Day 346

I am getting tired. I keep reminding myself that this is when things start to happen (for the good!)

Yesterday: jogged for 2 miles (stiffly) then walked for 6 later on with Matt.
Today: ran/jogged 7.33 (ok, a bit of walking in there too). The workout was 2X 20 min tempo.

It was especially daunting because of the snow and wind. I looked out and saw white sidewalks and more white...perfect for my new shoes! Yes, I got new running shoes for Christmas; I picked them out from the sample sale rack at Bushtakah. They're Adidas, which usually doesn't fit me, and they're heavier and stiffer than what I'm used to, but they do fit me, and they're also gore-tex and grippy. I have a few other pairs of trail shoes for the snow, but they're all at least two winters old and not so grippy or water-resistant anymore.

But we haven't had any fresh snow for a while; I haven't worn the new shoes until today.

I was a bit concerned that wearing new shoes for the first time during a tempo run might not prove advantageous, but I figured that the snow would muck things up anyway and provide some cushioning.

My shoes usually don't have much cushioning or weight or stiffness. These shoes, however, were Cadillacs. I usually like feeling the ground and all that, but it was a neat change to be a bit removed. And the soles gripped the snow well.

The first tempo interval went better than expected: 8:06/mile. I had some energy, the shoes were great, and the interval actually almost felt nice, although the snow stung my eyes. It was cold, -17 windchill (the wind was strong); I considered not taking a break after all. Laziness prevailed, however. I mostly jogged during the break but it was enough to make everything seize up. The 2nd interval was slower and harder. 9:07/mile. Maybe there was more wind--there was definitely more snow--it was kind of miserable. I couldn't move my legs much. They were so heavy. I think part of that was adjusting the new shoes--they seemed to make my calves stiffer. But I was tired overall.

However, somehow, I kept pushing for 20 minutes. I kept tempo effort at least. Isn't that the point? I'm not really sure. I thought about breaking the 2nd interval up, but I decided that it would be most productive to keep going. This would make me stronger.

But did it?

Hopefully, there will be less wind next Friday. That will be my last tempo workout before the race. I will do a long run on Sunday and then things will be a little easier! It's been kind of neat to revisit the peak/taper experience, albeit in a more limited fashion.