well... because the longest distance i've run in the past 8 weeks since being back at it has been 10mi. so signing up for a 15K made me nervous, and i thought i should probably train a bit before tackling that distance.
monday's are my running rest day, but i still go to crossfit and then i sit around on my bum the rest of the day. lol! today i felt pretty good and took off running. out of the gate is about .25mi downhill so that certainly helps my first mile pace.
by the time the 2nd mile beeped at me i glanced at it and noticed it too was under an 8 min mile! i kept pushing at it all the while realizing that while it felt hard it didn't feel impossibly so. usually when i run a pace like this it is in a race setting (hence the "race pace" speed for this run) and for some reason i feel so much worse than i was feeling at that moment. so i kept pushing and pushing.
 |
| no i don't know what i was doing with my face... |
i ran up the hill just after mile 2 and then steadied my pace on the flat after that. i thought for sure mile 3 would be slower (it felt slower), but it proved to be the best mile yet. i finished this short run feeling spent but really really good!
i guess there's something to be said for shorter distances. hmmmm who'd a thunk it?
strava data here.
2 comments:
Honestly, I think CrossFit is some of the best cross training you, specifically, can do as a long distance runner. Not just the strength training, but the kind of high-intensity cardio training CrossFit includes. You're probably better suited to run shorter distances fast than you'd previously realized. Or even prefer to. Your body gets a tremendous fitness base from all the long running, but it's also becoming conditioned for harder work than just long, slower running.
i agree with you 100%! committing to this cross training has helped tremendously! it is amazing actually. i like the class and like that i'm getting stronger. it's funny because sometimes i walk out of the class feeling like it wasn't that challenging and then the next day my muscles are screaming at me. the proof is in the pudding as they say... i'm definitely faster over all right now than i've been in the past few years since transitioning to distance. however... i'm still able to run the shorter longs at a pretty good clip so i'm interested to see how i'll do when it's time for iceage in may. THAT will be the true test!
Post a Comment