Recovery Week In Review
Ah, the blessed recovery week. I couldn't wait to have a week of lower mileage, less strength training and sleeping in at least an hour or so. By the end of the week I was tearing my hair out wanting more challenge!!
My 16 mile long run on last Saturday left me feeling pretty defeated. It didn't go at all like I had hoped but at least I finished all the miles. My Musician met me at the end of mile 12 with ice water and took my CamelBak from me. I just wanted to crawl into the car and go home with him but I finished the last 3 miles. Him and Tink started walking down our road to meet me as I was doing my cool down walk up our hill. I need their smiles to wrap my first cycle of marathon training.
My week started with a pretty rough workout but it was to prepare me for the goal race I had this weekend.
Monday was a track workout of 7x1000m repeats at race pace. While I was doing it, I hated it but after I realized how much confidence it gave me as I was getting ready for my 5k. (More on that in my race review). I thought the humidity was going to kill me though. I'm used to running in this but at one point I looked across the track from behind the goal post and I couldn't see the other goal post.
My Musician ran some of my warmup with me. He comes to record my splits and to encourage me through my track workouts.
Conversation as we are running side by side down towards the first hill. This hill has a 9%-14% incline as you run up it (according to MapMyRun)
Me: Remember as we hit this first hill, that I've been running and training on it for awhile now.
My Musician: ok
Me: Don't push yourself too hard going up it.
My Musician: ok
Me: Don't feel like you have to keep up with me. I can zip up this pretty quick now.
My Musician: I've not been able to run up the whole thing yet
Me: It took me forever before I could run up the whole thing at a pace under 14
Me: I'll wait at the top if I get too far ahead of you
About thirty seconds later, my husband who was slightly behind me, went zipping past me. All I saw, as I ate some humble pie, was the dust he was kicking up as he was kicking the hills ass.
He didn't run all the miles of this run with me but he picked me up in a couple of places because this run had a lot of back tracking, and then we ran back home together. I really love having him as a running buddy!
Thursday was a grumpy day for me. I had family over for lunch, which was fun. The other fun part of the day was when my second pair of Bikila EVO's came. I'm rotating between two pair so I have a broken in pair for my marathon.
But then I "crashed" in the afternoon. I was tired, I had a headache and I didn't feel like doing anything. I tried to nap but couldn't get to sleep.
By the time My Musician got home, we ate and I parked it on the couch. I hadn't done my workout yet or my miles. I was getting grumpier by the minute because it started raining. I knew I should do the work, I just didn't feel like it. Shortly after dark, My Musician says, "Come on, lets go run." WHAT?? I knew there was no way I was going to let him go run alone in the dark but man, I was ticked he was pushing me out the door just by getting ready to go by himself.
It actually turned out to be a great run for me physically and mentally. And we had a lot of fun running in the rain. The first quarter mile after the park was the best all week. Stupid frogs where jumping all over in rain. We were trying not to kick them in the dark or step on them. I had some jumping and hitting my shins as we ran by. I was glad we had headlamps on because it would have been really gross, especially in my Vibrams, to step on one!! I'm surprised we didn't hurt ourselves, jumping around frogs and laughing our fool heads off in the nighttime summer rain!
Saturday was just a couple easy shake out miles before my big 5k on Sunday. I'm dying to do a race review but that will have to wait till later in the week, after I talk about my race with my coach.
All in all it was a good recovery week. Today is actually a rest day and it's back to the hard work tomorrow. Some runs give me a lot of confidence as I head towards my marathon and some just totally shake that confidence, like my 16 mile last weekend. I'm learning slowly how to cope with the crappy runs, learn any lessons I need to and move on to the next run. I'm loving this process of becoming a physically and mentally stronger runner!
My 16 mile long run on last Saturday left me feeling pretty defeated. It didn't go at all like I had hoped but at least I finished all the miles. My Musician met me at the end of mile 12 with ice water and took my CamelBak from me. I just wanted to crawl into the car and go home with him but I finished the last 3 miles. Him and Tink started walking down our road to meet me as I was doing my cool down walk up our hill. I need their smiles to wrap my first cycle of marathon training.
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| My biggest supporters |
My week started with a pretty rough workout but it was to prepare me for the goal race I had this weekend.
Monday was a track workout of 7x1000m repeats at race pace. While I was doing it, I hated it but after I realized how much confidence it gave me as I was getting ready for my 5k. (More on that in my race review). I thought the humidity was going to kill me though. I'm used to running in this but at one point I looked across the track from behind the goal post and I couldn't see the other goal post.
My Musician ran some of my warmup with me. He comes to record my splits and to encourage me through my track workouts.
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| I love running with My Musician |
Our Tink, hopefully being inspired by us!
Tuesday was strength training and easy run. I ran that one with My Musician. It was hot, humid and painful for me. I wanted to stop after the first 1/2 mile. I'm glad he was with me to keep me going. I was still really tired and sore from my workout the day before!
Wednesday was my hilly run. Not hill repeats but a hilly route. Since our daughter was at my moms house, My Musician ran with me that morning.
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| I'm only smiling because I've not run the hills yet. |
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| What I affectionally call "Running the boob" |
Me: Remember as we hit this first hill, that I've been running and training on it for awhile now.
My Musician: ok
Me: Don't push yourself too hard going up it.
My Musician: ok
Me: Don't feel like you have to keep up with me. I can zip up this pretty quick now.
My Musician: I've not been able to run up the whole thing yet
Me: It took me forever before I could run up the whole thing at a pace under 14
Me: I'll wait at the top if I get too far ahead of you
About thirty seconds later, my husband who was slightly behind me, went zipping past me. All I saw, as I ate some humble pie, was the dust he was kicking up as he was kicking the hills ass.
 |
| THERE HE GOES...... |
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| AND....HE'S GONE!!!! |
Thursday was a grumpy day for me. I had family over for lunch, which was fun. The other fun part of the day was when my second pair of Bikila EVO's came. I'm rotating between two pair so I have a broken in pair for my marathon.
But then I "crashed" in the afternoon. I was tired, I had a headache and I didn't feel like doing anything. I tried to nap but couldn't get to sleep.
By the time My Musician got home, we ate and I parked it on the couch. I hadn't done my workout yet or my miles. I was getting grumpier by the minute because it started raining. I knew I should do the work, I just didn't feel like it. Shortly after dark, My Musician says, "Come on, lets go run." WHAT?? I knew there was no way I was going to let him go run alone in the dark but man, I was ticked he was pushing me out the door just by getting ready to go by himself.
It actually turned out to be a great run for me physically and mentally. And we had a lot of fun running in the rain. The first quarter mile after the park was the best all week. Stupid frogs where jumping all over in rain. We were trying not to kick them in the dark or step on them. I had some jumping and hitting my shins as we ran by. I was glad we had headlamps on because it would have been really gross, especially in my Vibrams, to step on one!! I'm surprised we didn't hurt ourselves, jumping around frogs and laughing our fool heads off in the nighttime summer rain!
Saturday was just a couple easy shake out miles before my big 5k on Sunday. I'm dying to do a race review but that will have to wait till later in the week, after I talk about my race with my coach.
All in all it was a good recovery week. Today is actually a rest day and it's back to the hard work tomorrow. Some runs give me a lot of confidence as I head towards my marathon and some just totally shake that confidence, like my 16 mile last weekend. I'm learning slowly how to cope with the crappy runs, learn any lessons I need to and move on to the next run. I'm loving this process of becoming a physically and mentally stronger runner!
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