Happy Thursday, friends!
This week my running has been either one extreme or the other. On Tuesday I could not for the life of me get in one speedy mile and bagged a planned speed workout. Even though it was just one run, I immediately started thinking negatively:
OMG, am I burnt out already? Am I running too many miles too soon in training? Am I on the brink of injury?
Bahh. Sometimes I cannot stop this annoying voice in my head. It was still going on Wednesday morning when I set out to meet Megan, Lindsay and Ali (part of the sweat squad!) for a run. I was totally worried I’d be unable to keep up with them and feel like a big wuss.
I dressed in confidence-building gear (my favorite new I ❤ sweat running shirt from Ali’s fundraiser last week!)
I do heart sweat.
And set out for a three mile warm-up before meeting the gals. Once we started running together I finally found a grove and settled into the comfortable pace we set. My legs came alive as we chatted away the miles, and by the time I headed home I was hitting a sub-8:00 minute/mile pace and felt fabulous.
The power of running buddies never ceases to amaze me, and I honestly don’t think I would have had a great run had it not been for the sweat squad. Thanks, ladies!
I tried to continue the momentum into this morning with some tempo miles, and was kind of all over the place with pace:
- 3 mile warm-up
- 1 mile @ half marathon pace
- 1 mile @ 10K pace
- 2 miles @ marathon pace
Breakfast – cinnamon raisin sprouted grain toast, peanut butter, cream cheese and berries
Why I have not tried cream cheese on toast before is beyond me. Delish.
Hopefully I’ve squashed whatever rut I was potentially falling into, but just to be sure, I’m tweaking my training plan a tiny bit more. In addition to implementing cutback weeks, I’ve signed up for a few half marathons in the next couple of months.
Even though I’m not going to be racing them (DO YOU HEAR THAT KELLY? YOU ARE NOT RACING THEM. NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT), I love the atmosphere of races and want to change up my long run routes a bit. I think it’ll help break up the monotony of training a too.
First up – the Bronx Half next Sunday. I’m kind of excited to explore the borough, which I’ve only ever visited for Yankee games.
I have a weird track record with half marathons during marathon training, and always injure myself immediately after I run them (and then do not recover in time for the marathon I’m training for).
Case in point: after the Manhattan Half in January, I developed a gnarly case of Achilles tendonitis that plagued me until mid-April and prevented me from running the Eugene Marathon in May.
So not fun.
I repeat: I will not race the Bronx Half Marathon. I will run at my long run pace with a few marathon pace miles during the last half. Hold me accountable, readers. Gotta keep my eye on the prize!
Question: Do you race a lot during marathon training or other training cycles?