Posted by A tale of two 10 milers
Sundays are typically long run days in the training plans. Last Sunday, I struggled to finish while dealing with GI issues. Today, I fared much better.
The conditions today were a bigger challenge—unlike last week, I had to deal with below-freezing temps and wind gusts of nearly 20mph with no tree cover. The wind was entirely in my face over the first five miles, but I got the benefit of a significant tailwind on the way home.
On the other hand, I wasn’t able to do my Saturday bike ride this week, so it’s possible I had a less fatigue in my legs. I recall feeling pretty good out of the gate last week, but ended up feeling nauseated throughout the latter half. Today I felt really sluggish to start out—this despite getting decent sleep and eating relatively clean over the past few days—but, both literally and figuratively, got my second wind late in the run. All this to say, it’s difficult to draw conclusions about why one week I was 20 seconds faster per mile which may be due only partly to circumstances under my control.
The important takeaway for me here is, in both cases, I was able to remain patient during the portions of the run in which I struggled and did not despair or give in. I was also able take advantage when I felt good. There will be ebbs and flows to my progress over the weeks just as there are within the span of a long run. As long as I accept the bad and embrace the good, I’ll be able to keep moving forward, and, every now and then, see some solid outcomes along the way.
Out and Back 