About me

First and last workout....and MAJOR Internal conflict about this upcoming race limits...

Lets do a little running and workout post about the last week:)
This was last week..... miles time pace
10/22/2011Run
local neighborhoods
Easy8.0 mi1:15:009:23
10/21/2011Run
downtown waterfront
Easy6.0 mi57:009:30
10/20/2011Run
downtown waterfront
Easy10.0 mi1:24:518:30
10/19/2011Run
spring water trail
Easy9.0 mi1:14:308:17
10/18/2011Run
local neighborhoods
Easy7.0 mi54:237:47
10/17/2011Run
local neighborhoods
Easy7.0 mi1:10:0010:00
Week of my surgery. Got my 40 miles in 4 days in!!!!
10/13/2011Run
local neighborhoods
Easy7.0 mi1:01:548:51
10/12/2011Run
NW Thurman to terwilliger Hill to ....and back
Easy12.5 mi1:41:008:05
10/11/2011Run
local neighborhoods
Easy7.5 mi1:10:009:20
10/10/2011Run
local neighborhoods
Easy3.0 mi31:0010:20
10/10/2011Run
downtown waterfront
Easy10.0 mi1:22:338:16

John, My new coach, specifically told me to "SLOW DOWN". He keeps telling me that his challenge with me is going to be keeping me from pushing too hard. It's true, It really is like an addiction..if I get the need to run fast when I'm out there, I do it...even when I KNOW it's not good for me!! I can't stop myself and It is really beginning to annoy myself.
So as you can see I took last week pretty easy:)

I asked John what I should do this week before my Half Marathon on Saturday. This is the FIRST week he has given me anything. I have been doing my own thing for the last while with just light guidance about increasing my mileage.
So this week I had
Monday: 7 easy
then Yesterday, Tuesdsay, was the First real workout I have had given to me...and the last for this race:)

8 miles with 2 warm up,
4 at 7-7:10 pace,
and 2 cool down.
I felt nervous going into this and extremely UN-confident. I had to talk to myself the whole time those 1st 2 miles to build myself up.
My ipod died before mile 2 so it was just me and the spring water trail:)
Mile 3: 7:08
Mile 4: 6:56
Mile 5: 6:44
Mile 6: 6:47
cool down.....

I was NOT trying to run sub 7's but everytime i tried to slow down, I would slow WAY down...I could not find a 7:-7:10 pace to save my life so I stopped looking at my watch and ran by feel. I felt REALLY good when I was done and WAY more confident about my abilities right now. My legs did not feel tired running these til the last 1/2 mile.

John was very nice but made it clear that AGAIN, I did not stick to the plan (he has advised me on running too fast a few times already). I felt so bad and a bit like a failure. WHY can't I just stick to the plan? why do I always push too hard?:( it is such a huge dilemma within me. ....and I'm coming from a coach who let me run as hard as i possibly could in workouts....though I don't think that was necessarily a good thing now...it is what I am used to.

Okay....so here's the deal. ...
John texts me today and asks " So in the back of your mind, what have you been thinking you want to run for saturday?"
I told him my dream goal was to get as close to my 1:32:18 PR as possible but realistic goal was 1:34-:135.

WELL......HERE"S THE PROBLEM.
He told me that he wants me to hold 7:15 for the first 10 miles. and that I am NOT to go any faster than that! then the last 5K I can give it everything I got.
I told him that I had the feeling my body would want to run more like 7:08-7:15 range and he basically said no.

I am having an INTERNAL FIT right now!!!
I know myself, I am EXTREMELY competitive when I get out there! I paid for this race, am driving 2 hrs and I WANT to RACE!!! If I feel good running 7 min miles, I want to do it!!, if some girl is passing me and I know I'm not racing at my full potential, I will go CRAZY!!!

ON the OTHER hand, I know that John knows what he's doing. He told me this isn't the big picture and to save it for another race:( I want Him to know that I CAN listen to him and not be some un-ruley annoying athlete who cannot be coached b/c she asks for help and advice and coaching and then doesn't listen.

I KNOW I can run faster than a 1:34, so how the heck am I going to force myself to run slower than my potential, even if it's whats best for me right now?

I feel like I need to practice trust in my coach and humility....but this is so hard.... I want to throw a big 2 yr old trantrum right now instead.

My ONLY hope is I could run 7:13's (he told me I could have 2 seconds leeway) and then TRY to run 6:45's the last 3 miles....but I feel like that would be harder than running 7:05-7:10's consistently. sigh.....

So there it is!
Nicole is NOT getting her way and she is acting like a 2yr old!

This is going to take a few days to process.....this is SO out of my comfort zone.....