Training log: Jan 4-8

Last week I ran 33 miles, it was supposed to be a 35 mile week but I skipped an easy, 3-mile recovery run yesterday. Its hard to get out there for only 3 miles, mostly because:

• The best way to do that is just run easy laps around Lincoln Park, which is boring...
• Otherwise, I have to run on streets, and stop for cars every 1/10th of a mile...
• I spend more time prepping for going outside in the cold then I actually spend out there...
  
• I never really warm up in this weather...
• Its too cold and three miles won't do enough for me to get me out there for that long...
  
• You get the point.

But, I did walk at least three miles yesterday, that's something, right? My workouts this week included:

Four mile repeats and a stair workout (8.5 miles): I wasn't feeling 100% last weekend and so this wasn't my best run to start off the running week. My first two mile repeats were at a 7:09 and 7:07 pace (my run on the Mall isn't exactly a mile), but I was dying out there. I was cramping (stomach felt weird), and I was tired, and I was getting weird twinges in my shoulder.

Easy hill repeats (4 miles): One mile warm up, some hard running up and down Capitol Hill, and then an  easy mile back. This was a nice easy run, but got my heart rate up and some hill fun in.

Speed-workout. Six laps around Lincoln park (5 miles): A mediocre speed workout. I definitely need to give myself more warm-up time. My goal is 3 minutes, my times were: 3:17, 3:00, 3:02, 3:00, 2:58, 3:10. It was a big jump in speed-work from my last, which was only 4 laps. I'm still getting used to doing them! I never really did speed-work too much. I remember that I wasn't feeling warmed up that first lap, but I don't know what happened during that last one. Guess I was losing steam!

Long run (15 miles): I've been struggling on my long runs. I think its because my toe recovery included a lot of 45 min-1 hour classes, and I'm not used to being on my feet for this long and pushing myself. Its hard to hold back on pushing forward with the long run, and getting used to the cold. Friday night, I couldn't put my book down. I finished it around 3 a.m. (super late for me!) and it took awhile to get my mind at ease to get to sleep. I slept in, and ate oatmeal. I should have had another small bit to eat before leaving for my run.

I took the metro out to Bethesda, MD, and ran the Capital Crescent Trail into DC, crossed over into VA, and then did a lap around the National Mall before heading home. It was a gorgeous day. Since I had waited to get out of the house until 1:30, temps were well above freezing and the sun was warm. The trail was a bit icy at first but got better.

The point was a run that was mostly downhill to get my quads working

I did 15 miles in 2:02, averaging 8:11min/mi pace. With it only being 16 miles (the course was laid out as 16 miles, but the first one I was waiting for my watch to catch a satellite), I wanted to run this faster and do a progression type run. I also wanted to see what I should aim for for this week's 20k race. I was looking forward to keeping up a 7:30 pace (its becoming my new happy pace), but my splits were:

1- 7:28
2- 7:28
3- 7:34
4-7:31
5- 7:41 (still feeling awesome despite ice)
6- 7:43
7- 7:54 (decided my new goal was just to keep it under 8 min miles)
8- 8:04 (new goal fail)
9- 7:58
10- 8:28 (I was crossing over the bridge and went headfirst into tough winds--this was a hard one)
11- 8:24 (I'm dying out)
12- 8:29 (dying out and ran into a group of 8th graders on a school trip... grrr)
13- 8:32
14- 9:14 (Capitol hill... pain... I was trying to draw from my hill workout this week and it helped)
15- 10:20 (at this point, I was headed home, and didn't even stop my watch for streetlights. I was dead on my feet. I nearly stopped to just walk home every block, and was barely moving by the end)

This run WIPED me out. It took an hour for me just to get into the shower, and then I just laid down and closed my eyes for an hour or so and started reading the next installment of the series I stayed up reading the night before. I was so drained of energy that I got nothing done at all. My biggest error was losing my focus here, I kept forgetting to really apply my energy, my pace, and watch my form. I definitely got very lazy toward the end.

Overall, not a bad week in training. I'm trying to use my miles wisely, since I'm just getting back into running and I don't want to kill myself with over-training (another reason I thought it was alright to skip an easy run). I didn't get to the gym, due to forgetting my clothes on Wednesday, and scared about the rush of New Year's resolution folks. This week, I'll get there twice!

I can't believe I'm on Week Four of training already!!