RECAP: Ten Mile Time Trial #2
Spring Valley, Ohio
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Last weekend I ran my second 10-mile time trial of the year. I put these on my calendar this summer to break up my training and keep myself sharp. I ran the same course as my 52:54 time trial back in April. This time I ran 54:39.
My training has gone well since April and I’ve seen gradual gains in my fitness. I thought I would coast through this time trial and break my 52:40 10-mile PR from 2012. I started out conservatively with a 5:22 first mile; my goal was to run a 5:20 and then work down into 5:15’s or below. I’ve been doing a lot of fartlek and threshold workouts at 5:00-5:10 pace and I thought 5:15’s were going to feel easy. I stayed calm after running a second 5:22 and I tried to change gears. When I saw the 5:26 third mile I knew I was in trouble.
I stayed relaxed and figured that if I could hold 5:20’s it would be a good day. I struggled a little and I fought through the idea of pulling out of the workout because I wasn’t able to hit the pace. It was important to me to finish. Even though Saturday’s run will become just another workout in the long line of moderate-to-hard efforts, I know that one day I will look back on this run and use it as motivation to be tough and keep fighting.
Never quit on yourself even when the race or workout isn’t going your way. Live to fight another day, and save that memory of feeling discouraged to fuel the fire during your next workout. Efforts like these are important, if only for the mental take-away. Sometimes you have to let it rip and let the time speak for itself. Saturday was not my day but I know if I keep putting in the work that my 10-mile PR will fall soon.
Comment below about a run or workout you did that didn’t go your way, and how you used that experience to motivate you during your next performance.