Forge Ahead: My Reflections on Speed Work

Ah, speed work. Whether it comes in the form of tempo or fartlek, a run of this type can be a double-edged sword, baring quite plainly both your strengths and your weaknesses. I don’t know about you, but some days I look forward to the challenge that a hard running workout can bring, and some days I’m hesitant to even put my shoes on and get out the door to give it a shot. This story is about one such day, when my legs rebelled, and my spirit sunk low. Two hours of warm up, cool down, and intervals in-between were on the to-do list for that day, and I battled through every second. Here are some thoughts I reflected on that day that might help you forge ahead.

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Numbers Aren’t Everything

As my intervals began, I began to turn my feet over to build up to the prescribed effort. Faster…Faster…Faster. Nope. Faster. Nope. My legs, try as I might, would not move any faster. Which meant that my 8/10 effort was turning out to be a little slower that day. And immediately, I began to compare the numbers I was seeing with the other (faster) numbers I had seen last week when things felt a lot lighter and easier. A dangerous move, because it’s in that moment that you can measure both your worth and the worth of that workout in those tiny numbers. Numbers are tools, but they are not everything. Whether they are on a watch, a scale, or an app, they do not tell the whole story. And while numbers can be admittedly frustrating, don’t let them discourage you. Let the information wash over you and use it as part of a bigger picture, but do not hang everything on a number. And remember: progress is rarely linear. It’s more like a roller coaster of good days, bad days, and in-between days. Numbers will reflect that.

Give your Best Effort No Matter What

As I fought through my intervals, they became no easier. I had to make a choice-I could throw up my hands and let the frustration win out, half-ass the rest of the workout since it just wasn’t going my way and move on. Or, I could take what I did have that day and use it to give the best effort I possibly could, even if it didn’t quite look like what I wanted it to. I chose the latter, but I want to emphasize the choice part. Sometimes, you have to deliberately choose to lift yourself up out of the mind-muck and stay positive. That choice does not always come to us automatically or easily. It usually takes energy and effort. Maybe even a lot of effort. Sometimes we fail at this and sometimes we succeed, but I’ve found that the more I practice with the little choices, the better I get at it.

Take the Good Out and Leave Out the Rest

Finally, I reached the cool down section of my run and reflected on all that had transpired. Safe to say it had not gone the way I had hoped. But there were still good things buried in there, lessons I could take away and apply to other things. So I mentally sifted through the mental mud of the day to find the nuggets to take home with me. And I left the rest there. Don’t dwell on the mud. Find the useful pieces that will help you the next time you feel this way during a workout and remember those. Focusing on how bad you felt, or how slow you thought you were, or how off the numbers are, will not do much to help your cause. But focusing on the fact that you showed up, gave your best effort, maybe learned some things about rest/hydration/nutrition that will assist you next time…those things will help you forge ahead. 

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