Sizzler 5K: Week 1/4

 Week-beginning Thoughts:
I've been kinda thinking about signing for for a 5K for awhile, just to have something to train towards and see where I'm at. I was hoping for a smaller charity 5K, but also wanted it to be on Labor Day weekend, since that's the only weekend I know I'm free for the foreseeable future. Atlanta has a pretty popular 5K/10K on Labor Day, but I was hoping to not pay $50+ for a 5K. Unfortunately, the other courses I found on Labor Day were either geographically inconvenient, hilly, or not USATF certified. If I'm going to pay money for a race, I want to at least have the potential to use it for my Peachtree qual time next year.

So, I bit the bullet this week and paid over $50 for a 5K, telling myself the money is going to a good cause and recording that contribution on our family's "donations" wall, even though you could argue this isn't a completely altruistic and selfless donation of funds. 

I spent part of my weekend half-assing a training plan for the next four weeks. I was surprised at how "low" my weekly mileage remained when I thought I was putting in a good bit of work. It's hard to get 30mpw for me these days, and that makes my eternity of 40-50 seem absolutely incredible when I look back on it. There's a lot of things I look back on now and think, "Man, I was a rock star". 

The plan I wrote gives me 5 days a week of running, stays around 30mpw, and incorporates LIIFT4 strength training. Tuesdays are 10KTuesday (obviously), but always have some other work component so I'm not just out there putting some easy 9:40 miles in. Thursdays are track days, with a variety of intervals that I pulled from random training plans, which may or may not be the right duration/quantity/effort for a 5K. Saturdays remain long runs of 8-13mi. Sundays are stroller runs, sometimes with a bit of tempo. And then I'm trying to add at least one short/easy run day between MWF.

I literally have no idea what I might be capable of these days in terms of a goal. I think that if I can sub-25 the 5K, I'll be thrilled. 

Monday
Scheduled: LIIFT 50/50

Did: LIIFT 50/50
I meant to get up and do this before school/work, but it didn't happen. I am super proud, though, that I got home and committed to doing this myself before dinner.

Tuesday

Scheduled: 2x2mi "solid" (8:45-9:15/mi) with 1/2mi recovery between during 10KT

Did: as scheduled (9:14/8:29, 9:00/8:42) = 6.33mi @ 9:14/mi avg

This guy felt SO GOOD. I was expecting to have to work to keep myself under 9:15, but something clicked and I was quite happy and not working too hard to hit the paces I did. In fact, I had to slow myself a little on the back half to not get down to that 8:30 I did in mile 2. All in all, a great first workout "back". 

Wednesday

Scheduled:  LIIFT4 Circuit, easy 5K

Did: PT, 3.14mi @ 9:23/mi avg, LIIFT4 shoulder lifting

Schedule miscommunication with my partner --> didn't run before dropoff. Instead, hit up PT where we focused on my wrist (from the fall/sprain in '22) instead of my foot because my foot is IMPROVING A LOT. After that, the weather was cool enough, so I opted for a short run around the suburb. I struggled to get myself pumped enough to do a whole LIIFT workout afterwards, so just did the lifting instead. 

Thursday

Scheduled: 15min WU, ladder down 5/4/3/2/1 min with 1min recovery around the track @ 90% effort, CD to 5-6mi 
Did: yaaaaaaas, as scheduled 5.46mi @ 8:34/mi avg

This workout felt SO FLIPPING GOOD. I didn't have anything in mind for my ladder pace, just wanted to keep it hard. The one minute recoveries were tough and a different vibe for me, but I'm so proud of this execution. 

Friday

Scheduled: LIIFT shoulders
Did: LIIFT4 Legs

Felt a scratchy throat in the morning, like I'd had popcorn stuck in my throat. A few coughs, and the fact that a friend (who I haven't seen in a month) let me know her kid came down with COVID, and I was right back to my anxiety-filled PTSD-ish feelings of 2022. 

Saturday

Scheduled: 8-10mi
Did: 2mi walk

Didn't have much hope for this happening as planned. I had chorus rehearsal until 10pm Friday, chorus rehearsal at 9am today, and was going to be at a kids sports thing after. All the tiredness. I texted my TP Friday night to let her know I was going to move the long run to Sunday, but did get a 2mi walk in over chorus rehearsal's lunch. 

Sunday

Scheduled: WU, 15-20min tempo, CD
Did: 10.08mi @ 9:38/mi avg

Within the first mile, I felt normal. Grateful for my health. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 25.0

Week-ending Thoughts:
Not a bad week. Low mileage, but solid runs for the ones I did.