Fly and Die No More

Soooo, I've always had a bit of a problem when it comes to any sports that involve racing.  It all boils down to the classic 'fly and die'.  In other words, I go out way too hard at the start and by about halfway, I feel like death and the rest of the race stinks.  I faced this on the dreaded erg machines in rowing and I still struggle with it today when it comes to running.  The standard race in rowing is 2000 meters, which for females typically ends up between seven and eight minutes on the erg. Even though I was guilty of the fly and die on the erg, I could typically gut it out for four more minutes if I'd gone out too fast on the first 1000m. Running distances that take longer than a couple of miles, though, are a whole different beast and they're something that I'm still tackling.

Since it's really time to start ramping up mileage again, I've had to focus extra hard on my runs to keep a steady pace. It's a lot easier on the treadmill when the pace is dictated for me, so I've been spending more time on there recently to find and settle in on a solid tempo.  I've found that kicking up the incline for the first 1-2 miles makes me take it slow and ease into the run. After that, I'll notch it down ten seconds per mile, every mile. I was cooking along this morning and then hit the wall at mile five. Physically, I was there (thankkkk you bootcamp sprints! sort of....), but mentally, I was checked out.  Then, I pulled out the mantras. They found a beat of their own along with my music and kept me chugging along.  The ones that worked for me today were 'citius altius fortius' and 'lay it down'.  I've honestly not been one to use mantras before, but I think that's because instead of sticking to one or two, I try to invent new ones every five seconds and then my brain is REALLY fried! Today, though, it worked. I also made myself concentrate on my form to take my mind elsewhere.  I have a bad habit of arching my back when I run, so I remind myself to bend in a bit. I'm hoping these distractions continue to help me out as we knock out double digit runs more frequently.

Speaking of which, I'm over the moon excited because there are a total of four of us from school running the Wilson half marathon together this fall! We all live fairly close to each other, too, so it will be awesome to get in some long runs together. Watch out for some speedy chipmunks this fall.

                                   
For your enjoyment, I had to pull out this relic from the rowing days.  This was a relay at erg sprints, which is a big indoor rowing competition. You'll never see more spandex in one place. I think you can tell by the look on my face that the fly and die approach was in full throttle.



PS. I think it's worth mentioning that, based on certain posts last week, I realize that I may have seemed like an....oh....hypocrite? I wrote about promoting healthy eating habits and then posted a delicious, yet perhaps not so nutritious recipe for nachos. Obviously everyones approach is their own, but I'm not one who will not indulge now and then on nachos, a milkshake, or something of the (delicious) like. That being said, they're a treat, meaning they're enjoyed every now and then and not frequently.  I'm also learning to enjoy these types of indulgences using more 'whole' or 'natural' ingredients. For example, these days a milkshake might include almond milk, banana, and peanut butter blended up. I don't feel like this is a space where I need to necessarily explain my daily eating habits, but I did want to put it out there that I caught on to the fact that I was highlighting two different ends of the spectrum.  It's all about finding that healthy and enjoyable balance for me.


PPS. Ree's 'perfect iced coffee' is brewing in the fridge as we speak.....I can't wait to try it and share back on here!