So it was about the same temperature as yesterday in Central Park (today was 72), but it was considerably more humid. In fact, yesterday’s 30% humidity was trumped by today’s 60%. Nonetheless, I trampled out 5.41 miles without stopping today, but with some similar impulses of stopping my run to walk.
Those impulses, though, were infrequent. You see, that’s part of training: managing those impulses to stop so that you don’t and instead you carry on. The more often you successfully manage yourself in the face of the stopping impulse, the more you condition yourself to effortlessly succeed in the face of it, such that your body stops trying to put it in your way because your body learns it won’t win by doing it.
It didn’t hurt that there was a comparably speedy girl over the last mile or so of my run, whom I caught, who didn’t seem to like that I’d caught her, who sped up when I was neck and neck with her, whom I eventually overtook when I was in my last “lap.” I wasn’t competing with her, instead following her to see how she’d behave with the pressure of my presence. She did well–not that I was training her or anything. 🙂
Other than a fleeting twinge in my left ankle capsule near the beginning of my run (my problem that doesn’t seem to leave), I had no physiological issues with this run. However, my breathing isn’t in control yet and my heart isn’t conditioned. I also wonder if my iron constitution (i.e., my stomach) isn’t conditioned either. Just before heading out for this morning’s run, I downed ArginMax and quercetin, which gave me no problems except as I came toward the finish, debating the tolerability of an ending sprint in lieu of a gut that was a little odd. Sure enough, not immediately after but soon after I almost yakked but was contained. Was it today because of no food with the supplements in my system, coupled with the heat? Stay tuned to figure out.
My run, though, was slower than I had expected. I ended up with 7:48s over 5.41, and while the Bike Tour bikes crowded the feeder road into the park, they only knocked me off my past on the East Side until the 72nd St. Transverse. I cite the humidity as probably the most significant factor in my slower speed; for comparison, I’ve done 7:27s so far in lower temperatures.
After my run, I hit the gym for abs, back, arms, and legs. I realize how nice it felt to get up, make my bed, and pretty much go for a run. Making my bed is nearly automatic for me. I want running to be that, too, because then I don’t debate whether to go and then talk myself out of it. It feels good to have put that behind me and it’s not yet afternoon.
One last thing: Good luck to Elizabeth Corkum who is running the Blue Cross Broad Street Run 10-miler in Philadelphia this morning. I was helping her to train in recent months. Go, Liz, go!