Run Less Run Faster: Week Six

I'm not going to lie, this week was challenging in terms of training. Close wasn't that bad at work, but I have an extra project I was supposed to work on at the same time, and it just sucked away lots of time I didn't have. I worked 12 hours Wednesday and easily could've worked more, but I decided when I was almost in tears from exhaustion, it was time to go home.

I let myself out of work a bit early on Thursday (I was well over 40 hours for the week at that point) and just laid on the couch for a few hours, rather than doing anything I had planned on. It was so tempting to skip my run, but I finally got my butt out the door and felt much better when it was done. I also had big plans for this weekend that didn't happen, but I'm trying to recognize self-care is important.

The good news is this week is my last full week of work until 2015! I also am in the clear for jury duty this week. I might need to go next week, but work will be very quiet, so it wouldn't be an issue. I still need to deal with my double summons (District Court still hasn't excused me!), so that might be an adventure.

This is what it feels like. Why can't they just recognize I can't be in two places at once?

Monday, December 1
1250 yd swim


This swim was about twice as long as any others on the program have been so far. My triceps definitely felt it, but it was fun to challenge myself in the pool again. I did a fairly good job pacing myself, even if the pace was slow.

Tuesday, December 2
lunch - lift
PM - 1 mi WU, 2x1200 @ 6:16 then 4x800 @ 4:13 w/ 2 min jogs, 1 mi CD - 6.5 mi total

There was a mass influx of problem people on the indoor track. I nearly got run into by some dude's two y/o three times because Dad evidently thought letting him run the wrong way was okay. Dad also freaked out at me when I exclaimed in surprise when he pushed his son in front of me without looking and I barely had enough time to stop. (This was immediately after yelling at his son to watch where he was going. Irony.) The gym seriously needs to get a monitor for the track during peak times.

Wednesday, December 3
1250 yd swim


Same swim as Monday, but it didn't feel as difficult, knowing I had done it before.

Thursday, December 4
lunch - lift
PM - 1 mi WU, 5 mi @ 9:23, 1 mi CD

I felt a little off during the tempo run because I was so tired, but I'm so happy with how it went. I was expecting it to be almost impossible. However, while it required some extra mental focus, I banged out the miles just fine. I'm so thrilled to see so much progress week over week.

Friday, December 5
rest


Saturday, December 6
20 mi long @ 10:57


This was another run I wanted to give myself a giant gold star for. When I put RLRF on my calendar, it was scary seeing I would have to run 20 miles at sub-11 pace. I'm surprised how easy an 11-min pace feels now, and it took quite awhile for me to get the pace right - I kept speeding up, because I assumed the pace would feel harder than it did. It was in the low 40's, so I did 12 miles and then stopped back at my apartment quickly to refill my water before running the final 8. Other than one or two other very quick stretch breaks to release my quad, I kept chugging along. This in and of itself is a huge improvement over two weeks ago when I needed a few minutes a couple times to collect myself.

Sunday, December 7
Slow Flow Yoga


I had hardly any soreness from my long run, and my legs held up surprisingly well during the strength portion. The hip openers really tested my mental strength, but I felt so much more relaxed when we were through. My studio is located downtown, and there is a holiday event running on weekends now, so it was a little strange taking savasana with the Beach Boys Christmas album blasting in the street below.

Run Miles: 33.5  
Swim Miles: 1.4  
Lifting Time: 43 mins
Yoga Time: 60 mins
Total Time: 9:01

This coming week will be my first step-back week of the program, and I'm really looking forward to it. The long run is going to drop back to 13 miles(!), which is the shortest distance I'll have run since week one. This works out perfectly, since Michael will be visiting, and I obviously want to maximize my time with him.

I also have two Christmas parties for work this week (and then two next week, whoops). I certainly want to enjoy myself, but I'm going to try to stay mindful and make sure I'm truly enjoying whatever I'm eating and drinking and stop when satisfied. But hey, one of the reasons I train for marathons is so I can indulge on special occasions guilt-free!

Don't really know what's going on this picture, but I do love donuts.