well, i decided very early on that today's run would be a dress rehersal 42.2k run. i treated it like it was a race.. i went at the fastest pace that i felt i could sustain for 42.2k and my estimate turned out to be bang on. this was my first 42k run in 9 weeks and my health and fitness levels appear to have declined since then, but i decided to go at a slightly faster pace, given my restful week.
the run went very well. i slowed down a bit in the 3rd quarter but felt re-energized after 2 bottles of boost at the 29k mark, and i actually ran the 4th quarter as strong as the first two! i finished up at 4.19.08, with quarter split times of 62, 64, 69, and 64 minutes. this was 14 minutes faster than my run 9 weeks ago, a run i did when i was 6 pounds lighter.
most importantly, i felt great all the way thru and continued to feel great into my afternoon recovery. i have no doubt in my mind that i could go out there again in 48 hours and run another one at the same time.. (which is exactly what i will be doing next month in official races!)
adjusting to life after testosterone has certainly been challenging, as i have lost energy and gained weight. but after a series of med dosage changes, and the surgery, things have finally stabled off and i can start to get a sense of normalcy, which will allow me to start benchmarking and setting goals.. i have no doubt that i will lose off the weight this spring that i gained over the fall and winter; and no doubt that i will be running at a level that could be considered female equivalent to where i was last summer. the ultimate benchmark is the BQ time, and it is going to be a goal of mine to run at least one marathon this year in 3.45.59 or better.
after what has been a steady decline in fitness for 6 months due to surgery and hormone treatments, things appear to be finally looking up!
Jennifer
No comments:
Post a Comment