Land of the Kiwis A runner in New Zealand

Stubborn As A Wallace

Boring Training Dialog

I am not the strongest willed individual I know. There are so many times I have an inkling of what I should be doing but just shrug it off, instead losing an opportunity for self-improvement. However, there are times I do set my jaw, furrow my eyebrows, and refuse to accept any result other than the one I'm looking for (note: not recommended for relationships). I was determined to make today's training was one of the rarer latter instances.

Cary and I drove to the Tauranga Track at about 10AM. I had known for the past couple days that I was going to do a tempo today (barring input from Mitch) and I had decided I was going to stick out a long one. I've spent the last 3 days in the ocean and I had to get running again. For the time being, I'm going to revert to a slightly souped up version of my senior XC season, where I was doing pool 5 days a week, Tuesday workout, and Saturday race. The difference is I'm going to do 3 running sessions a week until my Achilles feel 100% for 3 full sessions. The real downsides to this plan are I don't get to train with others and I don't really get to explore local tracks (trails) but I had my fun with that on the south island and no it's time to get serious. Anyways, there was this 6-mile tempo I did with Clay at the end of the summer that I consider to be one of the hallmark workouts coming into the peak of my strength in XC this past fall. So today I looked to bring that another 400m into a full 10k. The goal: 10k@5:30 pace altering the end as needed. But I was going to finish the full thing, that was the real target of the session. Reason being, I just felt so disheartened last weekend when I started getting weak with over a mile to go in that 5k. I lost it a bit mentally not knowing if I could hold on. I need to get used to that deadness in the legs and know I have more.

Anyways, it was a sunny, warmer morning, but I hydrated pretty well and completed a solid 14min warm up without any Achilles indicators (so far so good and I stretched/massaged a bunch). I did my leg swings, a few more stretches, took a deep breath, and whispered "begin".

The effort to keep myself relaxed was excruciating but I managed to run the first mile in 5:25.

Then I decided to try and let my mind drift and not look at the watch until mile 2. 5:23. Nuts.

Mile 3. OK, starting to feel the burn now and I find it impossible to keep my mind off the indicators of weary legs. 5:29

Pulled a Uy at the 5k mark and started back around the track in the other direction, breathing hard but happy to be halfway done. "Uh, hold on there chief. I'm only halfway done? Umm, maybe just a 5-mile tempo..." This is how it's happened before, I just settle for something in the 25 minute range. "But no, I'm finishing." With that, I let off the gas and just tried to relax, closing my eyes for much of the next few laps. 5:39.

"Ugh, slow time. I'm just gonna have to finish. This is gonna suck."

"Oh, what the... Why'd that girl have to show up now?" (Long jumper warming up. What else are you going look at other than the poor, dying distance runner, eyes drooping, dragging his heels lap after lap.) 5:42

Turns out my legs take much more kindly to 5:40s as I began to get a bit of a second wind. Didn't help my speed, but I began to feel that metronome rhythm I've sometimes fallen into on 8k courses, the primary benefit being that it strangely subdued the fatigue. I think it was also partly the fact that by this point I knew I would finish and that was lifting me up a bit too. 5:52

Ouch. OK just finish it up. 10k time: 34:49 the hard way.

4 laps around the infield barefoot with Cary to cool down and a bit more stretching, especially on the Achilles. As I write this, my legs actually do feel pretty good again, but what a drag that workout is while you're running it. I'll have to do it again soon. Compared to my 32:50 (I think) for my 6 miler with Clay, it's not even too far off. Glad I stuck it out. Thanks Brendan for leading by example. I think I'm going to try that 3x2miler workout I remember marveling at last spring before your 30:14.

Cary was able to get the snapshot of me because he was just doing a few miles easy this morning. We got word some local boys would be running a 3k this afternoon and he was keen to jump on.

Downtown Tauranga

After my session, we headed into town and just checked out the sights. It was actually a really enjoyable experience and we got a bit done too. Cary ogled a world-famous palm tree. I invested another hour into my blackberry investigation with no real fruit except that I think I actually understand what's going on with the phone now. I actually do feel much better having some light shed on it. Gonna work a bit more with it tomorrow. At this point it's just become a personal project and I'll try and do a nice little writeup for future NZ travelers if I get this figured out.

Cary's 3k

Eventually we found our way back to the track at 4PM. The Tauranga boys we met are a fun group and a bit on the crazy side (as you would expect any interesting runners to be). 3 of them and Cary toed the line pretty nonchalantly after a mediocre warmup, and someone said "bang".

The race was under overcast skies and it started to drizzle lightly for laps 5 and 6. Pretty much perfect conditions and they used it well. Cary seemingly breezed through an 8:44 saving his kick for this coming friday. Smart move, and great result. I'm pumped for him and I think he's a bit relieved too. Also a strong result considering he'd been on his feet much of the day. Good things to come this weekend, weather permitting.

Dinner with Ian

When we got back home, Ian once again dazzled us with his cooking prowess, serving up some delicious sirloins and this amazing potato that he may have fried in some butter? I'll have to ask him about it in the morning. It was some of the best potato I've ever had. We also watched Prince Caspian in anticipation for visiting the beaches in the opening scenes of the return to Narnia. I can't wait!