Ending the Slump

Distance: 2 miles
Time: 17:10

Today's run was the result of the best two days off I've ever spent (in terms of training). I last ran on Monday (the same route as today, the Nisqually Run) and clocked an 18:01. It was a 2010 PR for me, and it was a sign that things were finally starting to improve after a rough July. Not wanting to slow down my progress I decided to rest from running on Tuesday. I think the reason July was such an injury-plagued month was because all throughout June I was running 5 days a week, low mileage, and when I increased my mileage, still running 5 times a week, my body couldn't keep up and began to break down. I wasn't giving myself enough rest at this early stage of my training. I want to retain the strength I've been feeling on these past few runs, so I'm allowing myself more rest days. So on Tuesday, not wanting to let the day go completely to waste, I went to the gym for a little cross-training. I ended up doing a lot of cardio, though. I spent about 40 minutes on the bike and the elliptical, and then I did a little bit of upper body work. Yesterday, I decided to take yet another day off from running and return to the gym. This time I did less cardio and more upper body lifting. I concentrated on my chest and shoulders, but did also abs and arms. By today, I felt more than ready for a run. Right after cross-country practice I headed to the Nisqually Course and did some quick stretching. When I set out I could tell that my overall body was feeling pretty good. I think the rest, along with the cardio work at the gym and the strength training, really helped me out today. About a mile into the run I was still feeling pretty good (usually by this point I'm exhausted). I tried increasing my pace in small increments. By the time I hit the 1.5 mile mark I looked at my timer to see that I was a whole minute ahead of Monday's time! This was exciting, except that I still had half a mile to go and I was finally beginning to feel the fatigue set in. I began to worry that I had pushed myself too hard and I was going to run out of gas soon, thus killing my chances for a PR. But I pushed through, winning the mental game that always comes up at the end of a run. When I crossed the finish line I was completely wiped out. Then I looked at the timer.... 17:10! I couldn't believe it! I set a new 2010 PR by shaving off 51 seconds! I figured I would make it into the 17s today based on how I was feeling for the majority of the run, but I thought it would be the high 17s. I never thought I would get into the low 17s just like that. Which is why I think my two days off spent cross-training at the gym have a lot to do with my time today. I know that upper body strength plays a big part in running. It makes each stride more effective. And I think the extra cardio work at the gym helped today with my stamina.

Today's run was great. But the key now is repeating that performance consistently. It'll be easy to fall back into the 18s and 19s, so I've got to keep doing what I've been doing lately. I'm going to continue maximizing my rest days by going to the gym, and hopefully my times will continue to drop.