Today’s Workout – Tempo Run
Total Mileage: 7.01 miles
Total Time: 01:00:28
Average Pace: 8:37 min/pace
Breakdown of today’s workout:
0.25 mile warm up
4 mile tempo run (8:13, 8:06, 8:00, 7:53)
0.75 mile slow run
30 sec on/3 sec off – 5x (7:30/10:00)
1.20 mile cool down
Today’s run was TOUGH. It took an amount of mental toughness that I didn’t know I had left, but low and behold I did it!
I always write out my workouts and put them on the treadmill. I typically always know them in my head but just in case I want a quick point of reference, because once I get tired I find it hard to think sometimes. HA!
There was a point 2 miles into my 4 mile tempo that I just flat out said “I can’t.” I was tired, I wanted to go home, and I just didn’t want to run anymore. I felt like my legs could not possibly go another step. There was no way.
Amazingly enough I kept telling myself “you can do this”, “how bad do you want this?”, “you’ve done workouts like this before”, and “You CAN!” As my tempo continued it actually got easier. My legs got into it and before long I was actually running steady and I even sped up.
Tempo runs are always hard, no matter how you put it. If it isn’t hard then quite frankly you aren’t working hard enough. I want to push myself, I want to take myself to the next level, and then only way I am going to do that are through runs like these.
It is during the hard days that you really become the runner that you want to be. It is during the days when you don’t think you can possible go one more step and DO that you learn about yourself!
Things I learned today from my run:
1. Sometimes hard runs do get easier.
2. I mentally defeat myself way too fast.
3. I am much stronger than I think I am.
4. Self doubt is the greatest killer – focus on what you CAN do.
5. The body is capable of much more than you think.
I left the gym feeling tired but very accomplished. I was proud that I stuck it out and got another tough workout for the week completed.
Tomorrow I have a day off since I work on Saturday so I plan to get a 6-8 mile slow recovery run in. I am really looking forward to it!
What are some of your favorite mantras? How do you keep yourself going?
WOW!! You are killing these tough workouts!! Totally inspiring!
Aww thanks you’re sweet! It’s not always easy but it’s worth it 🙂
I remember feeling very similar to you when I was first starting out, (and I’m sure I will again if I hit this wall later). For some reason I could NOT run more than two miles. As soon as I got to that marker, my mind told me I had to stop, and I always, always listened. It’s really true, though, that your brain wants to stop FAR sooner than your body needs to. Good for your for doing these tempo runs ON the treadmill. I hate the treadmill.
That is so true! The body can do amazing things you just have to remember that! Your mind sometimes can try to trick you into stopping and you just have to keep pushing through!
Ok, I’m totally enjoying going back and reading your running posts! I’m a new reader. I love all those things that you said above especially how sometimes hard runs do get easier because sometimes if I’m having an absolutely horrible mile, I have to just tell myself to keep on going because it can’t stay this hard the whole time (hopefully)!!!
This is so true! You just have to mentally keep telling yourself to keep going sometimes! Running is NOT easy but it is the rewards that it brings that makes it so enjoyable! Thanks again for stopping by!!