Last week, I set out to have a huge workout week. I wanted to hit it hard because I knew that I would be taking it a little easy this week in order to rest up a bit for my race. By the time Thursday's social run came around I felt rough. I had five workout in the previous three days and really didn't know how my legs were going to handle the social run. However, the thought of skipping the social run never entered my twisted little mind. I was ticked-off about falling out of the run the week before and wanted to prove to myself that no matter how crappy I felt that I could do this run.
Before the run, as we were trying to determine the mileage and speed grouping, I had said that I didn't know what to expect because I was feeling pretty rough. However, as we began to run I started out pretty well and kept my pace up as the first two miles ticked by. On other group members commented that she thought that I wasn't feeling good, so why was I still running around my normal pace. My response was that "I was too stupid to run any other way." Which is partially true, I haven't been running that long, it still hasn't been a year since my first race, and there is so much that I don't know about my new sport. I am trying to learn as I go. But, I think one of my major problems is that I only know how to run one way. I don't know how to run to conserve energy or how to get the most out of my body when I feel like hell. I just try to run as well as I can at any given time . . . and sometimes I end up beating that old dead horse along, which is kind of what I did on Thursday. I ran as strong or the way I did because I felt that if I went easier it would lead me to think that I was more tired than I was an cause me to slow down or walk. I wanted to prove to myself they I had it in me to run those four miles, which I did. However, on Friday I felt like I had been hit by a truck . . . twice.
I wonder if it better to force myself to push through a run that I am not sure I feel up for or better to back it down a bit. Also, I feel like I have taken it easy for so much of my life that I really want to keep pushing myself till I sweat out all the lazy! I don't like the idea of taking it easy any more, and I am not sure that it is a bad thing. Granted I don't want any injuries, but I also don't want to give myself any easy outs. I would love to hear how other people approach a run when they are not feeling it.
Thursday's run was 4.08 miles in 38:38.70 at a 9.28 pace.
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