How to Run 20 with Negative Splits
I left for my long run in windy conditions with the occasional droplet of rain. It was a 63-mile week and my body was angry with me for pounding the pavement at an hour when I should be checking the time, rolling over and grabbing another hour's sleep.
I warmed up after a couple of miles and started to plod along at 8:15/pace for the next hour, heading up a logging road that was all mine this morning.
As the sky darkened and the wind reved up, the rain transitioned from nuisance to soaking.
I neared the 10-mile turn-around and heard several claps of thunder. Then I saw a bright flash and heard a closer "boom!" I said "I guess this looks like ten miles", and u-turned immediately. I was an hour from town. The fear of being a human light bulb was put into me.
Without willing anything, my sore back was fine. My temperamental knee was solid. My fatiguing hip-flexors were good as new. In short, fear transmuted me from an aching old runner to a spry athletic youth caught in the rain. My 8:20 miles turned into 7:50s. Had the lightening been worse they might have been 6:50s, but after 5 miles or so the rain abated and a smattering of sprinkles were all that was left to contend with for the duration.
I tacked on a jog around the block (.8 miles) since I might have cut the 20 by a few tenths when I turned around.
Anyway it's done and I feel good. Now I need the lightning effect to relieve pain without the danger. Any ideas?
2 comments:
Wow, the lightning and thunder would scare the bejeebies out of me. Hmmn, you could down-load one of those loud thundering sound effects on your ipod or listen to some brassy booming piece of music.
As far as rain effects go, there are always lawn sprinklers to run through if there's not a cloud in the sky. I occasionally do that :)
I thought of that...But my ipod is lame when I sweat a lot or when raining. So I sing to myself on those days..a good HR check!
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