Workouts this week: Aug. 13-19

Monday: Easy miles
Took to the trails and slowed it way down to 10 minute miles. When I don't look at my watch, I feel strong. And then I look at my watch and see how slow I'm going. Oh well. Not everything is a race.

Tuesday: Off
After last week's bad speed workout, I wanted to see if the problem was running on tired legs. So I'm taking the day before speed work off.

Wednesday speedwork

Mile, 4x400, 4x200, + mile cool down

This week felt so much better than last week. It wasn't a struggle. That said, my mile wasn't my speediest. Ran it too easy (Still working on pacing. That's what practice is for). Happy with my 400s and 200s are just fun. Wish I could have my 200 speed for longer. 6:51, 1:32, 1:30, 1:30, 1:28, 40, 40, 40, 39

PM: Doctor
I went to my asthma doctor to get a new prescription for my exercise induced asthma. I have asthma, have always had it. It reached it's worst in high school on the track. And I know the doctor would prescribe me Qvar, which I haven't been taking because I've been fine until the last few weeks. I got a new prescription for Qvar, which I'm supposed to take morning and night daily. We'll see if that helps.

Thursday: 6 miles
Another slow, easy trail run.

Friday: Off

Saturday: 5k fail
I ran a 5k for my speedwork. I hadn't planned on it being a goal race, but it went worse than I anticipated. I figured I could run under 23 without too much effort.

Mile 1: 7:29. I spent the first half mile trying to get my music to turn on. I had it preset before the race, But when I hit play, it wouldn't play. I wasted time here.
Mile 2: 7:36. I guess I slowed down.
Mile 3: I wanted to walk. I wanted to barf. I felt awful. 8:13
I slowed way down and finished in 23:23 for third place woman. It's about a minute slower than I thought I'd do. But everyone was struggling with the humidity. I have no mental toughness.

I felt fine a minute or two after the race.

Tuna salad from the Last Resort. 

Sunday: 13 miler
I'm almost used to the hills on the Rogue route.

My watch stopped.

Miles this week: 34

Workouts this week: Aug. 6-12

Aug. 6 OFF

Aug. 7
5 miles at the indoor track

Aug. 8
Morning speed workout
I knew during the first rep that this workout was going to be garbage. (I didn't want it to be, but it didn't feel good after the first 800. I had to work way too hard for a slow time.)
800s: 3:26, 3:21,
400s:1:36, 1:34, 1:35, 1:35, 1:35, 1:34,
200s: 43, 44, 40, 38 (The only time I got close to mile pace. I have no endurance.)

Aug. 9
More indoor track. My first decent run in forever. At 9 minute miles, I feel like I can run forever.
I did lose track of my laps at the track. My watch said 6.3 miles. I think it was just 6. But it was an enjoyable run. 55 minutes.

Indoor track overlooks the pool

Aug. 10
OFF. I did some core yoga in the evening.

Aug. 11: Long run struggle
Another awful long run. It was 100% humidity. I just decided to tough it out. I think I had to walk a few steps in the third mile. It was supposed to be a 12 mile run. I stopped every 3 miles for water, and took some caffeine a few times. After about 6 miles, I kept having to stop and catch my breath. Like every half mile. At mile 9, I stopped to wring out my socks. I wore thin Feetures socks but they still got really damp from sweat. Then my watch stopped. The second part of my run was worse. At one point I was stopping to walk a few steps every quarter mile. In mile 10 or 11 I really almost started crying. I was hungry and tired. I was melting. I decided to run walk to finish my run, no matter how slow.

This is the worst run I've had since Fort Yargo. I can't really explain why it was so bad. Accumulated fatigue? Humidity? Was it mental? My legs were really, really sore the rest of the day.

20 minutes recovery yoga, plus lots of rolling

Aug. 12
I knew I shouldn't run today. My achilles were sore. My legs were dead yesterday. But I just plain don't have time to do a speed workout on Monday (the first day of classes). So I headed to the track just to see. (And make my 30 miles a week goal).

I ran a warmup mile. My legs were fine. My shoulder felt funny so I stretched it some. On my striders, I had ZERO speed.

My workout for the day was either 5 800s or 10 400s. I haven't done any 800s in awhile, so I thought I'd try 800s.

