Daily Chatter

Friday, August 26, 2011

Someone push the reset button

This week I needed to reset
I have been needing to reset myself to find a few things I felt like I was losing.
Speed and Drive
After successfully completing my A goal in April of running my first trail 50 miler HERE at the Bull Run Run I began to look towards my next goal and the steps I'd need to get me there successfully HERE.  I had my eyes set on the Laurel Highlands Ultra a little 77 mile jaunt through the woods. 
HOWEVER, my family (READ: Hubbs) didn't feel that this was THE year to make the push towards another goal simply because I had been successful so early in 2011.  Due to the fact that I belong to a family and they all have feelings and desires too, I agreed that racing would go on the "back burner" and family fun would be the main event over the summer.

Well, summer is over and running uncharacteristically has been about training this week. 
Gone are the stress melting morning runs in the fog.  Forget about easy 9 minute miles pushing the jogging stroller.  Over are the weeks of less than 50 miles.  Don't even mention stopping during a run to visit with a neighbor.  This week has been spent on the new-to-me treadmill, dripping through 10+ mile runs every night this week.
and I am so glad they are almost done!
But I am so happy that I did them. 
The loss of a few evenings outside is well worth the reset that these runs provided for me. 
When I am running simply for the joy of running I sometimes find that I will allow my "normal" pace to slow as the weeks pass if I don't force myself to run a reset run.  Usually these happen when Biking Sherpa is along and she is chatting through an issue, we some times unknowingly put in speedy paces and Voila' my pace will reset.  This summer with a lack of Biking Sherpa runs my pace slowly headed south and for a little while I was okay with that.
NOT ANYMORE
This week I got serious again.  I don't have any smiling photos of my runs this week because there weren't any.  I don't have cute outfits or LBM's adorable face because that wasn't part of my runs this week.
And I figured I spare you the photos of the disgustingly drenched with sweat version of me.
If you follow me on Daily Mile you know that by the middle of the week I thought my 50 miles in 5 days was a stupid idea.  But you also would know that after a few days of putting in a max pace of sub 7s, I was able to run low 7s much easier and 8 minute miles felt conversational! 
I look forward to getting in some trail miles this weekend to see where my pace is at running off road.  While I my trail paces will be slower than treadmill paces, I know that my RESET will carry over to my offroad paces.  And this week's efforts will result in easier more enjoyable running as I run my way closer to my fall races.
So far registered for...

How do you RESET your pace and drive?

8 comments:

  1. I wanted to do Laurel Highlands too (relay team, I'm not ready for the whole thing yet!). I'm kinda in reset mode permanently (so far 5 months) and it's hard. Being on this side of not running all I can say is enjoy what you are doing everyday!

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  2. You were a 10-miler machine this week! Glad you found your "reset". Now have fun playing on the trails this weekend!

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  3. I will say hello at Fire on the Mtn! I actually saw you at Catch Me...earlier in the year but was too shy/awkward to say anything...You are scaring me with your reset though, dang, that's some serious mileage and training to prepare!

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  4. You have been crazy running this week. ( i noticed it on DM). Good for you for hitting your reset and working towards those two races. I am hoping to hit my reset next week when the kiddos go back to school:)

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  5. It's a great idea to have a bit of down-time with your running - to take it easy and relax. I'm almost ready for that myself.

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  6. That is some speedy times you are racking up! I've fallen out of love with running (for now) but your passion is contagious! Maybe I'd put my shoes on tomorrow after all.

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