I complained about the weather on Sunday. Today, it got much worse. The high was actually a new record of 87 degrees. Because of the heat, I didn't get to sleep for quite a few hours. That caused me to sleep in more and thus run in more of the heat.
My the time I headed out the door, late morning, it was blazing hot. I knew it wasn't the ideal day for speedwork, but I decided to give it a try anyways. The workout started with 3 miles easy. I cruised at a nice and comfortable pace. I was already hot though, even without doing much.
The middle of the workout, consisted of 3 X 10 minutes at half marathon pace with 3 minutes of easy recovery in between. The first interval was a little bit of a challenge. I started off smooth and very fast. It got tough as I approached Falls Bridge though. Not only was it uphill, but there was actually a pretty good wind coming right at me. That provided a nice cooling affect, but also made it much harder to run. I continued to push on though at a fast and steady pace.
Focusing on staying relaxed seemed to help. I tense up too much when things aren't smooth. I need to really work on relaxing, even when the going gets tough. I seem to do that pretty well today.
The heat and speed were really wearing me down as the 2nd interval approached. The recovery helped a little, but not enough. I was still pretty dehydrated. Shortly after passing the water fountain at the Columbia Bridge, I turned around. I decided to finish this tough segment before getting a drink. At one point, I thought about half the interval must've passed by, but it was only a mere 2 minutes.
The drink was definitely a big help and couldn't have finished the workout without it. That said, I still wasn't hydrated and the brief 3 minute recovery period just wasn't enough. I mentally had to talk to myself to battle through the final interval. I just focused on getting to the first two minutes. After that, I focused on five minutes. Then I told myself I was pathetic if I couldn't go another measly five minutes. That was sure easier said than done. I pressed on and stayed focused. It sure took a lot out of me though.
I definitely took myself beyond my body's limit. The final three easy miles became a slow trot. It really seemed like I was getting nowhere and I definitely wondered how I would finish. I stopped for a drink at Lloyd Hall. On boathouse row, I tucked in behind a slow runner. He pulled away from me though. During any other run, I just would've cruised past. I was just trying to survive though. I haven't been this dead since my half marathon last fall.
Finishing the run was tough, but definitely very rewarding. Every time the going gets tough, I say to myself, "you aren't going to get to Boston if you quit now. These type of runs make Boston." It really works to keep me going strong and seeing how far I can push. Speedwork in this weather was definitely tough though.
They called me into work early. I went right from running to the shower and then ate and headed to work. There was no time to recovery. I felt like crap early in my shift, but actually wasn't too bad later on. The walking was a good recovery. My right hamstring was quite sore though. It seems to be getting worse. I really need to work on it. I might have to massage it more.
Again, I'll try the get up early thing tomorrow. Eventually, I'll succeed and get into a rhythm. It might take awhile to get used to getting up early though. I just need to do it and rest after the run if necessary. That worked well last summer. Tomorrow's run is an easy 5 miler. That should help me recover.
11.5 miles - 1:29:05 (7:45 pace)
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