Day 4: GUT CHECK!

And here is where my father in law is trying to kill me.  My fourth day in a row of running - the second workout this week of intervals.  As you can see, I maintained the pace in light green, so I take some responsibility in the killing of myself.

I knew that this particular run would be the most difficult as I would be running on sore, tired legs, and I was right.  The intervals weren't all that bad, but the 2.5 miles after were gut check time.  Did I have it in me to run through the aches and complete the training run?  Yes...yes I did.

More and more, I'm finding a discipline in my training.  At the beginning, I have to hold myself back to run the pace set before me; at the end of a run, I have to do the same thing as I want to finish strong and fast.

But finishing strong and fast in a training run doesn't accomplish the purpose of these runs!  I am shooting for consistency, for a steady pace at a set mile/min.  This has been especially important as I could have easily burned myself out at the beginning of the week and been unable to complete this run at the prescribed paces.

Now for a day off!  I'm thinking that I will have another gut check around mile 7 or 8 on Saturday, but I also think that the training, both physical and mental, will get me through to 10 miles.  Then a day off and start all over again!  Whoop!