Tempo Thursday = Trying To Trust The Training

OK it was hard to come up with that title!  I am a math teacher, not a language arts teacher, so words aren't my thing.  That's not actually true, as I am certified to teach all subjects, and I did for about 5 years.  Now, though, it's strictly math and science for me. 

But I digress.  Today was Tempo Thursday.  I don't always do tempo runs on Thursdays or anything, but it worked out to be that way this week, so I thought a catchy title was in order.  This was my first tempo run since July 22.  I knew it had been awhile, but not THAT long!  As I have mentioned previously, tempo runs scare me more than any other run.  Why is that, you ask?  Well, it's because my tempo pace is just too darn fast LOL!  A tempo run, according to what I have read, should be at your 10K pace, or about 25-30 seconds slower than your 5K pace.  My 5K pace for my last race was 7:52.  That leaves me with a tempo pace of approximately 8:17-8:22.  That just seems really fast for me!  But I know I need to train at a faster pace to race at a faster pace, so that is why I do these runs.  And, to be honest, they are never as bad as I think they are going to be.

Today's run went well.  I planned a 4 miler, with a mile warm-up and a mile cool-down, so only the two miles in the middle were to be at my tempo pace.  "Only" those two... LOL.  For me, a tempo run where I need to keep the tempo pace for 2 miles or less is much less intimidating than one of more than 2 miles.  I need to get past that, but for tonight, I will just be happy with my run.  I did it on the paved trail that surrounds Joey's soccer fields, while he had practice.  I like this trail, as it's very flat, and there is a lot going on to watch while I run, with different soccer/baseball practices (there's a pool there too, although not many people were there since it was 70 degrees with low humidity at 6:30 PM).

I felt good for my warm-up, but the nerves started to come on just before mile two began.  I was happy that a half-mile in, I was at an 8:25 average for that mile.  Typically it takes me longer to get down into my tempo pace.  From there I was able to whittle down to a good strong pace.

 

I am happy for two reasons: that the run was successful (I hit my tempo pace for both miles!), and that I don't have another tempo run planned for 3 weeks!  I really should do another one sooner, but I have my quarter-marathon coming up on the 25th and will be doing a mini-taper for it.  And, given that a quarter marathon is 6.55 miles, which is only .35 miles longer than a 10K, I suppose I could call the quarter a tempo run?! 

Excited for a busy few days coming up... zoo trip tomorrow with my sister-in-law, nephew, and my three youngest kids to wrap up my final weekday off from work before I go back to school on Monday, a community baby garage sale on Saturday morning, and an 8-mile run with Danielle on Sunday morning.  I love running with Danielle!  All good things to keep my mind off of starting back to work on Monday... ugh... I hope I can keep my focus on running as well as on my job!