Rep 1: 3:23. Super slow and it was REALLY, REALLY HARD.
Rep 2 3:27. It wasn't my legs. It was my breathing. I felt like I couldn't.
Rep 3: I ran 400 meters and quit. I could not breathe. And 1 more 400. 1:45 and 1:51. And this was so hard.

I did a mile cool down and didn't even bother about the other 800s. I couldn't.

I used to love track workouts. But I've been slower and slower lately. And I kind of hate them lately. Can I have a good speed workout?

(Actually this workout helped me figure it out. I cannot breathe. I have asthma. It's never bothered me in running for the last few years. But it's asthma. I'm wheezing. Time to get some new medication) 

Miles this week: 32
5 runs
3 yoga sessions

Wednesday's lunch. Chicken, kale, bean salad, gazpacho. 

Workouts this week July 30-Aug. 5

This was a week of bad workouts. I'm just tired. Life stress and running and being busy. It wasn't my best. But I tried?

Monday: OFF
Monday is my usual day off. I was tired. I don't think I even did any yoga.

Tuesday
I was still feeling tired. In my bones. So I took another day off. I decided it would be my scale back week.

Wednesday
It looked like it would storm for morning track so I slept in. So of course it didn't rain. I attempted to do the workout after work. It didn't go well.

The workout was a mile at race pace. I couldn't do a mile.

My legs felt really stiff in my warmup mile. (I thought they'd feel fresh after two days off.) I was supposed to start with the mile, but it felt bad so I made it an 800. (3:07, 3:12). Then I tried the mile again, and it felt bad so I stopped after 1200 meters (5:10, 6:53 pace). Then I did 5 400s and 2 200s and mile cool down. 1:38, 1:35, 1:30, 1:27, 1:32, 41, 45

 I don’t know why this went so badly.Was it mental? My legs were stiff. Eating bad?

Pre speed work lunch. Healthy.

Thursday
6 miles at the indoor track. (No thanks to heat and humidity).

Friday
I usually take Friday off. I had extra energy from taking a day off running so I went on a bike ride.

Lunch Friday. Salad. Vegan cheese pizza. 

Saturday: Speed work
I did some speed work at the track this morning. The workout plan said 1 mile pace and then 5 800s. I did a 1.5 mile warmup and cool down.
Mile: 6:30. Strava said 6:20 so it gave me a Strava record. That was hard. But about what I wanted to do.
And then I did 4 800s, not 5. I was struggling.
• 3:16
• 3:22
• 3:24
• 3:21
Not quite my mile pace, but faster than my 5k pace.

Sweat Angel. Da Vinci style. 

20 minutes recovery yoga that evening.


Sunday: Long run
After a few weeks of NOT running 11 miles as my long run, I decided I had to do 11 miles today. I'm not sure I picked the right day. I decided to do the group 10 mile run every other week. And this week was the week. So I did 1 mile before the usual 10 mile run. And then most of the group took off at 8:11 pace or faster than my long run pace. I think I walked a few steps twice in the fourth mile. I wore my hydration pack and didn't want to rest at water stops, but I did. I needed the time in the AC to recover. The dew point was 74. It was 74 with 100% humidity, completely soupy and miserable. I was dying. Especially up hills. It was such a struggle. I couldn't breathe. I felt super out of shape. (And decided I'm definitely not doing AthHalf. I don't like the hills. And I don't like the distance.)

The usual 10-mile group only did 6 miles today. Only 4 of us did the 10 mile route. And after the first water stop, they took off on the 6-mile route and I slowed way down to the 9 minute miles I should be running. And then Mike mercifully decided to run with me, since I don't know the route. He took some detours to make the course flatter since I am just not used to the route's hills. I walked a few more times. (And Mike had raced the day before, so I'm thinking he needed an easy day). Mike tried to play cheerleader, which I appreciated. And I don't think I walked any that last mile.

(Looking back I wasn't actually that slow, miles 9 and 10 were slow, but nothing too worry about. They sure felt bad.)

Big ol owl. Overseen on my run.

This run was rough. And I wasn't as wiped as my last Rogue run, But was super dehydrated. I brought my hydration pack. Which was a good idea. I ended up drinking 20 ounces during the run. And afterwards got a lot of water and even drank half a bottle of gatorade. I ended up getting a coconut water smoothie from Smoothie King. I was still thirsty all day.

