Saturday, February 20, 2010

10 miles - how to plan

Today our training group of about 50 runners/joggers/walkers ran 10 miles through the vacant subdivisions left half built during the recession. We ran past the vacant mall (it's a skeletal half built structure) and on into the country (which was really only a block away). Lots of streets built that start and then end in the middle of fields. Some real estate moguls dream of where to turn country into the suburbs that ended in the middle of a cow pasture when real estate value plummeted. So the slick and vacant suburban streets to nowhere turn into old country roads where motorist speed by at 60 mph and we diligent job on the left side of the road so that we can see them coming.

It was an eerie experience jogging along such a landscape and then out into the wineries and chicken farms that dot the highway. When you run 10 miles you actually get to see a lot of territory even if you are running an out and back course.

Our trainer asked us to consider whether we associate or disassociate while running in order to push ourselves to go the distance. To associate you think of your body and how it's performing and focus on technique or even on the pain to push to through it. Or to disassociate you might plug in a IPOD or play mind games with yourself so that you DON'T focus on your body. I spent my run noticing how I use both these tools while running and how overtime they have helped me speed up and go longer.

Some tricks I use:
Music on the IPOD - disassociate
Speeding up my hand turnover - associate
Gliding my feet forward (not up and down) - associate
Counting down from a high number - disassociate
Pushing the pace hard during a specific song - associate

Important Tools:
Fuel - ShotBlocs, water, Gatoraid
Socks that don't rub
Dress down so that the first mile feels cold
Watch (timing is key)

Today some folks were running ten miles for the first time in their lives.
They struggled near the end with fueling problems or getting lost because they didn't track how they ran the out portion of the course. Training is both mental and physical and I guess I had forgotten how many tools I use unconsciously or consciously to stay focused, fueled, and on track. I messed up a bit with fueling
by forgetting my fuel and had to rely on some stale gummy fuel that our coaches provided.

10 miles took around 1:35 for me to run (but I forgot to start by watch right and left my Garmin in my purse) So we can all make mistakes. Running 10 miles takes preparation and sometimes I forget things, but the more I do it the more confidence I have that I know how to complete the distance despite the mishaps.

No comments: