Sunday, September 29, 2013

Down in a Funk

Not the best several weeks for me.

This is actually not the first time I have been in a running funk. Actually that first time seemed to be for the exact same reasons. It kind of worked itself out but this time, with Marathon Weekend fast approaching I'm a little bit more than concerned. 

As I have mentioned before, these past few months I have focused on speed. The prospect of being swept from the marathon has freaked me out enough to get my butt in gear and my times have improved immensely. But all that hard work seems to also be the cause of my current woes. Now, I'm just too fast.

I'm having a real hard time finishing my runs. Anything above 3 miles is proving extremely difficult for me to finish. This from a guy who has run as much as 11 miles so far. The problem is that even when I focus on slowing down, I'm still running way beyond my running capacity. Oh, I feel great the first couple of miles but by the end of the third I'm struggling. Sure enough, Mr. Garmin tells the tale: I'm running miles in the 13's, almost high 12's. Well, I'm running faster but not that fast. At least not yet. This is quite a funny problem to have. The slow, fat runner is too fast for his own good.

Here is a sample run: I go out at a comfy pace. Try to hold it. After a while, I check. 13:07 . Too fast but I'm feeling good so here's where my brain gets delusions of grandeur. I decide to continue thinking that this time I will be able to run the whole way and then, of course, I can't.

The solution is obvious then. Run slower. My big head is getting in the way of this one. I'm trying to run slower but trying to avoid returning to my almost-dead-stop pace. I'm a lousy at it though. I can't seem to find and keep myself in the sweet spot, which seems to be in the mid 15's. (I think because I can't, for the life of me, seem to maintain that long enough to find out) Either I run too fast or turtle slow. Total Catch-22 here. Not sure how to proceed. In the meantime, I'll try running as slowly as my big head will allow me to and keep my runs longer. Trust the plan. Trust the process.

9 comments:

  1. I burnt myself out on running too and I'm starting to scare myself since I too will be at marathon weekend running my very first marathon.

    As for the speed thing: I wouldn't go for speed on long runs. What seems to work for me is one quick run (3-4 miles), one high intensity interval training (HIIT) where I run at increasingly faster intervals for 30-45 minutes about 3 minutes running and one walking. I do this on a treadmill so I can control the speed I run at. My last run of the week is a long run and I try to stay within 30 seconds of my goal pace for at least half the run.

    I don't know if any of that is helpful, but it has helped me a little. At least running is enjoyable again! Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Have you thought of doing a Run- Walk method? ( I don't do it for 5K's because I lose too much time) but for 10K's or longer this method works wonders for me and I don't feel like I lose much time at all. I run for 3 minutes and then walk for 30 seconds ( per my Garmin). Hang in there, you will find what worlds for you. Don't get discouraged because look how far you know you can run! ~M

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually I've been looking into the Galloway method since this funk started. I don't know how or where to start but I'll tell you this: I have been passed by little old ladies doing the Galloway method. Something for me to think about. lol

      Delete
  3. WDW will also be my first marathon!

    Maybe it is a fueling issue? The end of my last 13 mile training run wasn't pretty, and I know that it is because I didn't fuel properly that time around.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have thought about that too. I'm gonna be looking at what I eat before runs more carefully/ Also, I think the weather has been a factor. It's been several days of 100+ degrees down here.

      Delete
  4. Have you tried just going out WITHOUT the watch/GPS and just gauging your pace on how you feel? I usually run 12-15 min/miles. I'm training for Dopey and am incredibly afraid of getting swept as well.

    So, recently, during my long runs, I will start mapmyrun on my phone and then put it away. I use my watch to keep my walk/run intervals on track (usually 1:1) and then after about an hour or so, I'll check the app just to see where I am, pace-wise.

    It's incredibly liberating to just run how you feel. It's helped me feel like I'm enjoying my run so much more than obsessing over my pace. Last weekend I did 13 miles, stopping at my car to refuel and then stopping twice to use the bathroom. I paced 14:30 and felt pretty awesome- even with about 15 minutes of breaks.

    Like Galloway says, a training run can never be too slow. Just try to not think about pace and concentrate on how your body feels- maybe it will work for you like it has worked for me. Good luck! See you in January! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You mean completely naked? lol Well, no but I have done some of my best runs while NOT checking my watch. They have been some of the fastest runs too.

      Delete
  5. first i want to say that there is no shame in walking. if you want to try and maintain your speed on long runs then take very short walk breaks when it gets to be too much. what i mean by that is on your garmin walk .5 and then run again. or just stop altogether for that long and stretch. you will be surprised that it might be easier to maintain that speed for longer distances if you can just take a short break. i do this on almost all long training runs. good luck and i'm really interested to see how your marathon goes!

    ReplyDelete