Tempo in a So Ill Monsoon

Goal:

3x3 mile at 6-605 with 3 min rest

Actual

2.1 mile warmup in 15:32

5 mile tempo in 29:12 with splits of (5:51, 5:56, 5:50, 5:41, 5:53)

2 mile cool down in 15:43 for 9.1 miles total

You read that right. I was supposed to do the ever-time consuming workout of 3x3 miles solo in so ill (southern illinois).  During my warmup, dark storm clouds rolled in and I figured I should cut the warmup short to allow myself time for the 3x3 mile before the rain started to come.  Turns out the rain came much earlier...1 mile into the workout.  

I did some quick thinking on my toes and picked up the pace to turn the workout into a tempo.  I knew that I had some sort of 5 mile tempo next week or the week after and figured I could swap it out for next week when I have company and better weather.  My legs actually were feeling pretty great as I sloshed through the rain puddles around SIUC Campus Lake.  By the fourth mile, I was feeling fantastic.  Lightning was striking above my head, water was dripping into my eyes, and snot kept shooting out of my nose as I tried to inhale air, but got water instead and then had to snort it back out.  Regardless of all of this, I felt pretty awesome.  I had no idea what was going to happen when I turned back towards the SIU arena.  

I hadn't really noticed the wind yet, but then I turned north.  Immediately rain was pelting my face sideways as the wind tried to push me backwards like a middle school bully.  I thought of Forrest Gump when he described the different types of rain.  This was definitely the sideways rain he talked about, combined with terrible wind.  I went from feeling spectacular to feeling craptacular.  I didn't even want to look at my mile split as I felt like it would disappoint me.  Soon I crested a hill and saw that I had less than 400m left.  I tried to give it my all, but the wind fought hard against my every attempt.  I checked on my Weather Channel app later and saw that the wind was "N at 20-30 mph."  Figures.  Somehow I managed to still finish my last mile in my goal half marathon pace.  Hopefully with good weather conditions I can run faster.

I finished the workout right near my car, but I still had to cool down.  I was hoping to get in 3 miles so I could call it 10 for the day since I didn't double this morning.  However, right after my Garmin beeped for the 2nd mile, the sky was cut in half with a scary lightning bolt that made my arm hairs stand up, followed immediately by a thunder rumble that practically made my car bounce.  I figured that was God's way of telling me to go home and to stop worrying my parents.  Turns out he was right.  About the time that I started my tempo, my mother called me to leave a voicemail to tell me to come home.  As if.  I've got the Olympic Trials exactly 4 months from today.  Tempos are the heart and soul of my training for the next months and I need to ensure I get them in.

While I understand that the weather conditions were far from awesome, I am really trying not to get down on myself for my tempo times.  I just need to keep my head up and to keep putting in the work and the times will come.  The next four months will be critical for me as I focus on getting my abs in three times a week, lifting in twice a week, and creating a consistent training schedule in terms of my doubles and workouts.  Some changes are definitely being made, and it will most likely take my body a couple more weeks to adjust to the new schedule and way of doing things.  

In other news, since I am working remotely from Illinois, it has been rather difficult to do morning runs because of the one-hour time difference combined with the 8:30AM start time I have to be "at work."  Not to mention that the project I've been leading for the past 10 months is about to launch, which is really stressful.  I also have to buy a new car in the month so lots of life things are happening right now.  It's definitely a time where I need to focus on my inner calm to keep the stress level to a minimum.  Good thing I'm at home where my parents cook me delicious meals!!!