Notes
3 miles warm-up, 3x4 mile Madison Creek Loop-first 2 miles 7-7:10ish (uphill), last 2 miles 6:50ish (downhill); 3-4 minute slow jog recovery, 3 mile cool down
Admittedly I was apprehensive about this. I know I'm in great shape cardio wise but my body hasn't been cooperating. It was so disconcerting to run my track workout this week and feel like I couldn't get into a rhythm or run smoothly. I was scared about running fast again and how my body would handle it. I felt okay for the warm-up. I could tell my stride wasn't totally back to normal but I tried not to think about it or correct anything.
The first 2 mile up-hill I got really frustrated. It felt like I was just dragging my left leg along for the ride and nothing was smooth. It's an infuriating feeling to not be able to just run. I was trying not to think about it but it felt impossible since every step seemed like an effort. I felt like I was going to cry and just worried my Boston goals were slipping away from me despite so much hard work and good fitness. I got to the top of the hill and realized I actually felt smooth on the downhill. My stride issues dissipated. I gained confidence from that.
The next loop was a lot better because of my increased confidence and easier running on the downhill. The third loop got a bit harder and I was very ready to be at the top of the hill and be over the uphill portion and was able to cruise into the downhill part. I pushed the pace the last two miles since it was the end of the workout.
This was set up nicely because after the uphills the downhills felt like a relief. The other thing I neglected to mention was that I had a very strong headwind on each uphill portion which increased the perceived effort quite a bit. As soon as I crested the hill and started to head back the other direction, it became silent and I assume I got the benefit of some tailwind.
I realized I'd be at 19.3 if I did a 3 mile cool down so I decided to round it up to 20 for the day. Amazingly enough, on my cool down my stride felt normal again which made me hopeful. My legs felt a little beat up but in a good way. Nothing stood out as particularly sore.