Learning From Failure
I had 3 out of 63 runs in this training cycle that failed to meet my expectations and on hindsight, I’m pleased to have had them because the lessons learnt are priceless.
There was this failed attempt to go for a long jog in the evening after spending a tiring morning at Sentosa’s MegaZip. The other 2 failed attempts was because of my choice at an overzealous pace at a recent 10km and 12km run. These 2 fast paced runs were the most enlightening because it emulated race conditions.
Looking at the data from the 2 runs, I know that I will fail to keep the pace when my heart starts to beat above 175-177 which is about 91-92% of my MHR (Maximum Heart Rate). After I hit that threshold, I will only be able to keep the same pace for about 2-3km before my body and mind tells me to give up.
I did the 12km run in 1:05:53 and it sounds like a respectable timing at a pace of 5:29/km but it was an extremely crappy run. The initial 7.6km was ran at a pretty constant pace of 5:08/km and I couldn’t keep it up after that. The rest of the run was at paces ranging from 5:41/km to 6:27/km. It felt so bad that I really wanted to just give up.
So for races beyond 3km, I know that I need to keep a watch on my heart rate (pun not intended) and adjust my speed accordingly to leave enough fuel to finish the run at a constant pace and a strong finish.
The other lesson learnt is to know my strength and not push it too much. 
Oh well, I train like a robot for most of my training. A little fun and challenge now and then should be fine.
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