So two weeks into speed training and well ouch springs to mind! As in turns out I only have the one gear when it comes to running and if I were to make a comparison think of Sunday afternoon driving.
I had become rather comfortable running the 20 kilometres to and from work a few times a week and my times for this distance have been gradually decreasing, a positive sign. However I suspect the folk putting my running program together suspected I was getting off a little easy and have certainly upped the ante and its getting all a little bit serious. However this is exactly the push (or kick) I needed.
So the speed or “quality” running as those in the know apparently call it, (in addition to my current running program) involves 800m sprints following a gruelling Zamia track run on a Friday and five kilometres at a pace of 4 minutes per kilometres which following Sunday’s efforts I can’t say I have actually achieved just yet, but it has certainly given me something to work towards.
Sunday rolls around and it’s time to attempt five kilometres in 20 minutes. So I made it through my Sunday morning ‘easy’ run unscarred and prepared for my second run for the day, the one that although it is over quickly I suspected was going to hurt the most. So I broke out the instructions to my running watch to work out how the set and operate the pace alerts and off to the river I went to get this 20 minute, 5 kilometres under the belt. All was going swell until I hit the half way mark, then quite frankly panic set in when I realised I don’t actually think I can keep this pace up. And then the beeping of the watch kicks in to politely inform you that you have dropped below a four minute kilometre pace. And as I then also discovered that if you don’t pick up the pace it beeps again, and again and again!
So all in all my run ended with me yelling at my watch – "I know I’m not running fast enough, and I don’t need you to keep reminding me" I am sure to the amusement of any onlookers.
No comments:
Post a Comment