Working on Patience

Yes, I'm still working on patience, but it's getting better. I have resigned myself to doing the basic run workouts, and not the advance. I have spent a couple of months thus far doing the advance workout, but now without complaint I do the basic - trusting in the great knowledge of the coaches.

That doesn't mean I take it easy, by any means. But i'm starting to understand how to make the most of my workouts without the risk of overdoing. Tuesday was a milestone in my running. I was able to complete the 5 mile basic workout at a 9:45min/mile. Sub 10 min per mile for several miles!

I was very excited about it, and told everyone. George, the coach for the 1/2 Ironman distance team, jokingly pushed me back out on the road to do the advance workout. I told him that I would do it next time.

Come Sat, I figured I was ready to take on the advance workout again. George even pointed to me to do the advanced. But then that phrase came again "9 min mile or faster". So, I thought I'd ask Scott. I explained what my pace was on Tuesday night, and ask him what I should do so I don't overdo it. He said it would be best to do the basic, to keep from overdoing.

As I ran off for warm up, George ran up and asked which I was doing. "Scott says it would be better to do the basic," I reluctantly told him.

"Because you're on the edge," he said as he ran on. I wasn't really certain if it was a question or a statement. Most likely a statement. I felt like I was slacking. But the workout proved to take more than I thought it would to complete. I did 4 miles at a 10:15min/mile, and it was pretty hard at the end of the run. The workout was a total of 6 miles - 1 mile warm up and cool down each. It wasn't anything more than I had already done many times.

I find it incredibly frustrating that I'm never really certain what it'll take for me to complete a workout. I can start it feeling fine, but lose that really quickly and struggle the rest of the way through. Or feel tired and be able to not only complete the workout with very little pain and faster than I had ever done before.

It wears my patience down. I'm far from giving up, but some consistancy would be fab.