I do not know why I was so psyched out about this.
I look happy here – at the gym at 5:30 a.m. this morning getting ready to do a tempo run. I am faking it. I was really not that excited.
In fact, I was kind of stressed. Which is totally and completely stupid because it’s just a dumb 6 mile tempo run done at a small gym in Longmont, Colorado at the wee hours of the morning for God’s sake. It’s not like it’s the Olympic Trials.
Why stressed? Let’s break it down.
- I haven’t done structured speed work/tempo work in a long time
- I haven’t trained for a marathon in a long time (2 years)
- I have injury PTSD
- Sometimes I am afraid to be too tired
- Sometimes I am afraid to hurt
The good news is I knew my brain was messing with me and that I just needed to get out of my head to make this a really good, quality, kick ass run.
So, after a long warm up, I kicked in the tempo miles at 7.3 mph (8:12 pace). I realize this is a warm up, easy pace for many of you bitches, but it is not easy for me.
I talked to myself the whole time:
- Do not stop and rest. If you stop and rest, it is not a tempo run it is an interval run and that is not what you’re hear for (got this reminder from this girl)
- You are strong, steady, perfect, capable
- You are not injured. Nothing hurts. Stop being scared.
- Don’t be afraid to give it your all. Balls to the wall (oops, don’t have balls – but nipples to the wall sounds stupid)
- I thought of a quote in one of my favorite running books (What I Talk About When I Talk About Running): “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”
These two songs also helped.
AD/DC – Rock Your Heart Out
Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart
Yes, I am old school with my music sometimes. These songs will get even a limp, lazy and drunk person up and running. (Clearly I was going for a HEART theme for Valentine’s Day - not really, pure coincidence actually).
All of this ranting and raving in my brain worked. I got my head in the game and there there was this almost immediate physical turn around. It wasn’t that hard. Not at all. Even when my stomach started cramping at mile 5 and I let some (not so innocent) farts fly, I kept going. The feeling at the end? Exhilaration. Confidence to start my day. And, I wasn’t even faking it.
Moral of the story – your mind can be your own worst enemy. So, make friends with it and make it work for you.
Speed work: love it or hate it? I like to say we have a love/hate relationship
What’s one song people might be surprised to find on your iPod? Greased Lightening from Grease. I always skip it when it comes on, but somehow I still love that song – especially the part that goes, “You know I ain’t bragging, she’s a real pussy wagon!” DANG, that was kind of advanced for 1978. I used to run around as an 11 year old singing that with no clue about what it meant.
Happy VD! Hope you don’t have any STDs this year.
SUAR
