Small Successes
May 30, 2009
This morning was another good workout on the track. My slowest 400 was faster than my goal pace, and my fastest 400 was the fastest I’ve done in the last two weeks. My times:
1. 1:17 (400m)
2. 1:16 (400m)
3. 1:16 (400m)
4. 1:15 (400m)
5. 1:15 (400m)
6. 1:13 (400m)
7. 2:44 (800m)
I’m quite pleased. In the middle of the first 400, I thought I was going at a slow pace, and I felt a little tired; coming through in 1:17 was a surprise. Then, I just kept getting faster and faster, each time thinking in the middle of the piece that I was getting slower. I felt pretty good during the rest laps, but I still kept them at a slower-than-walking pace; I’m sure I look pretty funny bumbling along like a 90-year-old man trying to jog.
Going into the 800, I was excited because I was pretty sure I could do a 2:44. Coming through 200m, I was at 39s and needed to do a 41s. I came through 400m in 1:19. I was surprised how much I slowed down during the second lap, though. I didn’t realize that I slowed down that much, and I actually thought that I could possibly hit 2:40. This is no big deal, though; I hit my pace and I’m quite satisfied. This was at a 5:28 mile pace, now “only” 16 seconds slower than my goal pace.
It took me 52 minutes to do the whole workout, so longer than last time and thus a little more rest on the rest laps. But not bad, especially since I felt much better on these rest laps than last week’s.
It’s very good to have rowing and ballroom dancing to balance the real estate. Right now real estate is tough, so it helps to have small victories or progress in the other two to keep my spirits up. Sometimes it’s the other way, and I’m making progress in real estate and ballroom, but the rowing is not great. Something I tell myself often when things are tough (quote from Rocky Balboa):
“It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep movin’ forward. How much you can take, and KEEP MOVING FORWARD. If you know what you’re worth, go out and get what you’re worth, but you gotta be willin’ to take the hit.”
