Yesterday was a well-deserved rest day. The interval session brought about a bit of hamstring soreness … not unexpected. The quad soreness has eased, but not completely gone yet. With this as the backdrop, I did some extra stretching this morning in anticipation of another slow shuffle. More specifically, it was the grandpa shuffle. Unlike the day after the HM, my legs were not filled with lead. The interval definitely helped shake out some lactic acid, but also brought about the aforementioned hamstring soreness.
I started off and continued to “run” with a newfound peace of mind. I’m just more relaxed and less critical about my running. I guess putting it all out there and running a good race does help with confidence. Given the state of my legs, I had NO intention of even going moderately fast or shuffling on hills. Also, I don’t think it would be physically possible, even if I were foolish enough to attempt either. Frankly, the only reason I was able to survive Tuesday’s interval session was because it was indoors and easy to get and stay loose. Today, I heal-toed it to the Reservoir Path for 4 loops on nearly flat dirt. The weather continues to be schizophrenic – 37* and dropped to the point of snow flurries covering the path. I didn’t mind. It was just pleasant to be running with no impending race pressure. I honestly have not felt like that in quite some time on the road … while I don’t check my time during, I am constantly thinking about how I’m feeling, pace, training, etc. Don’t get me wrong. I love racing and more importantly, the training for a race. But after 5 months of beating myself up for the August training/race, it’s nice to give myself a mental break.
Like Monday, this morning was all about going slow to the sweet sounds of John Coltrane. Results: 7.72 miles at 9:44 pace. Until the legs tell me something different, that will likely be my pace (or slower) until the next interval session on Tuesday. BTW – thank you for all of the great responses on the question of speed and training. I’m thinking through a post on that topic for tomorrow. A hint – my previously held view has changed.