I always have to remind myself of this idea for some reason, because no matter how experienced a runner is it is always annoying to not run how you expect to run. I have been training for a marathon recently and have set my goal at 3:30 which is 8 minute pace for 26.2 miles. Not a bad pace, and should be a good time for my first one. Many Saturdays are devoted to pace work, so I go out and run the designated distance at 8 minute pace, or close. One training day I set out on a 10 mile run and struggled to even hit 8:20 pace, which is what I finished the run in. I was annoyed, frustrated, and discouraged. How in the world am I going to run 26.2 miles at 8 minute pace if I can't even do it for 10 miles? I started to realize what most runners start to lose sight of as they become better and better, and work harder and harder. It is ok to have a bad training day.
It happens to the best of us. Sometimes our legs just don't want to move like you want them to. Sometimes they move better than you need them to. Never let a situation or experience like this bring you down as a runner. Lace up the shoes again and keep going. The next weekend I ran 8 miles at 6:40 pace so obviously something was going right. It is right to be annoyed and frustrated because it shows you care about your training. We all have bad days, and running is no exception. Your body is amazing the way it works. One day you can go out and work wonders on the pavement, the next may feel like all your training has been a waste. Stick with it, don't be discouraged and embrace those bad days because they are humbling.
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