A Rainy Day 7 Miler with a 10 K Tempo Run Inserted

Mar. 5, 2021

0.5 K: 3:10.56

10 K: 46:30.48 (Target=45:50.00)

Rest: 1:18.67

0.9 K: 6:40.41

Total 11.4 K: 57:40.12

I did a 10 K tempo run. It was raining when I got out. I welcomed it. Two of my best races were on rainy days. 

I fell short of the target by 40 seconds. It means I'm 4 seconds slower than the target of 4:35 for each K. Though I didn't make it, I patted myself on the shoulder. I could have given up halfway through. Around 5 K I felt a sudden drop in motivation.  I don't know why. It just happened. Maybe I was thinking about tomorrow and thought I should save energy for a busy day ahead. Maybe I thought I was too old to keep on pushing myself. Maybe I was just too hungry to go on. But somehow I coped with it and carried on.

I don't know when my mind had shifted away from that negative mode, but before I knew it, I had settled into a steady pace. Breathing was a bit rusty, but not to the point of making me slow down. 

I increased pace on a downhill for a time gain, slightly slowed down till my heart rates came down on a flat after a downhill, and took shorter strides on an uphill for running economy. I did my best to maneuver this ridiculously hilly course for a time gain. But, I couldn't make it.  But I won't give up. 

Tomorrow night I'll either go for a long and slow run, or rest, depending on how tired or sleepy I will be then.