Today’s Workout – Speed Workout
Total Mileage: 11.10 miles
Total Time: 1:34:14
Average Pace: 8:29 min/mile
I think the title of this post pretty much says it all, some workouts just don’t “work out.”
I spent most of my morning on the phone and dealing with unemployment again. I didn’t really start thinking about my workout until almost lunch time. Oops!
I was reading some forums and came across a workout I thought I would give a try:
3 x 3 mile repeats at 103% of goal marathon pace. That would mean roughly around a 7:47 min/mile for me.
I decided I would do a 500 meter rest in between each and then a small cool down. Simple enough right?
I got my Zym water set up and was ready to go on the treadmill.
About halfway through my 2nd 3 mile repeat I realized it wasn’t going to happen. I could barely breathe, my legs were not picking up, and I was dying.
I’m pretty sure that face accurately describes how I felt.
I finished up the 2nd 3 mile repeat and did some quick reevaluating. I decided after my 500 meter jog that I would do another 0.5 mlles easy and them attempt 2 miles at goal marathon pace.
I started the 2 miles and my body again wasn’t having it. I stopped after 1 mile at goal marathon pace (8:00 min/mile) and then ran the last mile slow for a total of 11 miles.
The goal for today was to get in the 3 x 3 mile repeats and 12 miles – neither of which happened.
After a ton of speed workouts over the last month I guess one that I couldn’t complete was bound to happen. I am not sure if I set my goal to high on this one and wasn’t ready or if my body was just off today, but I do know that I will get there and you will see this workout again!
After I finished my body was dead. I decided I would try out my new Ninja blender and make a recovery smoothie.
I adapted a recipe I found on Vega’s Recipe page.
My Recovery Smoothie
1/2 cup frozen mixed fruit
1/2 banana
1/2 serving of Vega All-In-One Nutritional Shake Berry
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon Glutamine (I ended up adding this after the fact)
I blended it all together and it tasted delicious! What a difference a good blender makes! A++ for the Ninja!
After I had already blended it I realized I had forgotten to take my normal glutamine recovery drink, so I added my 1 tablespoon in and mixed.
This was so refreshing and just what my body needed after such a rough workout.
Lesson’s learned today:
1. Not all workouts “work out”
2. Tomorrow is a new day
3. Smoothies are the best
Tell me – have you ever had to cut a workout short because you couldn’t complete it? Please make me feel a little bit better here 🙂
For sure I have not been able to complete planned runs!!!! Sometimes our minds are ready for the work, but the old bod just isn’t there yet! You still ran, and that smoothie looks divine!!! Good job for a great run on tired legs! 🙂
Thanks so much! 🙂 I needed that! I was feeling a little down after not being able to complete it. I went back and looked at the forum it came from and these are workouts you are supposed to be able to do about 6 weeks out from a marathon and since I am not running until May, maybe that is a sign I am right where I am supposed to be!
Hell yeah I have! Just the other day I set out on a 5 miler (not much to brag about) but it was supposed to be a FAST 5 miler. Welp, let’s just say I did an incredibly, painfully slow 3.5 miler. Womp womp.
Happens to us all!
Glad to know I am not the only one 🙂 I’ve had good luck thus far I guess it was about time for a crappy run! You win some you lose some!
But Sara – haven’t you also had days when you set out to do 8-10 miles and ended up breezing through 12-14? I know this weekend on Sunday I just wanted to do 10 but kept plugging past 13! So … yeah we all have to punt on a few, but remember to also celebrate the victories!
Also, that Ninja looks pretty badass 🙂
This is true 🙂 some days just aren’t the day! I’m okay with that! And the ninja is awesome!!! 🙂
Yes yes yes!! There have been many times that I haven’t been able to complete a workout! And if it’s your body telling you to slow down or stop, it’s OK! Look at the bright side – you still ROCKED 11+ miles at a great pace, which is more than most people do in a week! Relax and recover :).
Haha thanks for always making me look at it in a different way!! Seriously you should live closer to me!!
It happened to me just last week.
Was having a “moment” and decided to run out my frustration. Off I went…in 98* heat, on a 4 mile loop, at a pace I could only dream of sustaining. 2 miles in I had to quit. And then I had a 2 mile walk of shame to get home.
You were out there doing it so there is no walk of shame required 🙂
True. That 4 mile loop is my nemesis right now. This past Sunday morning I tried again, before it got hot and with pace restraint. I was really stoked towards the end because I was going to make it, (barely, very hilly loop, for TX anyway) but the sun was coming up and I was running straight into it. Somehow I turned down the wrong street to get home (in my defense all the turn offs look very similar). When I got to where I expected my house to be, it wasn’t there…so disoriented for a couple of minutes.
Have you ever done something like that?
I haven’t done something to that extent but when you get really warm (this used to happen to me a lot when I lived in North Carolina) I used to get disoriented. It does happen it could mean that you are severely dehydrated too – do you carry water with you or drink enough before you leave to run?
I generally don’t carry water because I’m not running long enough distances yet. I do however carry a small bottle with me on this particular loop.
I think I may do a hill repeats workout on the steeper portions of the loop so my body gets used to doing it. Then when it pops up in the middle of the run it won’t be quite so monumental.
It happened to me this morning too! I set out to do an 8 mile tempo run with a one mile warm up and cool down. But the winds were insane! 25 mph, so my run turned into a 7 mile fight the wind run.
And even though you couldn’t do all 3 repeats, two is still awesome. Plus you have even more motivation for next time. I have faith you’ll get it 🙂
I hate when it gets crazy windy! I remember one time I was doing a long run out in the middle of no where and the wind was so bad at one point I couldn’t get up the hill. I just started screaming I was so frustrated. Thankfully no one was around or they probably would have thought I was crazy! 🙂
Yep, have cut plenty of runs short when they just weren’t working out right. Or adapted the plan as I went along. Sometimes your body just says ‘No!’ and you have to go with it and remember that tomorrow is another day. Well done for pushing through 11+ miles anyway though!
Thanks! Yes some days just aren’t the day and maybe there is a reason your body tells you that! 🙂
@Robert – I think that is a great reminder of proper pacing. There is always a thought that we can just slow down if the pace (and heat, etc) gets to us … but that is what ‘bonking’ or ‘hitting the wall’ is all about. I remember last summer starting an evening run when I’d already done yardwork and gone for a long walk with wife and dogs … and really pushed myself beyond reasonable limits. I never walked (that is a personal issue 😉 ) … but I was beyond stupid!
As for getting lost, I am very fortunate that I more or less have a GPS brain … so when I change course I have discovered new routes or extensions but never gotten lost! 🙂
This shake sounds great. I will have to try it out.
Let me know what you think! 🙂