Hubby has the older boys, so I had a rare moment to blog without interruption :)
This week, running presented a few challenges and a few new tricks too. It has been both a TOUGH week and a week of rewards.
Monday AM- easy/peasy recovery run. I feel like I can do 10 in my sleep if that's all that's on the plate right now.
Tuesday- I overslept due to an alarm clock issue. :p
I debated whether or not to run on the treadmill or just wait until the kids went to bed. I went with option 2, as I have a MENTAL block about running more than 5 miles on the TM and had 9 to do- plus the screen is hard to read and I had speed work to do. Hubby thinks the TM might be slipping (but just for him) and I didn't want to take chances. So I left at about 8 PM.
** side note: This is not long enough after dinner for me!! I was gently reminded of what it feels like to have my gut busting up into my lungs, and NO THANK YOU, I will stick to mornings if I can, before breakfast.**
Anyhoo...the moon wasn't out yet and it wasn't getting any lighter, so hubs kindly duct-taped a small flashlight to my hat. RIDICULOUS. Of course, the problem is that once you start moving at all, the hat wants to also. I must not have a linebacker neck, because my head was raring and wobbling like a bobble-head doll. As soon as I got past the driveway I ripped it off my head and carried it in my hand. I purchased an inexpensive headlamp the following day. Thank you Bi-mart. :)
Continuing with the run... The workout was for 6x5 minutes "hard", whatever that means.
(I just came up with it as a nice idea- something like what I have seen in the Daniels book.) Sounded good.
After a few miles warm up I hit the 5 minutes countdown on El-Watcho (now filled with condensation).
I must say that it is nice not to be restricted to mileposts, and after the 1600's I have had recently, to stop a little earlier. Most of the recoveries were about 200 yards+/-.
Just for kicks, I decided to take #3 as a 1600 instead and had to restart the watch, but finished in 6:04. Nice. Would still like to do a sub 6, though. Finished the entire run as 10.5 miles and in record time. went to bed and woke up to do..
Wednesday AM - Nine-ish miles easy. In my sleep. haha. It felt more like the "Bataan Death March", but I still did allright and without any DOMS- just fatigue.
Thursday AM - I had a looming feeling about fatigue and the planned tempo run. It was supposed to be 6 miles @ 6:52 pace (41:12)..which is close to my PR 10K pace. (So much for not racing during training, huh? )
I had some serious doubts, as I have not met a few tempo goals due to the large hill on the route. I moved the tempo to a rolling, but not-so-steep area, and somehow managed to do the 6 miles, with two turnarounds, in 40:52.
**side note: Now I have a few thoughts: Should I have used a gel/sports drink? I haven't been using any except for races, and the last long run before. (My legs flagged at mile 3, but seemed to tap into reserves again, strangely, shortly after that.) And, When is the next 10K around here? And, this is with back-to-back days with fatigue...should I even bother to rest before a 10K, like I have in the past, or just plow through? Anyway...always wondering about this stuff. **
Total run, just shy of 9 miles. Slow warm up.
Friday AM- I can't even remember...Oh yeah. Nine easy on 4 hours of sleep. Another "Death March" with no specific pain or soreness- just fatigue. I see a pattern evolving here. Managed to run almost at goal easy pace- a little slow, but not terrible.
Saturday/Today- I shall refer to this run as "The Journey to Mordor and Back" run (referring to Lord of the Rings, Dad). This is the preferred route for the 20 miler, given no injuries.
**side note: I drove out a water bottle the day before and left it at mile 7/13. First time I have done this in months! There were two old nasty bottles waiting for me there. **
This route involves a gradual ascent, with a few steep descents on the way out, and the opposite coming back. I wore the headlamp and was SEEN, though I had to readjust it a bit and I need to check to see if I have a wound from it pressing on my forehead through the hat. :)
**side note: After 2 years or long distances in the dark, I can't believe I have functioned with only a the moon, a flashing light and reflective vest (dropping off the flashlight at the mailbox). Why didn't I buy one sooner?! **
I stopped way too many times today- to take off the LS shirt, to go to the bathroom a few times, to get water. I HATE stopping. I need to figure out how to take a shirt off while keeping my vest on. Rrg. Any ideas? Any case. I stop my watch for these short pit stops. And I really try to keep them short.
I am not sure which hobbit I identify most with after today, but I am certain I am not Gandolf. Maybe I have a bit of Golem in me. Total time running: 2:46:48
Tomorrow I am sleeping in. (except to go to church) And drinking coffee all day.
Some non-running achievements in our house this week:
My oldest, Nathan discovered he can make himself fake-burp. I can see life with boys will only get more interesting... lots of burping and nerf guns.
My youngest discovered onions. He likes them raw. Takes after my mom, I guess :)
I tried a new thing today. Coffee + Vanilla powerbar gel (unused from long run) + milk= vanilla latte. ? Not quite, but if I closed my eyes, I was almost sitting in a quaint little book shop sipping espresso.
Does
+
=
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