Bad Math

I did pretty damn decent with my training plan the first 4-5 weeks. Well, by my standards.

Weeks 6-9? Well, those were another story.

Disclaimer: I received an entry into CDA Half Marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I was fine with how out of shape I am. I know it. I do. But even though I know this and I work with numbers everyday, all day, I was working bad math. It finally dawned on me during my failed long run last Sunday.

I set out for 8 miles on Sunday. Did I go early in the morning to avoid the very warm, i.e 90 degrees, May weather? No, of course not. I headed out around 2PM. Will I never learn??

It was so warm that my “run” soon turned into a walk. At first I thought that was fine. I mean, let’s be real, CDA is in 2-3 weeks, there was already going to be a lot of walking. And I would still be faster than I was at Napa in 2020. Except my brain suddenly learned how to do math again and I realized I wouldn’t be faster than Napa.

Sh**.

I finished Napa in 2:58:21. A pace of 13:28. A pace that included 3 or 4 bathroom stops as well as a lot of walking. But that pace also means there was a lot more running in there than I remember. I can’t maintain that pace by walking alone. I don’t even know if I can maintain that pace with running- I maybe haven’t been real with myself on how much I have been walking. Also the race has a measly 500 feet of elevation gain so I can’t even count on a boost from hills.

So do I try to work on my walking pace over the next few weeks or should I add in more running? Or just accept that my first live race in over a year will also be my personal worst? There are worse things I know but it’s still getting under my skin.

So, that’s where my running is these days.

3 thoughts on “Bad Math”

  1. Have you ever tried running a set amount of time and then walking a set amount. I don’t know how much you are running now, but maybe run 5 – 9 minutes and take a 1 min, fast walk break, then repeat. If you need to walk 2 minutes, or even more, before starting back, that’s okay too. I sort of do this, am not meticulous with the times of either, but will stop and walk for a minute or so when the going gets tough. I usually don’t feel totally wiped out at the end of the run and you really would be amazed at what your overall paces may be. It’s worth a shot and see if it works for you or not.

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      1. You’ll get there. I think consistency is the key….not that I am any kind of expert or ever dream of breaking any speed records. LOL Do what your body will let you do, whether that is running a little bit longer or speeding up your walks.

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