I know it's going to sound slightly masochistic, but I've been looking forward to my long run all week. Since starting the Hal Higdon schedule, I've actually whittled down the milage per week I have grown accustomed to, and in an illogically backwards chain of events, I feel like I've had more difficulty getting through the new routine, despite the drop in distance. So with the approach of today's 6 miles on the horizon, I see an opportunity to return to my comfort zone once again: the long slow distance (LSD). Why is this the case? I have a few theories:
1) Running Fasterer—subconsciously, I've cranked the volume to 11 compensating for the knowing lack of length in my jaunts through the streets of O-town. Therefore, I'm burning myself out early on by hitting the hilly course too hard.
2) Another day/Another dollar—While it's true I'm running less miles per week, this new routine has effectively added another day to my schedule. Before, I was running 5 miles 2 (or 3) days a week, Tuesday & Thursday (with optional Saturdays). On Sundays, I would run a long slow distance (LSD) of about 8-10 miles. But here in Higdon country, I no longer have the luxury of that rest day in the middle of the week. So when Thursday rolled around this week, I was aching straight out of the gate. I should also note that my run on Wednesday was late in the evening, with my Thursday run early in the morning. Recovery time, and nutritional replenishment was in short supply.
3) Where Is My Mind?—The week prior to commencing this marathon training endeavor I was pretty excited to get things underway. The program starts on a Monday, and Monday happened to be a rest day. I'm a big fan of any new routine that begins with me having to do nothing. Instant success! Now, Monday leads to Tuesday, as so often is the case, and I feel like I psyched myself out about the importance of this first run. It shouldn't have mattered that much, but it was a big deal, since in 125 days from the moment I took that first step, I would be doing this thing for real, where it counted most, surrounded by a whole hell of a lot of other people trying to get through this same thing alive.
We'll see how week two goes. Despite the weather growing increasingly bitter cold, I remain optimistic.