I stretched. I foam rolled. I did 30 minutes of yoga. I have no attention span. After 15 minutes I was so done with yoga.

Week in review:
4 runs, 28 miles
2 yoga sessions
1 bike ride

I took an extra day off and I'm not sure it helped with my fatigue.

Exhaustion

Today I was so exhausted. I struggled through work. I came home and took a nap. And still was so tired. It was my day off running. But still at 8 p.m. I was ready for bed.

I've had this bone tired feeling for weeks now. I think it's all the 5 a.m. wake-ups catching up with me. I try to go to bed early, but I'm super sensitive to even 10 minutes of lost sleep. I've been walking around with like a zombie. And I'm still not used to the 5 a.m. alarms. 

My legs aren't particularly tired. My quads are a little sore. And my achilles are sore first thing in the morning, but loosen up with walking around. It's nothing I'm worried about.This is fine for me. My legs are feeling fine. It's just a general feeling of fatigue, almost like I'm about to get sick.

But when I look at the numbers this is why I'm tired:

• I've been training hard with no cutback week for 9 weeks. 

• The week before my May 28 half marathon was my last light week (taper before the half) 

• The week of June 11 (7 weeks ago), I switched from running 4 days a week to 5 days a week. 

• The last time I took two consecutive days off running was June 4-5. 

• I ran more than 120 miles in July. It was the first time I got the Strava badge for 200 km in a month. 

• I've run around 30 miles for the last 6 weeks. (When 25 is closer to my normal). This is a lot of miles for me. And the point where I start to hurt and break down.

So I'm going to give myself a break. Two days off running. I'll lower my miles a little this week. And hope I start to recover. I've been working really hard and one run (or one week) doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. 

Let's see if I can feel less exhausted. Off days are important. 

Workouts this week: June 11-17

June 11: Monday, off

June 12: Easy 5 miles

June 13: Speed work

After more than a year, I FINALLY MADE IT TO THE 5:30 A.M. TRACK WORKOUT.

I'm the one with the giant frizzy hair.

Thursday: 5 mile bike ride

Friday long run

I took Friday off work, so I decided to use the extra time to get my long run in. I did 4 hill repeats in the middle. 

Lunch from the Grit.

5 mile bike ride

Saturday: Bot gardens + core

I need to get better at running hills so I ran at the botanical garden. Ugh. (I think I did have to walk twice.) It was hot. But I'll run more hills and get better. 

Evening: 20 minutes of core

Sunday: Speed work plus yoga

After months of 10k speed, I want to work on shorter distances. My goal was to work on my mile or 5k this summer. 

There's a mile race in September. It's 12 weeks out, so I decided to do a time trial.

This training plan said that if I could run 1,000 meters at my goal pace, I could do a mile in 6 weeks.

So I went to the track. 

• Mile warmup. (And my legs felt lighter than they had in a while.) I did some strides and drills.

• 1,000 meters. I stopped my watch at 3:50, which I think is 5 seconds too slow. But my watch had 6 minute pace the whole time. But I felt good.

• Then I did a 400 and 200 meter just for fun. (1:28 and 41 seconds)

• 1 mile cool down

Overall, super happy with this workout. Think a 6 minute mile might be possible for me. It was good to feel fast. 

Evening: 40 minutes of yoga.

Workouts this week: 3 yoga, 5 runs, 2 bike rides

Miles this week: 27 

Race Recap: The Big Run 5k

Matt and I at the starting line. 

For Global Running  Day, one of the local running stores partnered with Brooks do a huge event. Last year, it was a group run. This year, it was a free 5k and 350 people preregistered and a few more people showed up day-of.

I was floored by the interest in the event. So many people pre-registered and coming to the event. On a Wednesday evening. It was awesome. Brooks was there. As was Nuun. And there were popsicles after the race (yay!) already paid for. (Thanks Fleet Feet and Brooks).

My running group, also had a potluck afterwards.

The race
Originally, I had wanted this race to be a rust buster. I wanted to see where I was at in terms of 5k speed. I haven't raced a 5k since November. (I was hoping for under 23 since I am not in 5k shape.)

