It was so good to be back into my full training program last week after strict instructions by Coach Carlos to recover from the Naseby Miler.
I’m not going to lie though, despite the excitement of being allowed back outside to play like a puppy that’s been wearing a plastic cone-collar for a few weeks, I felt nervous and had some niggling doubts that I would be able to hit my targets for the week – a tempo run, shit, can I even still run ‘fast’, and, do I want too??!!
I love to run, but consistent training has always been hard for me! I struggled to get myself out the door at times. I think I found a million things to do before I finally heading out…vacuuming – check, prepare food – check, vacuum again even though it’s clean – sure, why not – check!
In the end, I stole Ben’s Jaybirds and downloaded a 180bpm playlist so I could hit a consistently faster pace while having something to focus on other than the discomfit! It was a tempo run after all!
You see the problem is I have an internal battle going on. On the one side, I’m a fun runner, an adventure runner, I love to run free, I love a good multi-day grunt…but nowhere for me in that description fits a tempo run, progression run (eek!) or any other short hard run!!
But, on the other side, I’m also an athlete – or at least I say I am, and I strive to be one. I want to run harder and faster, I want to win (there I said it!), I want to be the best that I can be, and once I get out and start a tempo run I enjoy it…or enjoy the sensation of finishing it at least!
So I’m working on finding the balance between ‘fun runner’ and ‘athlete’. I don’t want to get to the end of a race and wish I had given it a little more in training because I was just shy of a placing. Equally, I don’t want to miss the fun stuff for the sake of my structured training program.
I’m working on integrating the ‘athlete’ and the ‘fun runner’ – I’d like to think they don’t have to be mutually exclusive?
After dragging myself out for that tempo session, headphones in, focus on, form strong – well, I felt like an athlete and it was a good feeling. While it scares me – this athlete side pushes me beyond my comfort zone, it’s kind of exciting to see what I’m made of!
So, I’m looking forward to this week! I’ve never been one to run with music but Ben might find his Jaybirds permanently on loan for my short fast sessions. I can see in my minds eye flying through the training with a strong focused gaze, flowing form, looking like an athlete…and then I get to go run in the mud for 2 hours as my reward, whoop…yeah I reckon I can balance this thing and be a fun-running-athlete!
Who else feels this struggle? what are your strategies to balance the work and the fun?
