Being outside of true triathlon performance for so long is a heart wrenching thought. From my prime in 2009, I have seriously degraded in my ability to run, bike, and swim. It makes me sad, but the thought of recapturing my prime drives me on.
Getting Back Into Running
I recently restarted my run workouts after focusing solely on bike workouts. After cycling religiously three times a week for the past few weeks, it felt great this week to get off the bike and back on my own two feet.
The Interval Workout
This week focused on three run workouts. While they were short, they are the beginning of a new chapter. The first two runs were really walks, two miles long and at roughly 18:00 pace each. Not blistering speed by any means, but even the Road Runner started slow… I hope.
The third run was the most interesting. While the SmartCoach app suggested a slightly faster pace, I decided to shake it up with a much faster paced, interval run. I ran quarter mile (0.25mi) segments, alternating running and walking. The first interval felt great. The second, a little worse, and the final two challenging.
Running Form is Important
During the last two intervals, I focused not on run pace but run technique. I remember an old coach who told me to run from the hip. Run the hip??? Yep. Running from the hip means you straighten your back and lean forward to the point you have to take a step or fall forward. You basically let gravity help move you forward as you step and push off the pavement with the ball of the foot. Once you lean forward and get your feet in sync, the speed comes on fast and you really feel more like gliding as opposed to doing squats every time you step.
Even Slow Can Feel Awesome
At the end of the two mile workout, I managed to shave about three minutes off my pace, down to about 15:00 pace for the combined workout. It felt great to get the blood moving along with the knees and feet. While few people would every brag about a 15:00 pace run at two miles, when you have been away for so long, even slow feels awesome.
