Getting that spring back, one workout at a time

As I warmed up to meet Craig for today’s workout (16 miles total, 2×3 mile segments), I felt the normal “Nichole” spring in my step.  My stride is a little bouncier and the quads don’t feel bound or immobile anymore. YES, I thought to myself!  This is going to be the day!

I honestly think my legs are coming around mainly because of the iron supplementation I started a week ago.  Could also be the taper for TC10.  It’s been a full week now since I started with a supplement, and overall I just feel like I’m getting back to my normal.  The normal where I’m working hard on the hard days, but it takes just a day or so to recover.  The normal where my legs feel the effort after a workout or run, but it’s a good feeling.  Does that make any sense?  I can tell even lying in bed at night that they have more energy in them, and they just feel faster.

Totally cool.  Thank you to Camille’s perfectly timed post!

Anyway, back to the workout. I picked up Craig and did another .5 miles of warm-up to our starting location.  I stretched (the old injury in my hamstring has been acting up lately, so have been working on trying to loosen that area and the glute – regular visits to Jim, the miracle worker/chiropractor, as well) and we were off.

Except it really wasn’t my day.  I looked at my watch.  What?  6:00 pace?  I tried focusing on my form to make sure I wasn’t over-striding, pushing off hard, running tall and efficient.  Quick, powerful steps.  I tried picking up the pace for 10-20 seconds.  After I realized that 5:55-6:00 (and a little slower when we headed straight into the wind and uphill) was just my pace for the day, I just focused on making sure the repeat was quality.  The most important thing for me now (I think) is to make sure I’m not letting up that last mile and trying to pick up the pace.  I’m happy to report I was able to do that in both segments.  That’s a good “win” for me, I think my typical lately has been just to settle in and then get a little slower for these longer segments.  I don’t want that to be my norm when racing, so have to make that change in training.

Times: 18:11, 18:18.  I think the loop we did was a little more uphill/into the wind.

So, even though the paces weren’t there, today was a very good day.  The legs are coming around, and given another week or so to continue to get stronger/snappier and another week for my lungs to figure out how to work with my legs again, I’ll be there.  And I am oh-SO-excited for that :)!