reminder: running hurts

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Kelly

This week’s runs have been a (somewhat) necessary reminder that sometimes it’s not all fluffy bunnies and rainbows. Tuesday’s workout:

  • 8 x 3:00 minute pick-ups with 1:30 minute rest (“these should be pretty quick” – Coach John)

It doesn’t sound that bad, right? After a rest day on Monday, I set out on Tuesday ready for some quality miles. I started the repeats after a two mile warm-up just as I got to the downhill part of West Drive (my favorite) and the first two were probably more than pretty quick, per usual. I realized my mistake by the fourth repeat, when I wanted to vomit, quit and then lay down on the road for a nap.

Screen shot 2013-02-28 at 8.27.49 AM

didn’t take splits for the repeats, tried to go more by “feel”

In order to get through the workout I dialed back the pace a bit for the last repeats, but it was still a decent effort and I’m glad I didn’t throw in the towel. When I saw Coach John later that day, I told him how hard the workout was. His response: “Well yeah, it’s supposed to be hard. You needed a reminder that sometimes running hurts.” 

Ok then, consider me reminded. John said that ideally, I would have run the workout like the middle repeats – not as quick as the first repeats but not as slow as the last ones. The key is to control yourself for the first few and remember that yeah, you have to do eight of these. Noted.

Wednesday – 8.3 miles, easy
Wednesday’s run was a planned easy one with Betsy (usually my favorite run of the week), but holy God we may as well have run in a monsoon. It was cold, pouring and super windy, but Betsy and I powered through about 6 miles together and were basically the only humans in Central Park aside from a few other crazy runners. I couldn’t feel my hands even after a hot shower (uhh, probably not normal), but it was still so worth it.

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dripping wet

In between our chats and being pounded in the face by stinging rain/wind, Betsy kept saying, “Can you imagine doing this alone??” 

Yep, and it would have sucked. Running buddies make everything better.

Question: Worst conditions you’ve ever run/raced in? I think Wednesday ranks right up there, along with a 10K I did in pouring rain a few years ago.

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  • Meggie

    I think worst racing conditions have been 37 degrees and a driving rain. Although I have been caught a time or two in those downpours where you can’t even see in front of your face. Thankfully, those times were in the summer.

    Nice workout! Those are hard because they’re like tempo-fartleks…rest is short enough that it is sort of tempo-ish but you do, at least, get a tiny bit of recovery!

    • MealsforMiles

      summer makes it not seem so bad!! sometimes… haha yeah, the recovery definitely seemed tiny, that is for sure :)

  • Shannon

    The worst conditions I ran in was back during Hurricane Sandy. I live in Baltimore so we didn’t get hit by the storm nearly as badly as NYC but it was pouring and 40 mph winds.

    Reading this made me think of the hill workout I did last week. After the first repeat I thought I was going to puke. It’s those hard runs that make us feel great afterwards though!

    • MealsforMiles

      Yes, that is definitely true! You hate it when you’re doing it, but afterwards are so glad you did!!

  • http://outsidetime.net/ Outside Time

    The worst condition I raced in was the snowstorm during the Manhattan Half last year — NYRR didn’t cancel, but decided to make it an “unscored” race. I wanted to be hardcore so I was determined to do it anyway, even though the park was not plowed and the path was so slippery. I could’t walk for a week afterward and finally *really* understood the phrase, “chilled to the bone.” As much as a I hate running in bad weather I love that I have run in that weather — and it’s that retrospective appreciation I always think about when I want to reschedule a workout due to bad weather.

    • MealsforMiles

      Oh I remember that! And that is so true – you’ll probably never forget that race and always feel a little badass for doing it anyways :)

  • embenton

    Worst conditions were probably in my first marathon attempt, where the weather was so severe that they shut it down before I could finish and I saw lightning right before I was pulled off. Close second was when we got a “work from home” snow day in New York and I set out for a lunchtime run in Astoria. Not plowed, full of ankle-deep brown slush patches Astoria. And both times I ran the NYRR Manhattan Half were pretty rough in under 20-degree weather, but the cold always makes you run faster. :)

    • MealsforMiles

      haha yes I ran the Manhattan Half that one time when it was 6 degrees. SO COLD!

  • http://www.susanruns.com/ Susan – Nurse on the Run

    I ran Chicago in 2007 when it was 95 degrees. That was not fun.

    I had a horrrrrrible workout this week! Even cut it short, and I can’t remember the last time I did that. Guess I’ve been having too many good workouts and needed a reminder that sometimes running is hard!

    • MealsforMiles

      Really?? Ok, if your speedy self can have a horrible workout, then I guess we all can :) I’m sure your next workout will be back to amazing though!