I finally sprung for some Pro Compression calf sleeves and have found they're comfy enough to sleep the whole night with, so I think that's making the difference. I'm also continually amazed how much better my running is when I consistently eat well. Carrots with hummus fuel me better than Cheeto puffs? Who knew!
I had some trepidation coming into this week because I had two speed workouts on the schedule - 5 mi at tempo pace and 8x600s. Not to spoil it, but I'm happy to report I hit or exceeded my goals for both!
This was a little fall from the wagon when I skipped my core workout two days when I was at my parents' house for the holidays, but I decided spending time with them was more important than doing some crunches.
Wednesday, July 2
rest
Thursday, July 3
1 mi WU
5 mi @ 9:40 min/mile
1 mi CD
7 mi total
I was so nervous for this tempo run. It was right around the pace I had been doing my tempo runs at before my Colds of Death and quad injury. This was going to be a true test of my fitness - and I averaged 4 seconds per mile below my goal! It was a huge boost to my confidence (even more than the 400s two days before), and I finally feel like I'm back to my old self.
Friday, July 4
4 mi easy, 11:52 min/mile
core work
Wow. This was the first run where I could run two minutes per mile under goal pace, rather than one, and did it feel easy! I now see why people complain that some of the runs feel way too slow on the Hansons plan. I was actually supposed to run a bit slower, but I felt like I was crawling as it was. Before starting this training cycle, this pace could sometimes feel tough (womp womp), so it was another shot of confidence.
Saturday, July 5
8 mi easy, 11 min/mile
core work
Made the mistake yet again of running in the sun. (I seem to do this every Saturday without fail....) I stopped for some water and ice halfway through, which did help a bit. I was really nervous about holding my pace for twice as long as ever before, but I hit it right on the nose.
Sunday, July 6
8 mi easy, 11 min/mile
core work
Once again, I was nervous for a run, because I had run eight miles the day before, but I did just fine. I tried timing the run to give myself some extra rest, but it didn't seem to help much. It was mentally refreshing to go a little further on the rail trail than normal. My right Achilles was incredibly painful for several miles, so I made a mental note to have the chiro address it next week.
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| Two legos. |
4 mi easy, 11:01 min/mile
core work
I rolled out my legs right before I ran, and I could tell a big difference in my calves. It was a huge relief to know it wasn't something more serious. (Knock on wood.)
Tuesday, July 8
1 mi WU
8x600s (3:11, 3:22, 3:17, 3:20, 3:17, 3:17, 3:16, 3:14) w/ 400 jogs
1 mi CD
7 mi total
Unlike last week's track workout, I was not dancing around all day like I had ants in my pants. It was the same distance's worth of speed, so I felt much more sure of myself. It still hurt quite a bit, but I was more positive from the start as I cranked the repeats.
Total Miles: 38 mi
Total Time: 6:52:29
Going into week seven, I'm a little nervous again. I have three workouts on the schedule - 5 miles at tempo pace, 10 miles long, and 6x800s. I keep reminding myself that so far every run that has felt hard has still been doable. They're all going to hurt in their own unique way, but I'm strong enough to face that hurt.
Plus they'll give me a great excuse to lounge on the couch the rest of the time watching Tour.
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| It's like NASCAR - you watch for the crashes! |
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