I did it!!! I did it!!! I did it!!!!

This was the first time in a number of weeks that I actually completed my speed run distance in one shot. I’m so happy and proud and excited! There’s hope for me yet! I’m glad I didn’t let myself get too discouraged when I didn’t meet my training goals in this category in previous weeks. Who knows if I’ll make it next week, but I made it this week and that’s GREAT!

Although I didn’t have a ton of time, I did allow myself to warm up properly. I estimated it would take me 2 songs to get up to speed, but at the end of the 2nd song, I was only at about 5 mph, so I gave myself two more songs and kept creeping up the speed slowly. I had a mile and a half in before I reached 7 mph and I didn’t let myself worry about that. When I got to 7, I had given myself enough time to warm up to that speed and I was, therefore, able to hold it better. I think that’s what lead to the success, at least. I don’t actually know, but that’s my guess. That, and the fact that I hadn’t just given up on my speed runs when I couldn’t do them as planned. I still spent time and effort getting to, and maintaining, that speed.

Once I finished, I let myself cool down a long time, too. I had logged about 4 1/2 miles, just getting my 2.1 speed miles. That’s fine. The extra mileage won’t hurt me. In fact, I still sometimes wonder if I haven’t made some drastically wrong calculations somewhere that will leave me way under-prepared come race day. I don’t think so, but I do worry about it sometimes.