The Plan:
After yesterday’s sciatica concerns, today was my chance to tackle the delayed workout:
Warm Up:
- 10-20 minutes easy jogging (Zone 2, 8:08-8:37/km)
- 5 minutes of running drills
- 5×15-second strides (7-8 RPE)
Main Set:
- 3 miles (4.8 km) at tempo effort (Zone 3, 6:51-7:01/km), 1.5 minutes walking/jogging recovery
- 2 miles (3.2 km) at tempo effort, 1.5 minutes walking/jogging recovery
- 1 mile (1.6 km) at tempo effort, 1.5 minutes walking/jogging recovery
Cool Down:
- 10-20 minutes easy jogging (8:08-8:37/km)
Pre-Workout Fueling:
- Maurten 160 Drink Mix in 500ml of water (~30 minutes pre-workout)
The Reality:
I started with a solid warmup—15 minutes at 4.0 mph and 1% incline on the treadmill, plus some dynamic stretches. I felt good, cautiously optimistic. But as the main set began, the reality hit. I set the treadmill to 5.3 mph at a 1% incline and dug in for the first 3-mile interval.
But I couldn’t hold it. I lasted 2 miles before I had to take my recovery. I took my planned Maurten 100 gel, hoping for a boost. I questioned myself: Was I quitting?
I rallied for the next interval, aiming for 2 miles. I barely made it to 1 mile before my body called it quits. At that point, I knew I needed to cut my losses. I transitioned to an easy cool down and called it a day.
Fighting Disappointment:
Today was tough. It’s hard not to feel like I fell short of my plan. But I’m choosing to reframe it—my body sent signals, and I listened. The marathon training journey is a marathon itself, not a sprint. There will be great days, and there will be days like this. The important thing is that I showed up, learned from it, and will be ready for the next run.
Tomorrow’s another day—let’s keep moving forward!