It was bound to happen eventually – my first “running meltdown.”
Wednesday night, during what most would consider a successful 5k time trial (23:39) and a personal 5k best, I experienced what I can only think to call a meltdown.
Despite my overall time improvement over last season, my splits were precisely what you DON’T want: fast out of the gate followed by a steady decrease in speed with each mile (+20 seconds from mile 1 to 2 and +66 seconds from mile 2 to 3…seriously?!!). My feet were burning. My knee was crabby. My head was full of personal demons, some running related, many not (running into the darkness in Central Park can do that sometimes). I was sucking air with every step. It SUCKED! And it was the first time I’d ever thought “I’m tired. I’m not even enjoying this anymore. Maybe I shouldn’t have committed to another half marathon so soon.”
I realize that every run can’t be a great one (as a wise teammate reminded me on Wednesday night). I have every intention of showing up for my long run tomorrow morning; so I’m focused on troubleshooting this less than stellar performance so I can learn and improve as a runner.
Here are my top five possible “culprits” and my takeaway lessons:
- Sleep. I’ve been a little light on sleep this week, probably due in part to the switch to daylight savings time. I could stand to wrap it up about 30 minutes earlier on most nights though. Takeaway: Be well rested – ALWAYS – when you’re in the middle of a heavy training cycle.
- Food. Oddly, given what I do for a living, I’m still trying to get it right with my training nutrition. I haven’t quite figured out the correct mix of carbs, protein, and fat. I think Wednesday was a light protein day, which sometimes causes energy problems for me. Still experimenting. Takeaway: Experiment with nutrition early and tweak along the way. And remember that “standard training nutrition guidelines” are just that: guidelines. Find what works best for your body.
- Shoes. This may sound like a cop out, but I really think I need new running shoes. The more I talk to other runners, the more I realize that the pain in my feet isn’t normal. I’m using the same type of shoes I used last season, but my body definitely changed during my first half marathon training cycle. No reason to think that doesn’t include my feet. Takeaway: The same thing you did before isn’t necessarily what you should do this time. Be willing to adjust with your body.
- Overtraining. Not much to say here. I’m tired. Sleep and more targeted nutrition should help. I took it way easy on my workout yesterday – a little core and upper body strength training plus lots of stretching. Takeaway: Be nice to your body. You’re asking it to work really hard. If it asks for a little break, give it a little break.
- Lack of a plan. I didn’t have a plan when I started this race. I just started. And my watch isn’t fancy enough to use for anything but rudimentary pacing (ie, it doesn’t have a GPS feature). So I either need to get a better watch, or I need to consider using some kind of “mantra” to keep myself at a steady pace. Takeaway: Running may not seem like a strategic sport, but it most definitely is when you’re trying to get better.
Thoughts? What do you do to push through a training meltdown?
