Before the run I charted out a few potential courses on MapMyRun.com. There was our typical route up Mulholland via Rosario road. Or we could head downhill towards Dumetz and run along Wells. The latter would provide smoothly paved, mostly flat, wide suburban roads with little traffic. The former was hilly, very hilly, bumpy, unpaved, mountainous trails. After a few minutes of mental debate, the beauty and solitude of the former pulled us uphill.
We hit the first tempo mile at 8:24, exactly 1 min off my targeted pace. However, I was pushing 50 lbs and the first mile was nearly all uphill and quite sandy (it has been another dry year). So maybe 8:24 under the circumstances wasn't that far from 7:24?? I have read that when running with a jogging stroller you should add 1 min/mile to your pace. Anyone know if this is actually true? Today, it was clearly going to be all about perceived effort. Oh, and it was hot up there. The mercury floated over 90 degrees F and there was no wind of which to speak. Isaac and I trucked along, trying my very best to maintain or increase our pace. My effort was immense.
This was no easy tempo run. When I looked at my training plan that morning, 3.5 miles tempo-pace didn't sound all that hard. Less than 30 min of pain, I thought, that will fly by. To say my expectations were challenged would be an understatement. Then I realized that perhaps if you want to reach your goals, you should set yourself up for the best possibility to reach them. I was not the smartest in setting myself up today. I had waited until too late in the day. I should have gone earlier, but I wanted to wait until after preschool drop-off so that I could push just 1 child and not 3 for 3+ hard miles. By the time I got them off, Isaac was ready for his morning nap. This pushed us back another hour and a half, and by the time he woke and we were out the door it was nearly 11am. The heat had risen a good 15 degrees and it was scorching (don't worry, Isaac is fully covered under a sun shade, isn't exerting himself and stays as cool as possible in a thin little onesie). Perhaps tempo runs are best run solo. I should have just waited until tonight to complete my workout, after the kids were asleep and Alan was home to hold down the fort, I thought. I had considered this, but Alan and I already get so little time together during the week as it is so if I can run during the day, even if it is with all 3 kids, I try to squeeze it in. Plus, he often likes to run at night as that is his only opportunity.
Mid-workout is not the best time to make up excuses and now I was 13 minutes in, on an out-and-back course and I had to get back home. I so badly wanted to slow my pace, but that would only leave us out on the trail longer. I knew Isaac was likely getting hungry and hot, and I just wanted to be back home. Running fast was our best option. I stopped obsessively glancing at the elapsed time on my watch and just ran, fast, or as fast as I could today. Yes, this run was all about perceived effort, baby. I am sure I didn't reach the next 2.5 miles at 7:24 pace, but it sure as heck felt like it. I also decided today that I most likely won't race the Calabasas Classic 10K with a stroller. Stroller running is hard. It is supposed to be hard, and I like the challenge, but sometimes it also just feels good to run fast and hit those targeted times. Today, we got cooked.
Post-run. Cooked. Overdone.
All smiles. Handled the heat like a champ
and kept me going with his happy babbling.
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