tasha