So I've been training since the winter towards running a quick 800 this spring. I ran a big indoor PR this winter and things looked on the up and up for outdoor. I got sick and couldn't manage a workout for 2 weeks during late march.
My fitness certainly dropped but based on recent workouts I've felt I could still crush a good 800. Well I was wrong.
I found that at just over 400 meters into the race my muscles would begin to lock up. I was struggling to just maintain pace let alone surge or push it in. Yet after crossing the line I would be recovered and feeling alright after a few minutes when in the past after a hard race I would be floored for 10-15 minutes by intense lactic burn.
Its a strange feeling because my muscle can't respond and i feel flat so early into my race yet I get done and its like I hadn't raced at all.
I'm wondering if this could be due to a drop in fitness which I never truly addressed after bouncing back from my illness? I simply went right back into speed training and race pace intervals with low mileage. Is it possible my aerobic power is in the crapper and this is why I can't drive and power thru the final 300 meters?