I sometimes have a really hard time deciding on what to commit too in terms of training and races. Do I want to train for a half marathon or a 5K, get back into triathlons, and lately the crossfit surge. I sometimes think I can just do it all when I know that isn't possible. In the past few weeks, I've decided that sure, I can add crossfit into my running routine to make me stronger and faster. Doing so though makes me sore and tired and trying to run harder and do intervals on tired and sore legs or just a tired a sore body is rough.
It comes down to what is my ultimate goal, or really can I focus on just one goal for now and change it up after completing that goal. For a long time now (at least 4 years) I have had a goal to break 22 min in a 5K. My PR is 22:08 which I ran in 2005. I did run 22:30ish in 2009 which is a bit more recent at least.
After T when I started running again, I was doing great and had a goal of 1:45 for the half marathon I was going to run in December before I got injured. That would have been a PR by about 3 minutes, but I definitely knew I could do it. I had done a 12.1 mile run in 1:39. After that injury and all the time I took off trying to get better I debated signing up for another half with a friend. In the end, she chose not to sign up and then I didn't either, and stuck with the original goal of going after this 5K time.
Crossfit is definitely a crazy monster. It is definitely tough. But I think what it does tell me is how weak I am truly I am pretty fit and I have some strong quads, but I know I am not as strong as I could be or maybe as I want to be. Coach EZ has told me that really I can't do it all, and he is right. I can do crossfit and at the same time be capable of running intervals and tempo runs on a weekly basis.
I've decided to scale down the crossfit and ramp up the running-as in doing more intervals and speed work and hill repeats. EZ tells me that that is how to become faster. I'm aiming for a 5k on April 14th. I think 22:00 is going down.