Sometimes, you really need to look at the Data.

Last night was supposed to be a 3-4 mile tempo run. I was supposed to run 3-4 mile repeats at Tempo pace. My target pace for tempo runs is between an 11:50 and 12:50 pace. I was worried about my pace, since my calves were bothering me before I even started running.

I headed to the canal for the nice flat terrain, started up my shiny new mapmyrun+ app, and headed out. My calves were an issue right from the start, and about half a mile in, I was struggling to maintain my speed. I had set the app to give me my pace ever 0.1 miles, but it was giving it to me in miles per hour. I had absolutely no idea what the speeds translated to.

I hit one mile, paused my workout, and took my walk break. I really felt like I needed it for the first time in a long time. The second mile was even rougher, I could feel my calves dragging me down. I felt like I was going really slowly, and had to keep pushing harder to maintain my pace. I took a walk break at my turn around point so I could refill my water bottle, and the sloged it out until the two mile mark.

At this point, I had serious doubts about my ability to finish out the workout. I was very cranky about it, I may or may not have been on the verge of tears during this walk break.

For mile three I basically gritted my teeth, and pushed through. I let my pace drop to what felt like a shuffle. I knew I was going to call it at three, even though I should have been pushing it to four. I was getting these little lancing sharp pains in my calves, and was starting to worry I was hurting myself. So I slowed down some more, feeling like I might go faster walking.

As soon as I hit mile three I paused the workout and gratefully dropped to a walk. My legs were totally spent. I was really sweaty and very very tired. I felt completely defeated by the run. My thought process was somewhere along the lines of "Why is this getting harder?! It was only three miles, and it was a slow three miles. I shouldn't be in this rough shape!"

I was dreading looking at my phone and seeing awful splits, so I put it off until I got to my car. I just took my half mile (ish) cool down walk of shame, and then did a little stretching.

I really should have looked at my phone.

Apparently I was running really fast (for me.) No wonder it felt rough.

Just look at those splits! My first mile was under 11 minutes! I'm still stunned I could run that fast at all, let alone for a whole mile. The second and third mile were well within (or above) my target tempo pace.

Framed with the data, that was a great run. Yeah the calf pain is worrying, but it subsided by this morning, and I still haven't managed to get my hands on bananas yet, so I have hope that the banana's will be my magic cure.

Today is a rest day, a very welcome one, before another long paced run saturday morning. I'm planning on running with the 13 min pace group this week, instead of the 12's, but it's a notoriously hilly course, so I know i'm going to be suffering.

Hills build character right?