Run: Day 48

Well, if I was really training for that race on Sunday, this would probably have been my last day of "training", in order to rest up before the big day, to aid performance -- maybe just a mild workout or something, between.

Considering Thursday-Saturday will be pretty intense work-wise, might work out that way (read: no exercise) anyway.

So... I read this thing that said, in order to better your marathoning strength/speed, you should train like so:

-Divide the distance into 3 parts
-Run the 1st third slowly
-Speed up in the 2nd third
-Run fastest in the 3rd third

That goes totally contrary to my natural behavior, which, if left to its own devices, goes something like: Wow, I'm so energetic starting out and can speed around on the 1st third!!; What's that sight and sound distracting me and, hence, totally ruining my form/speed, all throughout the 2nd and most of the 3rd third -- and ugh, have you noticed how difficult and tedious this is?; Oh! look! nearly there! let's see if I can sprint that final distance -- ew, death: I can't do that very well.

Well, I decided to try that bit of "wisdom", read. Today.

Performance:
-Ran the Danshui-to-Zhuwei distance in 4 minutes less than the last (and only) time I'd run it (read: About 5k in 25 minutes), woohoo!
-I did feel surprisingly okay, speeding up gradually in that way, which I wasn't expecting; maybe it was a fluke; maybe I was more limber because I played soccer last night, but, at least for today's run, it worked
-I suspect the speed difference between the 2nd and 3rd thirds wasn't hugely noticeable, except for when I knew I was nearly at the end
-I had to put a lot of effort into making and keep reminding myself to make the 1st third the slowest third -- difficult to control the energy like that, but apparently, that's my problem with my adrenaline usage in general: 0 control, hence insomnia and Type A-ness; er... according to Mister Aaron, that is :D
-I also made a great effort to tune into my breathing and overall speed, so much so that I was barely aware of the people I was passing; something about not knowing where I was at, at any given point (and my happy brain being unable to calculate, by location/sight, how much torture I still had to undergo), except for marking the 10 minutes for the thirds), psychologically/mentally helped the run, too, I suspect

If I was running on Sunday, I'd be pretty confident, given today's performance and my current fitness level -- barring sickness, since colds are going around (pray for me to stay healthy, pleeease), and counting on sufficient sleep between now and then -- that I could run my 5k part in 25 minutes.

That might not be astounding to you, but the thought of it makes ME pretty happy.

Oh well, done with that -- now one must create new and future goals and endeavors.

Yuck.

:D