Progress isn’t always clearly defined and measured, and it needn’t always be about raw numbers. Sometimes it’s in those valuable intangibles, such as how quickly your legs bounce back after that tough long run. But I must admit it certainly feels nice when you can point to indisputable metrics.
Pace, that metric we runners generally obsess over, is a great tool to measure progress. However, it’s not the only one that matters. In this case though, the pace was different and so too was how I felt. That is, even running faster I felt better overall – stronger, more in control, and steady throughout. You can’t see that on garmin, but that’s an important part of the puzzle. Now let’s look at the numbers.
Two basic 8 mile training pace runs, both done on the same road, with the same shoes, and with the same targets (that is run by feel – RPE) without any stops or pauses. These are exactly 5 weeks apart – with a marathon raced there in the middle. So from the end of one training block to the beginning of another.
I have my sights set on a PR marathon this June and so the work continues. One thing is certain, if you can stop to acknowledge the progress in the process, you’ll always be happy to continue the grind.
If you feel like you’re stalled out or uninspired, consider hiring a coach to give you the insights to break through those barriers. Having an outside guiding eye can make all the difference in your training process and that might just be what you need to see new levels of success and progress. Let’s chat.
Coach Kristyn R. Smith 