I'm seven weeks out from my race. Last week proved to be the most frustrating week of training I've experienced in a long time. Two bad runs in a row left me very unexcited about getting out of bed Saturday for my 18 miles. My bad runs came from my total inability to stay in any sort of desired heart range, a rarity since I started Eric's program. I had no desire to spend many hours running and fighting to stay in range, so I decided if I was going to do 18 miles, I'd focus on running and worry about the rest later.I had one of my best runs in a long time.I ended up a little sore, but not too tired. I was ready to hit the road again Monday only to get hit by a nasty cold virus on Sunday. I'm choosing to be optimistic that it won't hang around for long so I can get back to "real" training.Overall, training has come with ups and downs.Downs (since the Ups are much better to end with)1. My speed is still down, making me wonder if I'm just not meant to go particularly fast.2. I still can't run in zone 1 (unless a slow shuffle counts).3. Three weeks ago, my Achilles decided to make its presence known after being silent for the previous ten years. I take full responsibility due to my carelessness about stretching.Ups1. Ever so often, I can hit my previous speed in zone 3 and maintain it for a few minutes. I have to believe that it will become easier to do over time.2. I've finally discovered the benefit of a real warm up and cool down portion to my workout.3. Through sheer doggedness, I've nursed my Achilles back to 99%. My job allows me to keep my foot up for the majority of the day, and I was very generous with ice and heat. I also discovered Kinesio tape, which tipped me over from wincing in pain to sighing in relief. I now feel little pain, and I'm super vigilant about stretching both after my runs and during the day.I've also rediscovered the pleasure of running to see what's around the corner and at the top of the hill. Few things give me greater satisfaction then reaching the top and seeing how far I've climbed. So as I sit here nursing my sniffles, I'm looking forward to the next run, even if it does prove frustrating, because, just maybe, it will be the best one yet.
Good luck at your next race. By the way, what race are you training for? There's always those bumps along the way, but how you deal with them is key, and it sounds like your dealing with a few challenges with a positive attitude and that's what makes the difference between success or failing.
I like the idea of running for the pleasure to see what's aorund the corner or at the top of the hill. I'll be thinking of this one when some things get hard for me.
Comments
I like the idea of running for the pleasure to see what's aorund the corner or at the top of the hill. I'll be thinking of this one when some things get hard for me.