I had Bob Seger along with me on my lunch time run today. No, really! OK, so maybe not physically, but his song was definitely playing loudly in my head as I ran. Because I run in the vicinity of a large lake, I typically hit wind at some point during any given run. However today was one of those runs where it felt like I was running against the wind no matter which direction I turned!
Don’t know Bob Seger? C’mon, I’m not THAT old….but here you go, just in case:
I headed out and felt strong, but also felt the wind pushing me back and decided I wouldn’t waste physical or emotional energy on fighting it. I have a 20 mile training run scheduled this weekend, so I didn’t feel the need to push too hard. I enjoyed the sunshine and celebrated the fact that I was lucky enough to have the time to get out on a busy Friday work day.
Glancing at my Garmin, I got a little jolt….8:35? Wow, I felt like I was a full minute slower! No complaints, I’ll take it. I continued onward and still felt strong. I continued to see 8:30’s and thought, “Wow, where is that coming from?” The wind continued to threaten my forward motion, but I felt strong despite the wind. Usually, I start to drag a bit during my last mile – regardless of the distance. Not today!! I glanced at my watch somewhere in the midst of mile 3 and saw 8:18 (DOH!) and, now that I was becoming completely focused on speed, looked again and again…. 8:05….
Holy thanks-for-lending-me-your-fast-legs-Kara-Goucher J Not truly a Kara pace, but I’ll take an 8:22 Lisa pace!
My run today was not intended to be about speed, but then again, I usually don’t specify the exact type of run I plan on doing. Maybe that’s bad training, but this “low pressure” approach seems to work for me. That’s not to say that I never plan speed work or hill work, but for the most part, I run how I feel. Today, I channeled my inner Kara Goucher to the beat of Bob Seger and it felt good. Damn good.
Do you listen to music while you run? If so, what kind?
Dang! Nice run! And fyi, as soon as I saw the blog title I was singing that song in my head. So if you are old I am too, and I'm not old lol.
ReplyDeleteI used to listen to my Ipod all the time but I rarely do anymore. You can't use it in triathlon so I practice a lot without. That said, when I was training for my marathon and doing long runs I did wear it to give me some company. I love crap pop music...anything with a beat that keeps me moving.
Thanks Michael! Glad I'm not the only person who knows Bob Seger :)
DeleteI've never done triathlon but have heard music is a no-no, so I guess you'd get used to it right? I love races that have music along the course - that's totally a win/win!
NIce! I think sometimes the BEST way to do do speed is to not think about it as a "speed day" and just see how you feel. After a mile or two if you feel good, then speed it up! Hey-if you get an 8 min/mile out of it, you are doing something right :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy :) Yes, that's exactly how I look at it. I feel like this year, now that I'm consistently committed to running during my lunch, I'm getting stronger & ultimately faster. Kind of exciting!
DeleteNice job!! My 'tempo' days are never planned, if they are, I don't think I'd do them =)
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna! Ya know, I think we're onto somethin....:)
DeleteWhat a great run! I love when the faster paces feel so comfy :) And LOVE Bob Seger!!! We've Got Tonight :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, it's very cool to feel a little sassy out on the roads!
DeleteThat's fabulous!
ReplyDeleteAnd Avery thoroughly enjoyed dancing to Bob Seger too.