Run hard when it's hard to run

"Run hard when it's hard to run." says my training partner. She uses this as one of her slogans and I think it's a good mission statement. It motivates her to run when she doesn't feel like running, or train when she doesn't feel like training. It is good to have little sayings that you say to yourself that keep you focused and on track and snap you out of your funk when you don't feel like doing what your supposed to. I usually say, "Nothing to it but to do it!"

Yesterday I ran 3 x 5K. This was a tough workout. I have been alternating our training plan every 4 weeks we work on speed and then alternate by building the volume up maintaining that speed. During our speed sessions the longest distance we went was 1 mile repeats and I did 8 of them in one workout. They were all between 8:30 min/mile and 9 min/ mile. The crazy thing is I can then go and run 10 miles straight and average 8:57 min/mile. I guess that means my endurance is pretty good because I can hold that pace for a long period of time but if you have me do one mile at a time I can't get my body to go that much faster.

I found this same thing yesterday with the 5K repeats. Here I am running 3 miles at a time and trying to push with everything I have but my legs will just not turn over for faster then about a 9 min/mile pace on average. I can start out for maybe the first quarter mile going at an 8:30 or even 8 min/mile pace but then I drop off and end up averageing 9 min/mile pace.

Now, I am happy with this because it is 30 seconds per mile faster then I was averaging last year so my running has improved but I just think it is strange how I can run 10 miles at the same pace I can run 1 mile in.

To get faster I think I would have to start over again with my speed workouts which I may do after this next race and break it down again into 400's at the track and then slowly increase my volume back up to a mile repeat at an 8min/mile pace and progress the volume only as long as I can hold that faster pace.

Very interesting- I think my body is definitley meant to do endurance and not sprinting since my sprint is as fast as my 10 miles. Once I get the pace I seem to be able to endure the pace for a long period of time.

Today I have a 2500m swim at race pace. I am going to count in 500m and set my watch and stop at about 50 min. I'll know that I am done at about 50min when I finish whichever 500m I am on. I don't know how else I could keep track :)