Alright, after that Harry Potter post yesterday, let’s get back to running. More specifically, Marathon Training, since it started two weeks ago.
During my week in London, I had 32 miles on my Marathon Training schedule, and I don’t want to brag or anything (but I’m totally going to), I ran all 32 of those miles. *Pat on the Back* Actually during any of my vacations, I find it easy to work in my marathon training schedule SINCE I’M NOT WORKING (duh).
I promise I have eyes.
I wanted to discuss something that happened on two of my runs in London. On Tuesday, my marathon schedule called for an easy 6 mile run (9:30 – 10:15 pace), and on Thursday, my schedule said to run 6 miles at a “comfortable pace” (which for me is usually a 9:00 – 9:15 pace). Being in a foreign land, I kept my runs in the same running loop so I wouldn’t get lost, and the Tuesday and Thursday 6 milers were no exception:
Love Battersea Park.
Before you read on, I promise I have somewhat of a point at the end, and please note I did not look at my Garmin during these runs. Here are my thoughts when I was on both of my runs, before I saw my times on the Garmin.
TUESDAY: I must be running wayyy faster than a 9:30 pace because every step I took felt like I was working really hard. I was breathing heavy and I felt like I couldn’t go any faster. By the end of the 6 miles, I felt as though I ran a marathon. I was exhausted and beat up, but I thought I ran faster than 9:30, especially since I felt so tired. I was thinking a 9:00 pace average?
THURSDAY: The run felt effortless. I thought I must be keeping a 10 minute pace because it seemed so easy. I thought to myself, “DAMN IT, now a 10 minute pace is my “comfortable pace”? How the hell am I ever going to run a Sub-4 marathon??” After running those six miles, I didn’t want to stop, and I felt like I had a lot of energy left.
Then I went home and plugged in my Garmin…
WTF!?!!?! I DON’T UNDERSTAND RUNNING AT ALL. This is the EXACT same running route. Please someone explain how this happens.
PS - I’m not ashamed of that 12:08 mile. Sometimes it happens (I actually think I might have been lost at some point and walked). But I’m OWNING that 12:08 pace.
PPS – Good News is that I have the potential to be a lot faster than I think I am. Bad News, I have no idea if I can ever run 6 miles at an 8:21 average pace again.
As for sties I saw along my 12 mile run through London. Not too shabby.
Can someone please explain why one day a run feels terrible and another day a run feels amazing??
{ 16 comments }
I think there are a lot of potential physiological and psychological explanations. There are so many variables: weather, sleep, what you ate, your body’s natural rhythms etc etc. Some days just seem to suck. Additionally on Tuesday you were probably dealing with jetlag. Psychologically there was one key difference as far as I could tell between the two. One run had numbers assigned to it and one was more a “happy run.” Numbers seem to cause a lot of people stress and create mental barriers. Either way nice job on the second run. Perfect negative splits and everything!!
I LOVED THE PICTURES! I want to go back to London now. Thanks a lot for the travel envy!
I think some runs feel different because our bodies have different variables every day. Things we do, things we eat, etc change and either help or hurt our runs. I did speed work on Tuesday and I couldn’t believe my times because it was an effortless run, and then yesterday’s run felt horrible (Well, it was hills…) and I ended up doing the most perfect negative splits despite feeling like I was running the same pace the. whole. time. So, there isn’t a rhyme or reason in my opinion. Just like when I race goes haywire; bodies have their own functional system!
Bad runs are necessary to make you appreciate the good runs when they come!
i’m no good in running. it’s like i’m out of breath. but i always try to get better at it
Thank you for the London photos…Tower Bridge looks amazing with the Olympic rings, I’m gutted not to be there for the ‘Lympics. And good runs too…did you like Battersea Power Station? I think it’s so cool!!!!
Boy do I wish I knew why some days feel so easy and others don’t! It’s crazy. Love the London photos! I love running in new places and seeing the city that way.
Ahhhhhh just from your pictures, I can’t wait to run in London! Unfortunately I’m stayin in the ‘burbs, so I’m not close to central London, which makes me super sad. Then I debate with myself whether it would be worth it to take the tube for 45 minutes to run near fabulous sites.
Beautiful photos! I would want to run that route everyday.
OMG, I know what you mean. That is one of the biggest running mysteries, I think! But when it happens, I totally enjoy and love it
Jealous of your London running and adventures, especially since I bet it was much cooler there!
I, too, do not understand how or why this happens. I am going to set up a joint physiologic and psychologic study as a doctor one day entitled “Investigations into Perceived Running Effort, Mental State, Physiologic Outputs and Why It All Makes No Sense.” This is sure to be a Nobel winning prize study.
Can you put my name on the study so I get credit as well? Just put Dr. in front of my name…that’s allowed right?
Oh, I envy you your London trip and London running! I’m on my second round with the London Marathon lottery, but have no real hope that I’ll get in for next year. My favorite place to run in London is Regent’s Park. Amazing gardens!
Oh I wish I would have known about that park! I probably should have researched before I went.
Seriously one of the mysteries of life.
I completely agree! I was hoping I would read the comments to this post and someone would have an answer that explains, but it sounds like everyone else pretty much wants to know the same thing! Tell Meggie I will be a participant in her Nobel Prize Winning study
I love this post! Thank you for being so shameless in posting your “bad run” times. I’ve had a lot of them lately. It amazes me how I can have an AWFUL 5K and have to stop to walk several times and then do 6 miles the next day without stopping, feeling great. What is that?!
I’ve found a few factors that definitely affect the bad runs — if I’ve ate poorly the day of, if I drank too much wine the night before. My mood definitely plays a factor. But sometimes even if I do everything right and I’m in a fantastic mood, my legs sometimes just will NOT GO. It’s baffling.