HOLY SHIT! I thought I was going to vomit or pass out or both at the same time. I have never pushed my body so hard during a workout in all my life. Mind you I have given birth to two beautiful children without pain meds so I know a thing or two about pushing my limits.
Don't get me wrong, my training session was no where near as painful or exhausting as child birth, but it came pretty damn close. Just goes to show how out of shape I really am.
Last Tuesday night I showed up to the usual spot for our weekly training session and a group photo. (I will post when I get a copy) So far our training sessions have consisted of running the 3.1 mile loop around Rice University, but Francois emailed to tell us that this session would be on the university track and we would work on speed. Having no clue at all what he meant I showed up and waited for information.
Once the photo was done he instructed us that we would start with a 20 minute running warm-up and then meet on the track. Off we went.
As usual I was last, only this time it came in handy; see it had rained all day and so there were lots of puddles and muddy places on the path and by me being last I got to see how everyone else in front of me navigated their way around these spots. After the first 10 min or so we reached a less muddy, puddly stretch and I was left in the dust. Not wanting to show up on the track 10 minutes after everyone else I took a short cut through a field and made it onto the track just a minute or so before everyone else. I got quite a few funny looks and curious eye raises as to how I managed this feat, but no one said a thing.
Francois then explained that we would start with some warm-up exercises and then move to the track to work. His warm-ups were hilarious and I tried as hard as I could not to laugh with each demonstration of the next move. We were in the center of the track covering a distance of probably 100 m doing things like walking pigeon toed, then like a penguin, high knee hopping, butt kicks, weird "horse" like walking, grapevines, squat sideways galloping and so many more.
After 15 minutes or so of this we moved to the track where he proceeded to explain what we were going to do. He may as well had given the instructions in his native French, for as much as I understood. I have never been on a track team, running team or any team for that matter, so once he finished his explanation I sheepishly raised my hand and admitted I had no idea what he was talking about. He half laughed/half sighed and then re-explained everything for me and the other "new" girl on the team. She runs like a freakin' gazelle so I'm not sure how "new" she really is.
Here was the plan:
2 laps (800 m) at a pace where you can't talk, but don't feel like your gonna die
3 min rest
1 lap (400m) @ 2 second faster pace
2 min rest
1 lap 2sec faster
2 min rest
1/2 lap (200m) 2 sec faster
1 min rest
1/2 lap 2 sec faster
1 min rest
1/2 lap 2 sec faster
1 min rest
1/2 lap 2 sec faster
Done
6 laps total and from the first to the last I should be 10 seconds faster than my first 2 laps.
Let me pause here for laughter....
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
All I could think in my head was "How the hell am I going to get faster each time if I'm getting more exhausted by the minute?!" and "I wonder how I can get out of this?"
Everyone lined up in lanes 2 or 3 and off we went. Immediately it was obvious that I was the weakest link. I did my best to run as fast as I could, but I also know there is no way I can maintain that pace for 2 full laps so I had no choice but to slow down and pace myself.
I got lapped. :(
And worse yet, every FREAKIN' time I would come straggling to the next starting line where the rest of the group was taking their rest someone would inevitably say "Good Job" and offer a high five. UGH how humiliating!!!! Or they would already be into the next running interval before I even got there. A few of the guys started running in the opposite direction to "even out" their runs as they put it and would high five me on the way by.
I just wanted to crawl under a rock and hide!
But instead I held my head high and finished each interval, high fived and said a breathless "Thanks."
I have no idea if I got any faster each interval, I stopped keeping track, or rather I never started keeping track. Once the first lap started and I realized I was the underdog my only goal was to finish whatever they threw at me NO MATTER WHAT.
And that is just what I did. I kept running even though I thought I was going to be sick, my face was bright red despite the fact that it was 42ºF and I desperately needed water.
Once I made it back to the group after the last interval Francois gave us a little pep talk and then we walked off the track, milled about while Francois turned off the lights and locked up, then started the "cool down" run back to the start. Sonny, one of the guys on the team, took pity on me and stayed with me. He runs a 7 min/mile pace normally, but didn't want to leave me alone at 7:45 at night to run by myself, so he slowed down to my turtle pace and kept me company. I was very grateful and thanked him a few too many time I think, but it meant a lot to me.
While we were running we chatted and I found out that he has only been a part of the team for 9 months and he started out at an 11 min/mile pace. Still faster than my fastest, but it gave me hope. I told him my story and he seemed genuinely impressed that I hadn't given up at some point during the training that evening. He assured me that if I push myself like that each week (carefully so as not to get injured) I will be surprised how quickly I improve and will be able to keep up with everyone else, possibly even out run a few.
I like the sound of that :)
Got to run....
