The Calendar Hung Itself

Hm...

After today I will have 14 weeks to reach my goal which is to run 15:45.
I was so sure that starting on Sunday I'd have a full week of training. Unfortunately, it's been the most inconsistent, which is the worst feeling. I've only been able to get 3 runs in this week. Empty days on the calendar suck. I shouldn't be so negative about this week though, there were of course some good to this week. I felt GREAT physically. Every run was a piece of cake! (12 miler Sun, 10 miler Wed, and 1hr run Friday)

I'm also sick ONCE AGAIN, which means something..

One thing is for sure: I'm never going to stop trying. 

This upcoming week is the beginning of the fundamental phase. I have given myself some pretty tough workouts to complete and I am hoping this is where I start to break off from my old self. Trying to find clarity.

I'm close to figuring something out, but I don't know what it is. I feel it intuitively. Anybody ever get that feeling?

Even Flow

Apart from physical training, I have recently started training mentally for this sport. Two things I plan to improve every day for this training cycle: confidence, and focus.

My thoughts on my own confidence:
Let it be known now to myself: I sometimes don't know what the fuck I'm doing with this training stuff. I have been reading lots of training methodology since I first started training and figured out how to analyze my times, but I still don't know if what I am doing is the "correct" way. This is all merely a trial-and-error for me. My training is simply a projection of my own logic, and, people, do I question myself a lot. It's very difficult to have a positive attitude when you're in the dark. What I just said, thinking positively, is a big influence on my confidence. Now, sure, it's easy to start positive self-talk, for example, the common dull phase, "I can do this!". I'm not sure if I am able to say that to myself if I don't even fully believe it?

Here's something interesting that I've recently been aware of:
In 2013 Spring (my first training circle), I was ALWAYS looking right into the eyes of my goal (30:30 for a 5-miler), and never at the process itself (day-to-day training). I don't think I was wrong for being naive about my immediate goals (day-to-day training), but it's important for me not to look over them. I recall feeling quite lazy before going out to my runs, and never getting myself mentally prepared for it. Now that I look back, running seemed like a punishment, and not as a gift. That's about to change. I'm going to create a positive mindset for myself if it's the last thing I do. I'm never going to stop trying.

Think positively, take risks, experience success. Those are the 3 things I need to focus on to create confidence. I will talk about those later on, along with focus.


Training:

Sunday
9 miles
This was a hard run. Not the mileage, but the fact that it was hot and I made an idiotic move to keep my thick American Eagle hoodie on. To add on, I was sicker than a dog. Dry mouth, stuffed nose, negative thoughts before I even started, you name it.

Monday
5 miles in 35:10
Agility Drills
8 x 100m arrancones

Tuesday
3 miles in 21:13

Wednesday
6 miles in 41:43

Thursday
5 miles
Agility drills
10 x 100m arrancones

Friday
8 miles
5 miles 36:43

Saturday
3 miles 6 miles 41:30
Form drills
10 x 100m arrancones

Thoughts:
This will be an easy week. Oh! Spring semester starts next week.. I'm excited

Testify

Wake up call

Since my last post in November, (it's January now) training has not been as consistent as I had planned. Well, now that I think of it, it was a plan that I rarely put much thought about so I shouldn't talk. The plan I had worked on for 15 minutes had no phases in it, nor race goals. All I was thinking about was how this was the year I would keep progressing as runner, if that makes sense. It'd be a dream to be a challenge to college runners. 

I'm currently working on finishing up an outline of my spring season, so I plan to blog more about my runs and reflect on them. I do know this: I have 17 weeks to run a sub-27 10k and/or sub-16 5k. I can't wait.