Tempo Run

Yesterday we had our first speedwork practice.

I must say, I was dreading it all day. The advanced group was to do a 5 mile run...1.5 miles of a nice, easy warmup and 3.75 miles of a tempo run. Our tempo was supposed to be our 10k pace, which I didn't really know, because I haven't run a 10k in a long time, plus I am still trying to figure out my pace. Luckily, Coach Steve always talks more about "effort-levels" instead of time goals. He said we were normally supposed to be running our tempo run at 80-85%, which, by "talk-test" meant that you would be able to get out a few words to your running partner, but only between deep gusty breaths. :) That, I can understand.

However, it was really really muggy yesterday. I was already sweating as I was standing there just listening to the coaches explain the workout. (And when I saw people in my group running, there was steam coming off of them....crazy!) So Steve told us that we should stay more on the 80% effort side, and maybe be able to get out a whole sentence.

My friends and I took out a nice, easy 10:30 pace for the first 1.5. When we hit the 72nd Street Transverse I took off into my tempo run. I lost my entire group.

I felt good though, and I wanted to keep it up, so I pulled back a smidge. Just as I was hitting the 102nd Street Transverse (about 2 miles into the tempo run), my teammate David caught up to me. He said his goal was to catch me after the Transverse, but he was concentrating on his form and caught me. I was feeling a little tired by this point (understatement) and could hear myself breathing. It was very controlled breathing, but definitely loud.

David would NOT stop talking. And I was DYING.

He was talking about Rent (the musical), he was talking about the Japan Day races and all of the little kids who ran it, he kept reminding me that we were way ahead of the group. He was talking about how close we were even though we hadn't hit Engineer's Gate yet. He kept saying hello to everyone in the park. I wanted to tell him to go ahead because I knew I was holding him back and I was dying. (I would normally welcome this type of thing on a run, but I was pushing too hard and felt like quitting, so I was not happy to have company.)

At the same time, I knew David was keeping me on pace. I was pushing, and I wouldn't have done it if he wasn't there. Part of me was like, "Pull back, Emily. It is humid as hell and you can't handle it." But the other part of me was like "Stick with it. Run it in with David and you will be finished faster."

The thing was, my legs weren't tired...but my lungs were (yay humidity).

We finally hit Cleopatra's Needle, so I knew we were close. David kept reminding me that we were still ahead. I kept reminding him that I took it out too fast and felt awful. I was DRENCHED in sweat. It was so gross.

Maybe I should mention...

David is a Leukemia survivor and one of our honored teammates. So the fact that I was bitching and moaning about this stupid tempo run while he was running it in with me all happy and cheery made me feel like I was a wimp. If he could go through this AND Leukemia I figured I had no right to complain.

So I thanked him at the end. My friends caught up to us about 3-4 minutes later and told me that I was FAST. I told them that there was NO WAY I would have been that fast without David pushing me. He overheard me and said "I didn't run it for you. You did that."

I am not going to complain about my workouts anymore.

Just kidding, I'm sure I will, but having a survivor like that running with you who is SO POSITIVE the entire way kind of makes you want to not complain.

Besides, I always feel like I really accomplished something after those Tuesday night workouts. But pushing so hard during them DOES suck.

I hadn't looked at my watch the whole time because I felt like it would take too much energy. When I got home I hooked up my Garmin and found out that my pace for the tempo run was 8:23. Cool.

Now I'm ready for the next speed workout. :)