Good run yesterday, bad run tomorrow

Sometimes I like to geek out over numbers during marathon training. I'm not overly concerned with my pace or time, I just find it interesting as a way to analyze my running. I couldn't help but compare two 8 milers, run on the same course two days apart. It seems like for every good run I have, there's a bad one to follow.

The first was run the day after my 16 miler, in the afternoon, after driving from Massachusetts to Maine. The second was run in the morning, after a day of rest. For the first run, I felt like I started out too fast, and the course seemed hot and hilly after running a flat bike path the day before. You'd think the second run would be better, after a rest day in the cooler morning. But here's what happened:

Run #1	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:16:19.0	8.0	9:33
1	9:29.9	1.00	9:30
2	9:39.3	1.00	9:40
3	9:08.2	1.00	9:08
4	9:39.2	1.00	9:39
5	10:26.7	1.00	10:27
6	9:32.1	1.00	9:32
7	9:13.0	1.00	9:13
8	9:10.2	1.00	9:10

Run #2	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:18:39.7	8.0	9:49
1	10:16.4	1.00	10:17
2	9:54.6	1.00	9:55
3	9:34.2	1.00	9:34
4	9:56.9	1.00	9:57
5	10:24.1	1.00	10:24
6	9:35.0	1.00	9:35
7	9:33.9	1.00	9:34
8	9:24.6	1.00	9:25

The first two miles are up a gradual hill. Even though I started out too fast on Run #1, I was able to keep up a pretty good pace. On the second run I purposely started out slowly so I wouldn't burn out on the hills the first two miles, but I never seemed to be able to pick up the pace very much. Mile 3 is down a big hill, then flat/ rolling hills. Even though I had used a lot of energy to power up the hills in Run #1, I still ran mile 3 in 9:08 versus 9:34 in Run #2 (after taking the hills much more slowly).

At mile 5, there's a steep hill which slowed me down a similar amount on both runs. Miles 6-8 are mostly flat, and the last quarter mile of the course is downhill. My goal for both runs was to pick up the pace on those last 3 miles to finish strong. On each run, I was able to run progressively faster, but I was able to hit better paces on the first run.

Marathon training is somewhat unpredictable. I thought going into it that Run #2 would be better, but it just didn't happen. My legs felt heavy and I felt slow. I wanted to push myself, but felt like I was going as fast as I could. 

I've learned that some runs will be good and some will be a struggle. Some will be enjoyable and some will be a mental battle. Sometimes it's fun to compare runs to see how you've improved, but no two runs are ever the same. You can't predict the humidity or know how your legs will be feeling. You can't always run at the optimal time of day.

You have to take each run on its own, and do your best on that run. I believe that the hardest runs prepare you the most for a marathon. Finishing strong means more when you're tired. The will to keep going means more when you feel weak. You learn more about yourself on the hard days than the good ones.