Monday, August 30, 2010

Off (running) days are GOOOOOOOOD

So it seems.
I have never thought that but I am starting to realize that. Of course it is also individual. There are people who can run 365 days straight and still run freaking fast. But I cannot. But I could. When I was a miler. My mileage was low and I basically did a fast track workout 5 times a week, and rest was my easy long runs (aka 6miles). Now my mileage is higher so I should start behaving like a distance runner!

I have realized that OFF DAYS ARE GOOD in past few weeks since I started running few weeks ago (ok, 2-3 weeks ago). I run only 4 days a week so basically I ran like every other day and I had to hold myself back on all my easy runs these past weeks. I was clocking sub 7:30 miles and they felt effortless (except for those "bricks" one).
Also today, 6 easy miles, easy 7:30 pace.
I do not know whether it is excitement of being able to run or the fact that I had a running day off yesterday and fresh legs. Or maybe all that biking has made me stronger. Probably the combination.
I ran my 10k PR on a 6th day back from an injury when I have not run for 1 month. I ran marathon PR 2.5 months after 5 months of no running. But I have biked all that time and was super duper exciting about being able to run again. So it is definitely a combination. Wait, I am an idiot. I keep forgetting, it was my first 10k and first marathon, so they were PRs. But they were pretty decent times, so it makes sense.

I know that some very good runners run their easy runs at 7:15ish pace while the other good runners run at 8ish pace. I guess it is very individual and it is also matter of habitude (ok, I do not know what the word is and am too lazy to look it up in a dictionary so I am using this French equivalent and I am sure that everyone can understand it. Maybe "habit" is a right word, hm.).
So far I did not have a chance to see whether this "fast" pace will make my workouts suffer because I have not had any times workouts yet. But I have my first workout tomorrow so we shall see.

But those off days are not real off days. They are just off running days. Seems that biking or elliptical does not do any harm. Maybe I just do not bike and ellipticate (ok, another strange word) hard enough.

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