45 Min CompuTrainer, 8 mi Run: Expectations

Sometimes I think that my expectations for a workout have a bigger effect on the outcome than on my fitness, pacing, etc. Today I expected to hold back. I don't want to blow up on Wed/Thu so I'm not adding those intervals and faster stuff. Because the grass is always greener I end up wanting to do that stuff. Which makes me perceive my 8mph pace as very tame.

But what if I counted up all of the workouts I've been doing lately? And considered the very very hard workout on Sunday? And realized that I've taken no rest since then? Maybe I'd struggle just to get 8mph for an hour done. Maybe I couldn't do it.

It's odd how the brain plays into things. I've noted this effect for years. Sometimes I try to trick myself into thinking that my run will be miserable so that when I get on and don't feel horrible I'll think positively and have a great run... because often (very often) when I expect death marches I end up with great runs. And often when I expect to just whip something out I find myself on a death march.

A while back I blogged about the difference between my emotional perception vs. my intellectual perception of fitness. When there are deltas strange things can happen. Sometimes strange good. Sometimes strange bad.

But back to fooling myself. It never works. I can tell myself my run is going to be miserable for my entire swim... but that rarely sparks those surprise workouts. Which leads me to believe that my emotional understanding of fitness is more subconscious, more intuitive.

Tonight felt good. Well, the bike hurt and my heart rate was elevated. And my quads hurt. But when I got onto the treadmill I felt the flow and found a wonderful rhythm. My 8mph felt too easy and I wanted very badly to up the speed.

But I restrained myself and hope to put in some quality hours Thu/Fri.