How am I going to get any runs in with so many days of thunderstorms? Ughhhhhhhh
Monday
Planned: 2mi + bootcamp
Did: 2mi @ 9:54/mi avg, Big 5, bootcamp
Without having an accountability partner at bootcamp, I would totally have bailed today. I'm finding myself less and less interested in being gone from the house in the mornings, and more inclined to just get up and do my own thing at the house for strength training so that I can eliminate the 30min of driving and be home to wake the kiddo and have breakfast with my family.
 |
| skipped the fence runs since we'd already run 2 before class loved all the oblique challenges today |
 |
| skipped the run on this too |
I do really love the class, the instructor, and the workouts, but I really do think it's becoming like chorus was for me: one more thing to have to accommodate in my schedule, even though I love it when I'm there.
Tuesday
Planned: 1mi WU, 4mi tempo (8:30-8:50), 1mi+ CD, maybe some track meet stuff
Did: ^yep, 6.38mi @ 9:06/mi avg, Big 5
I want to train, but I hate the pressure of training. lol. I opted for what I dubbed a "half-assed tempo" workout. My actual tempo pace is more like an 8min/mi. I wasn't willing to commit to that, but also wanted more than our usual lazy 10KT pace. Took an easy first mile and then ran: 8:41, 8:37, 8:42, 8:51.
Sidenote: doing a hard workout on a day where you can't eat from bedtime the day before until 9:30am due to a health screening is a BAD idea. OMG, I was so hangry all morning. But, good news is that all my numbers have improved from last year. Hooray, diet changes.
Wednesday
Planned: bootcamp
Did: 3.11mi @ 9:22/mi avg on the treadmill
Slept in after a late night at the track meet, but got a 5K in on the 'mill between work and daycare pick-up. Nothing exciting here.
Thursday
Planned: some sort of speedwork evaluation... indicator?
Did: WU, Indicator (13:38), CD = 4.78mi @ 8:42/mi avg, Big 3 (only did some of the stretches)
I was really excited by the idea of doing an indicator, until I realized that meant I would have to actually do one. I love the idea of being in-training again, but am struggling with the mental side of that. If I'm in-training, that means I actually have to exert effort, to try, etc. I haven't done that with running on any sort of regular basis since last year's failed mile training cycle. It's a weird shift to have to make again.
The warm-up to the track involves a steeeeeeeep climb. During marathon training, it was no big deal. I even remember doing hill repeats up it at one point. Now, it's a struggle just to get up it, evident by the 10:43/mi pace.
I chose to do the standard ATC 3K Indicator run to get a good idea of where I'm at fitness-wise for any interval goals. You could argue I don't need a 3K time to tell me that, but I like math, and numbers help me feel better connected to my training.
A 3K is 7.5 laps on a standard track. I joked with my training partners that today's workout was 7.5 laps of misery (they had repeats or ladders), but it wasn't all that bad. During the first lap, though, I realized I had NO idea how to run an indicator. I didn't want to go out too fast and die after a mile, but I also didn't want to take it too easy. I half-remembered my old time as being around 14min, so I set a tentative goal to hit that... but didn't want to try to hit splits, because that would artificially alter my time.
Instead, I just ran by feel, making sure to tap my watch each lap, but intentionally NOT looking at it. Here's how things shook out:
 |
| isn't that just the prettiest little progression run you ever did see? |
 |
| solid negative splits- could not have planned that better if I'd planned it |
The first 2-3 laps sucked. I hated how out of shape I felt. I wanted to stop. But I also wanted to keep going. A mile in, I congratulated myself on doing a "fast" mile and still feeling like I was fine, like I could have talked to someone if they'd been next to me... which meant I was too slow? I focused on my arms. I focused on my form. I played mind games with myself. And then I had two laps... one lap... a half lap to go.
It felt good to be done. It felt good to have pushed myself. It felt GOOD to be on the track again.
... and, hey, this was my fastest indicator to date: 13:38 (though, to be fair, all of the others I've done were during or just after pregnancy).
 |
| new goal times |
Based on the 5K time, I'm a bit slower than I was a year ago, but not too much. These will be good splits to hit moving forward.
Friday
Planned: easy 5.6mi to/from work volunteering thing... or 2mi+bootcamp if weather is crummy or maybe just a rest day
Did: 2.08mi @ 9:54/mi avg, Big 5, bootcamp
Slow and steady progression two mile, followed by a bootcamp workout that felt like it was designed just for me-- SO much oblique work!
Saturday
Planned: 12mi with stroller
Did: 9.02mi @ 9:41/mi avg, immediately followed by 3.01mi on treadmill @ 9:21/mi avg, Big 5
Friday morning, there was 65%+ chance of rain or thunderstorms all evening/Saturday morning until around 3pm. I obviously couldn't run in thunderstorms, but even rain would limit my stroller miles (the max I'd do with rain would probably only be 5-6, and I'd need a guarantee of no t-storms to take my little one out). So, the girls and I opted for an early run (sans stroller) instead, which was forecast to be "only" pouring rain.
...then we woke up.
 |
| No rain. Win. |
I'm so grateful for my teammates. They got up at 3:XXam to run with me. We definitely did the whole "workout before you're awake and your body knows what's happening" thing today, though. Not much conversation, just a lot of getting through the miles, sharing random thoughts that popped into our heads. I had to be back at the house by 6am to takeover parenting duties while J when to coach, so I was grateful (again) to have a treadmill available. I literally ran right into the house, down the stairs, and hopped on the treadmill with less than a minute of "downtime" after finishing the outdoor 9. A baby monitor, water bottle, ipad, and fans helped me get through the last three miles of the 12 I'd planned for.
 |
| ...and it looks like we didn't even need to change things. Starting at 7am with the stroller would have worked after all. |
Sunday
Planned: easy 4mi with stroller or rest
Did: 4.67mi @ 9:47/mi avg with stroller, Big 5
Had a lot of foot issues the last half of Saturday and some this morning. I've decided that it's certainly a muscle thing and that I shouldn't use a lacrosse ball on my foot, because I always have problems after doing that with this injury. Bleh.
Did an easy mile solo before the girls arrived, just to have some one-on-one with my little one, and then enjoyed another 3.5ish with the gang.
Total Weekly Mileage: 35.08
Week-Ending Thoughts:
I'm sick of waiting for this phantom project to start and putting everything on hold. It's been a "no go" for the past three months, so I've decided to say "f-- it" and am starting the Miler Method plan again next week. I'll either get a fast mile time in six weeks, or I'll finally be working on said project. Both outcomes are acceptable, and by starting the mile plan I've put myself in a win-win situation instead of being angry/mopey/irritated waiting for the project to start.
Also, it didn't rain on ANY of my runs this week. WTF, weather people...
No comments:
Post a Comment