Running off the nerves

My lunchtime ride today was crap. I couldn't concentrate, my mind wandered and 18km/hour felt like hard work while 35km/hr was a breeze. The nervous energy was making my mind play games with me.

Throughout the day I have received all sorts of emails from people who've read my blog and its been great. (Keep'em coming folks, I'd love to hear from you even if I don't know you - it's a huge buzz to get feedback from people.) There has been lots of really sage advice and lots of reassurance. I also had a rub from Coach "Magic Hands*" Geoff (on a niggly hamstring) this afternoon and we chatted about the race and how to approach this evening's run session.

I had a nice short set of 3 x 3 minute efforts at threshold with 3 minute rest intervals so it was a matter of warming up, concentrating for 15 minutes or so and warming down. I decided to approach the reps by concentrating on one thing - HIPS FORWARD! I started each rep well, concentrating hard on getting my hips forward while maintaining leg speed. However, in each set I also lost concentration after a minute or so as a vision of this weekend's race would pop into my head (the last kilometre of the race, starting on the run after transition, the finish line, etc). It would take me 20 seconds or so to get back on track, but I managed to get back to thinking 'hips forward' and the pace would pick up again. When I looked at my Garmin graph of each effort when I got home, you could see where I lost concetration as I slowed significantly. In the end I manage the first two reps at 4:24/kilometre pace and the third at 4:09 pace. That has well and truly settled the nerves - for now at least.

Six months ago, if you had told me I'd be running at 4:24 pace at all I would have laughed at you, let alone 4:09 and for 3 minutes. Secretly, I now can't wait to break the 4 minute mark for a threshold run like that. I now believe that it is possible. Hell, I can do better than that, I know it will happen and soon! Bring it on!

Thanks to everyone for all of the advice today and thanks again to Coach Geoff for a training program that seems to hit all of the right notes at just the right time.

* "Magic hands" - I think Alison Shanks is the one that called him that, but it is true. He works miracles with those hands.