I now know I am a runner. Yup. No doubt about it. How do I know? Because yesterday's training plan said 50 minute tempo run. Programmed into my Garmin as a 45 minute tempo run. That means I ran about 6/10s a mile less than I was supposed to. Guilty as charged!
It's kind of funny when you think about it. Half a mile and I'm mulling my sentencing. It wasn't but a couple of years ago that half a mile would have been my daily workout. Now I'm trying to figure out how to make up a missed half mile.
The run did go well though! 5 miles total in 45 minutes. That includes the 10 minute warm up and 10 minute warm down. I managed to hit a pace of 7:45 during mile 3. Looks like all that tongue dragging interval work is starting to pay off. The only thing that I need to do a little better job of is keeping my heart rate up. In fact, I went back to my resource on running to remind myself the purpose of the tempo run:
The run did go well though! 5 miles total in 45 minutes. That includes the 10 minute warm up and 10 minute warm down. I managed to hit a pace of 7:45 during mile 3. Looks like all that tongue dragging interval work is starting to pay off. The only thing that I need to do a little better job of is keeping my heart rate up. In fact, I went back to my resource on running to remind myself the purpose of the tempo run:
Hmm. Looks like I should ratchet the pace down and keep the heart rate a little more consistent. Something to look forward to next week.
Now to switch gears a little. I started this whole fitness thing a couple years ago to get in shape to get back to hiking. The goal was the highest point in the Continental U.S. - Mt. Whitney (elevation 14,496 ft). Well, after two years of getting is shape, I'm finally going to get my chance! I'm part of a group that received our permit yesterday! WOOT WOOT WOOT! Yes - a permit is actually required. This isn't that uncommon in the popular backcountry areas these days. In fact, for the Whitney area this year, 6023 applications were received for 3638 spots. We were six of those spots! The upshot is that I'm going to need to change my training focus a little to include some backpacking and elevation work this spring and summer. Don't quite know what that's going to do to my fall marathon plans, but I've been wanting to do Whitney ever since I was a teenager.
As a close - I'll leave a photo to be part of Foto Friday on nikemom's blog - Mt. Whitney at 6:49 AM this morning 4/3/2009. Thanks to the Whitney Portal Store in Lone Pine California!
OMG, if one of your group drops out, drop me a line, if it works that way, which it probably doesn't. That's on my list of things to do before I die.
ReplyDeleteAwesome that you get to hike Mt. Whitney. It's on my list too...someday...
ReplyDeleteI get the guilt thing. If the plan says 45 minute run, and I run only 40 minutes, I feel like I've cheated :-). I totally get that.
i hear ya on the guilt too, but at least you did most of it. some days i am tempted to just do the whole run easy.
ReplyDeletevery cool about mt. whitney!
Congratulations on making the list!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your LT runs. I totally get the guilt factor.
Glenn, congrats on getting your permit to hike Whitney! That is awesome. I wish you the best in your preparations for accomplishing your dream.
ReplyDeleteGreat workout, too!
Keep it going Glenn - those runs are oh so important (and yes, I need to follow my own advice too!).
ReplyDelete