The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The second 10-20-30 workout in the 30 Minute Runner project is in books, and so far so good.

As  I mentioned in my prior post, I decided to run the 10-20-30 on a weekend day (Sunday) so that I could run on a dirt trail. I wanted to avoid running two speed workouts on the concrete streets of downtown Seattle on my lunch break.  I also wanted to protect my knee by running on a softer surface.

So this workout took place on the dirt trail that goes around the famous Seattle running landmark of Green Lake.

Green Lake – The site of the second 10-20-30 workout

Compared with my first 10-20-30, I felt like this workout went much quicker and was actually easier than the first time – which actually concerned me. Let me explain.

Did I Run Too Easy?

My worry is that I did not push myself hard enough during the 20 second and 10 second interval sections.  Remember, the key to the 10-20-30 workout is that the 30 seconds be an easy jog at 30% effort, the 20 seconds be at a runner’s “normal” training pace (60% effort), and that the 10 seconds be an all-out sprint at 100% effort.

I noticed that, in a few sections of the workout, I didn’t increase the pace that much from the 30 second interval to the 20 second interval.  In other words, I basically ran a long rest jog of 50 seconds before the 10 second sprint.

I think that making sure that the 20 second sections are run at an honest 60% effort is critical for increasing the difficulty and effectiveness of the workout.

Additionally, a strong 20 second middle section will improve the most important part of the workout – the 10 second sprints.  If you are already running at a good pace during the 20 interval, it will allow you to get up to top speed quicker during the 10 second intervals.

Due to the fact that the 10-20-30 is a workout that is run by “feel,” it is very important to be honest with yourself if you feel that the pace might have been too easy.

In other words,  it is much easier to know if a track workout is too slow – e.g.  you know you are too slow if you are run an 800 meter repeat in 3:00  when you are supposed to run 2:45′s.

A runner’s performance in a 10-20-30 workout is not as cut and dry, so it’s important that you analyze your performance with a critical eye.

Can Rain Be An Excuse?

As I alluded to in the quote from Longfellow above, this workout was run in the rain – lots of rain.  This caused a number of large puddles to form on the dirt trail that I had been so happy to run on.

Therefore, I was dodging left and right around puddles for a majority of the workout partly because I didn’t want my shoes to get soaked, and partly because I was worried about twisting my ankle if the puddle was deeper than it looked.

Could the rain and puddles have distracted me from concentrating on running solid paces during the 20 second and 10 second repeats?

Perhaps.

Although it’s sort of pathetic to blame the rain for a poor workout, but it’s a reminder that I need to be mentally tougher in the future.

Nevertheless, the first two 10-20-30 workouts are in the books and I’m still totally on board with the 30 Minute Runner plan and excited about the next workout in a few days.  Until then, I plan on some easy 30 minute runs.

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