Confidence Dip

With no workout yesterday, today's easy run should've been, well...easy.  What it was was anxiety-inducing.  It makes me wonder if I'm going to be fresh and ready for Sunday's race.

I used the treadmill today to lighten the pounding a little on the joints (ankles).  I just wanted to do 40-45 minutes of 80-85% effort.  I toyed with the belt speed a little to help try to gauge my pace vs. my heart rate vs. my perceived level of exertion and breathing rate/intensity.  I have a race goal pace of 7:40, but I admit I'm not confident about my ability to sustain that for 13.1.   Today's workout didn't boost my confidence any.

I can cruise along at 8:00 pretty comfortably, which is how I started out.  I edged the treadmill speed up a bit for mile 2 and the mile 3 gave my goal race pace a try.  It was taxing.  I could've done it for 10K or more, but no way could I hold that pace for the full HM.  HR was pushing over 90%.

Maybe my stride is more efficient over the ground than it is on the treadmill.  It sure does feel like I'm more comfortable running at pace on the road than when I'm on the belt.  Maybe the treadmill is miscalibrated.  Maybe I didn't drink enough water.  Maybe I'm over estimating my recovery from Wednesday's 14-miler.  Maybe I haven't been getting enough sleep.  Maybe I'm too stressed about work.

Don't know.  Whatever the reason, today's 5 mile "easy" run felt like a lot of work, and I didn't even run the whole thing at race pace. 

Okay, so what to do?  Checklist:
1. Tonight and Saturday night, get to bed at a decent hour.  Tonight shoot for 10:30 and Saturday shoot for 9:00. It's going to be an early wakeup on Sunday morning.  Need to get all the way down to the Silver Strand Parking Lot early enough to catch the bus to the starting line.

2. Get my water table up.  Keep fluids flowing (without getting ridiculous).

3. No "tune up" runs and no Shred workouts on the legs.

4. Ice the ankle tonight.

5. Stick to the eating schedule to top off the glycogen.  (Don't forget the Shot Blocks on race day; going to pop 1 cube every 3 miles...if for nothing else but the psych boost.)

6. Leave time for a 10 minute warmup jog before the start.  I don't want to waste the first mile or two getting loose.

7. Relax.  Forget about the job and financial stressors for a day.  There'll be time to sweat that stuff after the race.  (And remember, this is a bonus run.  It's not what I'm training for so it's not critical if I don't set a PR or hit the goal time target.)

8. There is no item 8. (grin)

9. Use the roller and wobble board.  Self massage and stretch...especially the calves and ankle.

10. Have fun.  (Probably redundant; see #7).