Too many variables

So this week was scheduled for 5x1000M with 400M rest intervals on Tuesday and a 4 mile tempo run at 6:55 per mile on Thursday. Monday and Wednesday would be x-training.

The track work on Tuesday was going to be a real test. 1000M repeats are painful and when doing them in 3:41 (5:53/mile pace), it's really painful for me. Remember this training program calls for only 3 days of running per week. I was pumped for these workouts and convinced I would feel great.

Tuesday morning was 22 degrees at 4:15AM, that is not exactly perfect weather for track work. Tuesday afternoon is supposed to be in the 40's so I'll sleep an extra hour or so and do the workout on Tuesday afternoon. Well, suffice it to say, this workout sucked. I didn't get to Godwin High School until almost 6:30. The warm-up wasn't too bad. The first repeat was on pace but the effort was too hard. The second was right on pace until the last 50M when I started hyperventilating. Coasted in for a 3:45. Did the rest interval and started the third interval, the left achilles started getting very painful, time to stop. Stretch it out, walk around, try again, no good. I was wearing the Newtons I received for my b-day. I wear them occasionally for speed work. I won't be wearing them anymore. Changed shoes and tried to do the third interval, no go. Time to go home and get the Saucony Sinisters and finish this pig on the treadmill.

Walk in the house grumble at the family, change shoes, hit the treadmill. Well this sucks too. I get through 2 repeats on pace and decide I can't handle another one on the treadmill. I'll go out and run it on the road. Throw on another shirt, some gloves and I'm off. Quick mile warm-up and then the last repeat. I picked a pretty flat stretch and came in within 2 or 3 seconds of goal.

So in the end it took almost 2 hours to complete a 6 mile workout and I never felt good running that pace. I could not figure it out. Nothing felt right. My legs were tired, my breathing sucked, I kept gagging from phlegm while doing the hard running. I was just pissed and frustrated.

This morning (Thursday) wasn't much better. A 6:55 pace should be tough but it's still a full :40 per mile slower than my current 5K pace and it was only 4 miles. The first mile wasn't too bad, the second mile started feeling a bit better but the third mile and fourth mile were pitiful again. I had to stop every .6 miles to clear my throat. I was like drowning in my own spit but I couldn't get rid of it. It was in my throat and I would start hyperventilating.

So I'm on the way home during the cool down and start thinking about why the running was so pitiful this week. My first thought- I cheated. I ran 5 miles on Sunday rather than cross-training. It was not done at recovery pace either. My second thought - I gave blood on Monday afternoon. That usually screws up my running for a day or two. My third thought - it's bloody cold outside. I have the cool CW-X tights and all but I still feel like it's hard to run fast when I've got 2 or 3 layers on top and tights on the bottom. My fourth thought - all my shoes are getting up there in mileage at the same time.

So I've got the usual laundry list of excuses for the less than stellar performances this week. I still have a 20 miler to get through on Saturday, I'm hoping it's better than the other runs this week. I doubt the extra 5 miles had any real impact but I won't be doing it again, no more cheating. The blood donation definitely didn't help. Overall, as I always tell people, some days are better than others. So I had a few bad days in a row, I'll get over it. Next week will be better, how can it not be - 3x1600M on Christmas Eve - sounds like fun?

Happy Holidays to everyone!