And then the temperature was 90 degrees for this race. I adjust my expectations and thought that I could do a 10k speed workout and that would be good. But if that didn't happen, so be it.

I'd also been at work since 7:30 a.m. at a conference. I'd eaten badly and was generally tired from being around people (introvert problems).

Most of the runners I knew were going to take it easy. But I thought I could at least do a tempo and see what happened. (I thought 7:30 pace was doable).

And at 6:30 p.m. in 90 degree heat the race started.

Mile 1: 7:25. I was feeling fine.
The course was a little more hilly than I would have liked. A girl I know is slower than me passed me in the first mile. I just laughed silently.

Mile 2: 7:31.
I was feeling okay. I kept a consistent pace and stayed behind Kristen (who I finished behind at Marigold.) I think I passed slower girl in the first mile. I was maintaining.

Mile 3 7:30
By mile 3 I was getting hot. The course had a turn around, so I could see who was in front of me. I counted two women in front of me. So I was third place woman. After that turn around, that gave me some motivation. (I wasn't losing third and I was keeping the second place woman in sight. She finished near me at Marigold as well.) I was counting my steps to the finish. At about 2.8 I was really ready to be done, but knew by legs could do a speed 7:30 or 7:00 minute mile as long as I kept my foot turnover quick. So I slugged on.

.1 And then I got to the end of the course sooner than I thought. The clock was in the high 22s so I sprinted to be under 23

Running with the guys

Time: 22:55

And I was happy to be under 23.

The course actually measured a hair short. My watch measured it 3.09. So I walked around until my watch got to 3.11 so I'd have a 5k in Strava.

As for effort—it was a solid tempo. It wasn't an all-out run. And I wonder what I could do on a cool morning. But I also didn't want to go any harder than I had to. I was happy. My splits were consistent. All that 10k training DID pay off. I didn't die in the end. I heard that little voice in my head, but today I was determined not to let it get to me. I was more aware and not giving up this time.

I got a medal and a pint glass for finishing.

After that, I drank two cups of water. I was so hot. I said hi to some of my friends. I walked up the hill and a man told me popsicles from the ice cream truck had already been paid for. I got a watermelon popsicle and did my cool down running and eating a popsicle. The ultimate cool down.

Then I changed out of sweaty clothes, and went to the potluck.

Great turnout for our potluck

I ate a bunch of cookies. And then helped clean up.

I got home at 9 p.m. It was a long day. I was so tired I knew I'd sleep well.

Race recap: Georgia Peach Jam

I signed up to do a half marathon on Memorial Day. The medal was cool (it spins!). I liked the idea of doing a long run on my day off. The course was flat. I was IN.

So I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and left my house at 5:10 a.m. to go to a race 90 minutes away.

I didn't plan on RACING the half marathon. I haven't been training for it. My 10k training plan went up to 12 miles, so I thought I'd do it as a long run (having run 12 miles twice within the last month) and see what happened. The trail half in February almost killed me and an informal half the first week of April went well: 1:56 not counting a few breaks for friends).

And then the rain started. It's been raining for a solid week. I was convinced the race was going to be a monsoon with standing water and slippery wooden bridges. I was kind of hoping it rained out. It didn't. I went anyway.

We got there plenty early: 6:30 a.m. (There was no traffic that early in the morning.) I picked up my bib and was pretty thrilled that there were REAL RESTROOMS at the course. At least three sets of real restrooms (not port-a-potties) near the start. I went to the bathroom. And then I just sat in the car for awhile so I wouldn't get cold or wet. (The women in the cars on both sides of ours were also waiting in their cars.) Around 7 a.m. I got out of the car to warm up and stretch (in my rain jacket).

Yep, still drizzling. Matt looked at the radar and predicted the race would be mostly dry. (Haha)

Finally, I went to the starting line, on a track, and lined up for the 7:30 a.m. start. After overheating the last two races, I ran in my sports bra this morning. It was raining and I did not want to run in a wet tank top. I looked around and was surprised there weren't more shirtless guys or ladies in sports bras. Eventually I did spot a handful of ladies in sports bras. (And this tactic worked. I didn't overheat or have to worry about a wet tank).

Going in to the race my goal was just to run under 2 hours, for a Strava badge. At 9-minute miles this was doable. If I was having a good day, I could run the first half in 9 minute miles and then cut down like I have before.

