Since I took Monday as my recovery day, I was scheduled to go for a trot Tuesday on the LA Roadrunners' schedule. It did take some coaxing/begging/pleading to get my body to shed the blanket; but, off I eventually went.
A couple of minutes into the run I started coughing heavily. Being a semi-diligent Roadrunner, I then did what Roadrunners do ... a flow chart ... just in my head. Am I Coughing? YES. Is it heavy? YES. Are you coughing up blood? NO. Are you coughing up phlegm? YES. Follow arrow. Continue Run.
So, I continued to run; but, I decided today, or this morning, was not going to be a fast one. It was another dreaded survival run.
I eventually found a pace that felt comfortable given the coughing and pre-existing physical issues. My knee was actually a bit better and my quads and calves felt fine at least.
I just tried to do the best I could in the circumstances. I also tried to clear my mind. I started paying more attention to the scenery on M1 ... Hey, there's a new pothole! There's another! And another! (Well, the streets have taken a beating lately). Still, I did feel more relaxed not just trying to keep a pace to make the Garmin happy.
I lost quite a bit of time while doing slow small circles waiting for lights to change rather than become a hood ornament. It was amazing how the pace would shoot way up just on one light!
Finally, I made it home and went in to stretch, clean up, eat and go to work.
Physically, it was not a good run; but, may be mentally it was as I kept going even after having multiple reasons to call it a day. Also, it was a bit more fun not having to focus all on pace. I am hoping doing the intervals will get me going again.
1:00.37
4.68 miles
12:57 pace (well, a minute faster than Sunday and that is allowing for a lot of lights)
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I read in a magazine that runners do better when they focus on the scenery than when they concentrate on their form and breathing for example. I don't know how true that is, although I tend to stop a lot to take pictures of flowers and trees.
ReplyDeleteThat's not a bad pace at all (compared to my 15 min. pace) The pace that will count for sure will be the one on March 21 (that date again). Don't stress about a training run.
Good luck this Wed.
PS. I liked your flowchart.
ReplyDeleteHope your cough is nothing important. I've been coughing too when I run, too.
I will try to become the Roadrunners'flowchart designer. I am sure I can give them some new ideas ... oh, oh.
ReplyDeleteI have 1 hr. to do tonight ... we shall see.
You're very versatile. You can be the flowchart designer, the enforcer of the line, the nutrition guy (remember the stories about the
ReplyDeletemezcal?), and also the personal motivator (since you're always keeping an eye on me to see how I'm doing)
That's great!