JULY
- total miles run: 93.6
- time spent lifting weights: 3 hours 20 minutes
- loaves of bread consumed: 3
- jars of peanut butter consumed: 1.5
- cross-training days: 2
- new pairs of shoes: 1
- number of workouts skipped or changed: 12/25
- lbs lost: 2
I'm excited about some things that went really well, like...
I did a great job this past week adhering to my training plan, but that means I did more work this week than I have in the past three. my body is sore and tired. I'm going to need to make better use of mondays and wednesdays as cross-training/easy days, and be smarter about getting my key workouts done when I'm supposed to.
I did a great job of adding weight lifting into my schedule. in preparation for previous races, lifting has been a hastily cobbled-together afterthought that I try desperately to include once I'm already into the bulk of my training. as soon as my schedule gets overwhelming, it's the first thing to go. by incorporating strength training into my plan from the get-go, I've been consistent with it and I'm actually starting to enjoy it.
...but there's still room for improvement.
I did a TERRIBLE job this month adhering to my training plan. almost half of my workouts got nixed or shuffled. I'm all for flexibility, but I can't go playing it fast and loose with the four important runs I have scheduled each week. moving forward, I will try my best not to sacrifice the tuesday tempo and thursday drill workouts, and the weekend mid- and long-distance runs. the easy low-mileage workouts on mondays and wednesdays are disposable/easily replaced with cross-training.
I will stretch. my hamstrings have been tight from sitting in my desk chair after not stretching enough (or at all) after a run. sometimes when I get back from a run, I'm so sweaty that I'm literally dripping on the floor and furniture and the thought of lying down on my yoga mat to stretch just seems so...slippery. so I shower instead and tell myself that I'll stretch when I get out (but I never do). on a similar note...
I will be smarter about ramping up my distance. I missed my long run last weekend because I was sick, and then I hit all my scheduled workouts this week. jumping from 22mi to 35mi in one week is a lot. my shins are feeling naggy after today's double-session long run, so I'm RICE-ing them tonight and tomorrow will definitely be a cross-train day.
I will cross train. I had a one-month free gym membership in june that was great, but I've been dragging my feet for no good reason about getting in there to buy an actual membership. the gym has a decent class schedule and nice equipment. bikes and ellipticals and pilates are my cross-training friends. I refuse to get injured as a result of not training smart. cross-training is critical to keeping my injury-prone body in good shape.
I won't let marathon training get in the way of fun. t comes home in three days (squeeeeeeeeeal), and we have a mini-vacation planned for two weekends from now that involves a LOT of food and a LOT of drink (botanical garden cocktail party! bbq & beer fest!). luckily, we're both training for the savannah rock n' roll marathon, so we can motivate each other to get our workouts done. but I haven't seen the man since march, and if I want to have more to eat and drink for dinner than I should the night before a run, I will. if I want to sleep in instead of dragging myself to make coffee in a dark kitchen at 5:30am, I will. and I won't complain when that means I'm running for miles on the treadmill because I couldn't get my butt out the door early enough to beat the heat. there are going to be plenty of days when we're both up and running to get ourselves ready for november. there aren't going to be too many times when he's just come home from deployment and has some time off to spend with me.
july recap complete. now let's talk about that double-session long run. runner's world ran a piece last issue about the benefits of double sessions in improving speed and overall fitness. they suggested adding doubles into your training plan slowly: at first, one double a week, both runs done at an easy pace, gradually building to two or three a week, with some done at a higher intensity. I decided rather unscientifically that I'm a good candidate for doubles because it is so mother effing hot where we live. even if I get out the door by 6 or 6:30am (sunrise is around 6:45am these days), my long runs can take 2-3 hours and put me in direct sunlight, with temperatures in the high 80's and humidity in the 85-95% range. at the end of a long run, I want to be able to maintain good running form, not feel like I'm going to pass out from dangerous heat exhaustion. RW suggested breaking up the long run using this formula: in the morning, run 75% of the scheduled distance (today I had 13mi on the calendar, so 9.75mi). in the evening, run 50% of the scheduled distance (6.5mi). I was up and dressed by 5:30 but my stomach decided to take its sweet time, so I got out around 7:15am and ran just over 10 miles in 1:43:xx. by the time I finished it was hot. could I have run another 3 miles? yes. but was I happier to be done than still running? you bet.
my camelbak charm is the only way I survive my disgusting sweat rate of 55 oz/hour
this evening I went out for my second session. my legs felt like lead. from the minute I laced up the mizunos, I knew I was in for a sufferfest. I made it just under 4.5 miles in 42:xx, which was faster than this morning but much more painful even though my legs loosened up once I got going. I also cut the prescribed distance by 2 miles because I was so exhausted. doubling up WAS a great way to beat the heat, but it's going to take some getting used to. the mileage is only going to increase from here, so I need to figure out some strategy for getting it done.
I'm excited for august and to see how I do standing up to my training goals!
No comments:
Post a Comment