What kind of training do you do? How often do you push yourself out of your comfort zone? Any tips or tricks you want to share with me about improving my training?
Don't get me wrong, my training session was no where near as painful or exhausting as child birth, but it came pretty damn close. Just goes to show how out of shape I really am.
Last Tuesday night I showed up to the usual spot for our weekly training session and a group photo. (I will post when I get a copy) So far our training sessions have consisted of running the 3.1 mile loop around Rice University, but Francois emailed to tell us that this session would be on the university track and we would work on speed. Having no clue at all what he meant I showed up and waited for information.
Once the photo was done he instructed us that we would start with a 20 minute running warm-up and then meet on the track. Off we went.
As usual I was last, only this time it came in handy; see it had rained all day and so there were lots of puddles and muddy places on the path and by me being last I got to see how everyone else in front of me navigated their way around these spots. After the first 10 min or so we reached a less muddy, puddly stretch and I was left in the dust. Not wanting to show up on the track 10 minutes after everyone else I took a short cut through a field and made it onto the track just a minute or so before everyone else. I got quite a few funny looks and curious eye raises as to how I managed this feat, but no one said a thing.
Francois then explained that we would start with some warm-up exercises and then move to the track to work. His warm-ups were hilarious and I tried as hard as I could not to laugh with each demonstration of the next move. We were in the center of the track covering a distance of probably 100 m doing things like walking pigeon toed, then like a penguin, high knee hopping, butt kicks, weird "horse" like walking, grapevines, squat sideways galloping and so many more.
After 15 minutes or so of this we moved to the track where he proceeded to explain what we were going to do. He may as well had given the instructions in his native French, for as much as I understood. I have never been on a track team, running team or any team for that matter, so once he finished his explanation I sheepishly raised my hand and admitted I had no idea what he was talking about. He half laughed/half sighed and then re-explained everything for me and the other "new" girl on the team. She runs like a freakin' gazelle so I'm not sure how "new" she really is.
Here was the plan:
2 laps (800 m) at a pace where you can't talk, but don't feel like your gonna die
3 min rest
1 lap (400m) @ 2 second faster pace
2 min rest
1 lap 2sec faster
2 min rest
1/2 lap (200m) 2 sec faster
1 min rest
1/2 lap 2 sec faster
1 min rest
1/2 lap 2 sec faster
1 min rest
1/2 lap 2 sec faster
Done
6 laps total and from the first to the last I should be 10 seconds faster than my first 2 laps.
Let me pause here for laughter....
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
All I could think in my head was "How the hell am I going to get faster each time if I'm getting more exhausted by the minute?!" and "I wonder how I can get out of this?"
Everyone lined up in lanes 2 or 3 and off we went. Immediately it was obvious that I was the weakest link. I did my best to run as fast as I could, but I also know there is no way I can maintain that pace for 2 full laps so I had no choice but to slow down and pace myself.
I got lapped. :(
And worse yet, every FREAKIN' time I would come straggling to the next starting line where the rest of the group was taking their rest someone would inevitably say "Good Job" and offer a high five. UGH how humiliating!!!! Or they would already be into the next running interval before I even got there. A few of the guys started running in the opposite direction to "even out" their runs as they put it and would high five me on the way by.
I just wanted to crawl under a rock and hide!
But instead I held my head high and finished each interval, high fived and said a breathless "Thanks."
I have no idea if I got any faster each interval, I stopped keeping track, or rather I never started keeping track. Once the first lap started and I realized I was the underdog my only goal was to finish whatever they threw at me NO MATTER WHAT.
And that is just what I did. I kept running even though I thought I was going to be sick, my face was bright red despite the fact that it was 42ºF and I desperately needed water.
Once I made it back to the group after the last interval Francois gave us a little pep talk and then we walked off the track, milled about while Francois turned off the lights and locked up, then started the "cool down" run back to the start. Sonny, one of the guys on the team, took pity on me and stayed with me. He runs a 7 min/mile pace normally, but didn't want to leave me alone at 7:45 at night to run by myself, so he slowed down to my turtle pace and kept me company. I was very grateful and thanked him a few too many time I think, but it meant a lot to me.
While we were running we chatted and I found out that he has only been a part of the team for 9 months and he started out at an 11 min/mile pace. Still faster than my fastest, but it gave me hope. I told him my story and he seemed genuinely impressed that I hadn't given up at some point during the training that evening. He assured me that if I push myself like that each week (carefully so as not to get injured) I will be surprised how quickly I improve and will be able to keep up with everyone else, possibly even out run a few.
I like the sound of that :)
Got to run....
What kind of training do you do? How often do you push yourself out of your comfort zone? Any tips or tricks you want to share with me about improving my training?