Frustrated runner

you will always have runs that suck. leave them out there and don't carry them with you on the next one.

WE (including myself too) will probably have more sucky runs in the beginning when we are trying to increase are base.

Just stick with it.

Could be that you have bumped up your running pretty quickly?

From your blog you ran 20 some miles in July and 80 some in August. That sure seems violating the 10% increase in running rule...can be a receipe for injury. Listen to your body.

what they all said....it happens and its not a lot of fun!! It just happened to me also, I am training for the TwinCities Marathon and raced last weekend (half marathon) and it went so bad that I thought I wasn't going to be ready!! Then I ran my 20 yesterday and it went so well....that I couldn't believe it!!

Hang in there...and just move on to the next workout...

Hope it goes better!!

GJ

X2 on the 'we all have bad days' and the 'did you increase too quickly?' comments.

What I'm noticing here is the 'I started negotiating with myself' line.  A lot depends on how that negotiation comes out.  In general, I don't subscribe to the 'let yourself do something else' line.  It is too easy for this to become a habit -- and what are you going to do on race day if you just don't feel like running?  You can't decide to substitute biking for running.

I have found (FWIW) that the best thing for me is not to allow myself to be in situations where these negotiations can end up with a bad decision.  A good example was a run today, which was not going well.  With 5 miles to go, I had a choice of doing two 2.5 mile loops that go right past my house or doing one 5-mile loop that ends at my house.  I chose the latter, worried that if I got to my house after 2.5 miles, I would talk myself in to stopping.

Yes, of course sometimes you should stop -- if you are overtraining or injuring yourself.  But if you know you aren't doing those things, then keep running.  My 2c. 

If your logs are correct your August run mileage (88) is more than June (32) and July (21) combined.  I realize that you have a plan, but perhaps it isn't the best plan for you.  Perhaps you can switch a rest day with your next planned workout and take a break.  If that doesn't work I might rethink the plan you're following.

a couple random thoughts w/o reading the rest of the posts....

there is a big difference between an 8min/mile and an 8:30min/mile and hence a different work-out.  the former is about my tempo run while the latter is about my LSD pace.  Pick an appropriate pace for the work-out.  A 30s spread is too much IMHO.

You state that 8min/mile(to 8:30) is "Race pace"  what race pace is that?  who's race pace?  Your last open race was at 8:30min/mile for 10k.  That is what I would consider your race pace, not 8min/mile.  How are you determining your "race pace"

My unexpert advice, pick a realistic race pace based on previous races then pick a more narrow range and appropriate pace to complete the given work-out. 

good luck to ya!

I find that I need to ease in to a hard workout.  If I'm not in a race, I tend to gradually pick up my pace as I go and have negative splits.  I can psych myself out by going hard the first half of a training run and visualizing how hard the second half is going to be.  By running negative splits, I gain confidence as I go.

 It's also wierd how some days I think I'm going to have a great run and end up having a terrible run.  Other days, the opposite happens.

I agree with Nickster.  For Tempo runs, I tend to ease into them the first mile or so until I hit the goal pace.  If you start out too fast to hit the exact number you often blow up early.

For what it is worth, I used to have the same problem and fret about it beforehand. I started thinking of my Tempo runs as a race.  Don't be a slave to a certain pace, but work through the miles based on terrain and how you are feeling, knowing that everything that is close to goal pace is going to be way more valuable than stopping to walk.

Thanks for all the great words of encouragement and advice.

To clarify:

Yes I have bumped up my runs but I have dropped the biking and swimming (for 2 months) to focus here.  I have been careful to avoid injury.  I notice this week is a sharp drop (26 miles last week only 16 or so this week) so perhaps this period is accounted for.  I will try a 5K this Sunday and see what I can do there.

About the 8 min mile.  Well recently I havn't been there but I normally encounter several hills and stop lights that kill the time by just a bit.  I am using 8's becasue just 14 months ago I was in the Navy and running 8's or better for 10 years.  So getting back to there is a must. (although that was shorter distances...1.5 mile and 3 mile)

Patience has always been my weakness. In fact, as an athlete my entire life...this is the longest (10th week straight) I have actually stuck to a running plan.  I have called one or two runs short by half a mile or so and took an extra rest day twice but I seem to be recovering nicely.  I was building so much aneixity about Sunday's 10 mile and it felt really decent.  No cramps, not even sore today.  I did 15 in in ice and hit the foam roll and things feel good.

My real frustration though is about speed.  I am getting the distance and I knew that would take time.  I am sure I could muscle out a half and even a mary (maybe) but it would be painful.  I figured a focused plan would get me where I want and much faster.  I am trying to resist speeding up (only to blow up) during my runs and stay in some decent Z2-Z3.  I have noticed my HR coming down on those runs.  It would be nice to get my times down but I am starting to realize this period may be more about endureance and less about speed.  Perhaps I will incorparate speed training for the next mary.  Hell I can afford a coach...perhaps I should even do that.

Anyway, thanks for all the words of advice.  I will keep pressing on, listening to my body for overtraining signals...and hopefully get stronger.

You might be avoiding injury, but still overtraining -- these are not the same thing. You can be overtraining, and slowing down as a result, without necessarily getting injured in the sense of there being damage to a tendon or such.

Dropping other activities in order to 'compensate' for big increases in running volume (if that's what you mean by the above) doesn't work.  Overtraining is largely discipline-specific, especially with running.

I don't think you're overtrained.

I think you had a bad run.  I think that it wasn't the best to try to do a race pace workout.  I think you'll be fine, but you need to first realize that this is a sport that takes years to really see potential.

Scout's reply makes me want to clarify my own reply.

I have no idea whether you are overtrained.  I am reacting to two things that your latest post suggested, but that I would question.  The first is that avoiding injury is the same as avoiding overtraining.  (It isn't.)  The second is that you can compensate for a larger than normal increase in running volume by decreasing volume of other activities.  (You can't, to any significant extent.)

Just my opinion, of course.

As I said in my original reply, if you really aren't overtrained, then get out there and run, and don't talk yourself into stopping early.  You'll have awful days, but, long term, not stopping even on your bad days will lead to improvements.

Don't forget the really really good runs you have

No dwelling on the crappy runs!