But I ended up going out faster than planned, but it felt like an easy enough speed so I stuck with it.
8:30
8:28
8:36
8:40
8:30
8:36
8:36
8:46

At mile 9 I slowed down to 9:05 a mile. Which was pretty close to my first goal so I wasn't worried about it. I was also running with a group of people and just matching their pace. They slowed down. I passed them and picked mile 10 back to 8:39. And knew I'd have my Strava best 10-mile time.

Mile 11 was back at 9:06. But I knew I could practically walk the last two miles and make my goal of under 2 hours at this point.

Mile 12 I ran in 9:17. I was getting tired. Matt says, "It's funny how you have to speed up at the end of the race to keep the same pace." This is also maybe the first point in the race I was by myself. I'd run most of the race with people everywhere, but it really thinned out here and I ran the last two miles almost solo.

Mile 13 the wheels fell off. It was 12.5 miles and I had .7 to go (because the course and my watch weren't matching up). I saw Matt and had a very dramatic breakdown. (Looking back, it was very much a tired toddler reaction.)

He offered me water.

There were four water stops on the course. I used all of them. I didn't need water. I wanted him to be at the finish line.  

And my legs just decided to quit at this point. I asked for help. "I need help," I said in practically a cry.

He kind of slow jogged with me a little, maybe six feet to my left where I couldn't quite see him.  "You can do it," he said very calmly. This is the first time I walked. And I tried to run some. But he was super far away and not very enthusiastic. And I said I needed help again (super dramatic, I totally melting with a tired toddler who needs a nap). And then he kind of just gave up.

I wanted to run right behind me and push me on. I wanted him to tell me to trust the training or that I could do it. To be right on my shoulder in the most annoying way possible and to be super peppy about that I could do it. But all of this was in my head.

I ended up walking once more but picked it up for a 9:29 mile. (I knew I could still make my goal, so I wonder if I gave myself permission to slow down on some level.)

The race finished at the track and I knew I couldn't walk on the track. So I finished. My watch said 13 miles and my time was 1:55:04.

And then I walked .11 miles so Strava would give me my half marathon badge.

I drank some water. I took my shoes off (I really wanted my shoes off). My waterproof shoes were great, but my feet were steamy and hot from the miles. Matt went and got my backpack so I could change out of super wet clothes.

I went to the bathroom and changed slowly. My sports bra was dripping water. I had wrung my shorts out some of the course. It had drizzled the entire time. I wish I would have brought a wet-dry bag. (Note: none of the bridges were slippery, but the course was a puddle fest.)

And then I went to look at results. I got third in my age group. Yay. So we stuck around for medals. And I got to stand on the podium. I met another Road Runner who was at the event. (She ran WAY faster than me.)

After that I tried to cool down. But my legs didn't want to run. I ran/walked and then stretched.

And then it was time to go home. We stopped by Moe's for some food.

Thoughts on the race
• The medals are cool. I wasn't expecting TWO medals
• I was pretty pleased with a 1:55
• I think the key to having a good race is low expectations :)
• Why do I always DIE on the last mile? This happened on my last half too? Maybe it's because I only train UP TO 12.
• Mental toughness: still need to work on that. I was pretty positive for the first 10 miles. I told myself that I run well in the rain, that I was going to have a good 10-mile time.
• ALL OF MY HALF MARATHONS HAVE BEEN IN THE RAIN.
• Definitely went better than my first half marathon. I bonked in the same place. But I was 10 minutes faster. I didn't get super dehydrated and sick at 3 p.m. My splits were more even. It was an easier experience.
• Would I do it again? Part of me wants to shave some of those slower times off (Maybe 2-3 minutes). I might do another half again but I don't plan on training for one this summer. I'm looking to get my mile and 5k time down.
• All in all: a great race, well organized, nice course. (Matt admitted he should have done the 5k, which I tried to get him to do.) This is definitely a race to consider. My only complaints are the weather (but it was very run-able, not too hot), and my brain wanting to quit.

Strava
• I got my May half marathon badge
• I got my project 1:59 badge
• Strava DID NOT give me a half marathon PR for some weird reason
• I did get records for my best 15k, best 10 miles and best 20k.