Tough Tempo

I think that my diet while on holidays, which has included copious amounts of ice cream, lots of red wine with dinners, and other transgressions too numerous to mention, has led to a kind of lethargy that I haven't experienced before and don't particularly like. This morning's run was a perfect example of what I am talking about.

The plan was to run at tempo pace for 8k of my 12k run. Last week I ran 5k in the desired 4:40 - 4:48/km pace range, but could not muster any more. I really wanted to get the benefits of a good tempo run and figure that I need to do at least 8 kilometres and would like to stretch to to many more over the course of the summer.

When I headed out my knees felt a bit tight and I, as usual, questioned my ability to run any faster than easy pace. After two kilometres, however, I felt loose enough to up the pace into the tempo range and took off. It was cool and raining the entire time and perhaps this also contributed to what happened next as much as the diet to which I referred earlier. As I glanced down at my Garmin I noticed that my pace was faster than 4:40/km pace and, to my utter surprise, it felt pretty easy! This was great, I thought, and just kept on chugging along. Through the second split I was still feeling good. Third split, ditto. Fourth split, not so much. I started to really hurt and it was all I could do just to get through 5k. Here are the splits for these 5 kilometres:

1. 4:35 (7:24/mile)
2. 4:23 (7:04/mile)
3. 4:22 (7:02/mile)
4. 4:25 (7:07/mile)
5. 4:34 (7:21/mile)

Right after these 5k I had to stop to catch my breath. No way could I have kept running and so I stood there in the rain, clinging onto the railing that kept me from falling straight into the Canal and my inevitable demise should the railing have given way. The rain kept on falling, but I barely noticed it. I had a notion to just call it quits and walk home, but after a couple of minutes pride got the better of me and I started jogging again. It was painful, and slow.

After a couple of kilometres at an easy pace I decided to try and run three more at something resembling a decent pace to at least add up the tempo splits to the desired 8k. It was tough, but I did manage three more:

1. 4:51 (7:48/mile)
2. 4:54 (7:54/mile)
3. 4:50 (7:47/mile)

Not fast enough, but at least the heart rate was in the right zone to get the tempo-ish benefits. The average pace for the tempo splits ended up being still too fast: 4:36/km (7:25/mile). Incidentally, this is what I'd have to hold to BQ if I ever get to that major milestone to actually attempt it. The entire run ended up being 12km completed in 1:00:11 for a very satisfying, and somehow lucky, 5:00/km (8:03/mile). It was a tough run, and the heart rate bears this out: 156bpm average with a max of 175bpm. I had trouble catching my breath, and felt like I was completely out of gas. I think the diet is the key and I have to get off the sugar train for a bit here, cut down on the coffee and wine, and try and drink way more water. Here's hoping Sunday's long run goes better than this one.

Garmin don't lie.