Sleep. Some days my body just says NO, very clearly and definitively, when my alarm goes off. I’ll lay there, my brain scrambling for an alternative to running early. Sometimes I say, “Oh, I’ll run during lunch,” except running during lunch is always miserable (mid-day, hot, sunny, no good routes, no shower).
But I’ve come to accept that running in the morning isn’t always the best option, even when it’s convenient to be done before work. Without enough sleep, my body doesn’t recover from one workout to the next. So, sometimes I sleep. Like I did a couple of days this week — which was good because there were two days where sleeping in wasn’t an option.
Also, note, weekly recap on time this week.
Monday: Evening run, 8 miles, 61 min, AHR 142. This is a little deceptive because I was marking a course for a group run so it was basically a fartlek.
Tuesday: Evening treadmill run, 10 miles, 74 minutes, AHR 155. This is Coach Matt’s signature workout, and it is better done outside unless it’s a million humid degrees. (I have totally blown up doing this workout in the heat before.) The workout includes 4×800, 3 miles steady state, 4×400 — 3:02, 3:05, 3:04, 3:00; 6:38, 6:40, 6:36; 89, 87, 85, 85. I felt good about it and I know the 400s would’ve been faster outside but maybe not on this particular day because it was really gross out.
Wednesday: Early run with the new group we’re starting! 6 miles easy with a friend, 49 minutes, AHR 149. Taught Pilates after work.
Thursday: Early run solo, early, easy-moderate pace (65-75% max HR), 10 miles, 80 minutes, AHR 146. 77º at 5:30 a.m., neat. Got about 5.5 hours of sleep and 6.25 hours the night before that. Taught Pilates after work THEN took Morgan to her first agility class. Long day.
Friday: Afternoon run, 6 miles, 47 minutes, AHR 148. Hot but not as humid, surprisingly good. Girls’ night in with hubs out most of the evening, so we dog-parked and had dinner.
Saturday: 14 miles, 1:47, AHR 152. Didn’t start until 8 a.m. because sleep. Humid AF. Coach gave a “bonus” option of 2-3x 2 miles at 85% max. The last set was tough; after mile 1 of the third set I stopped for a few seconds, thought about the Chicago Marathon in 50 days (eek!) and asked myself the seminal question: “How bad do you want it?” And then I wrung the sweat from my spandex and got the last mile done. Fast parts averaged 7:05/162. Considering the weather, that’s a-okay. Took an epsom salt bath in the afternoon.
Sunday: Oh man I did not want to run this morning. I thought I felt pretty good after the long run but upon waking my legs were like, “haha you’re funny.” So I trotted a very slow first mile and after that things clicked into place. Lesson: Never judge a run by mile 1. 6 miles, 49 minutes, AHR 141. Morgan and I got coffee and a cheesy bacon biscuit after.
Totals: 60 mile “down” week, 2 Pilates classes taught, and some Jasyoga and foam rolling sprinkled in.
TGRUNFIT 