First week of February training:
Monday: 5 mile tempo with new shoes and orthidics/lift- 7:50 pace overall
Core work to include 4x20 crunches, pelvic tilts, bridges, Russian twists
4x12 pikes on exercise ball, roll outs
3x 1 minute planks
Tuesday: 40 minutes elliptical
Wednesday-7x400 at track, core work same as Monday
Thursday -rest
Friday-rest, core work same as Wednesday
Saturday 5k with 3.07miles warm up and 1.42 miles cool down (7 miles total)
Sunday-rest
The tempo went great, the shoes felt tight and a little heavy at first but after the 4th mile they felt a little bit better. Wednesday track night a lot of us showed up about 30 minutes earlier than usual in order to beat the storms and rain that were headed our way. It didn't start to rain until the cool down,so most of us got the bulk of the workout done without he rain. since I shortend my workout from 6x800s to 7x 400 (I added in an extra just for turnover) I ended up doing 2 miles cooldown.
The workout was probably faster than it should have been so close to a race ( hello averaging a 5:24 pace for the 400s!) I ran in the new shoes with orthodics, and again they felt heavy at first, and tight but loosend up after the first mile of the cooldown. I didn't think too much about running in the rain until later that night.when I got chilled to the bone and could not warm up. I woke up on Thursday feeling exhausted and just like I was fog. my head felt heavy and I had to to take breaks while folding laundry. Now granted, our family is twice the size of the average American family, and I feel we have triple the loads of laundry than the normal.
I had a general sense of malaise, heavy headed and a scratchy sore throat. Friday morning I felt less tired, but in addition to a scratchy throat I felt sinus pressure building and had a general rundown feeling. I felt a cold coming on but ignored it, took some advil and was good to go.
5k recap:
I woke up Saturday morning tired as usual. I got dressed, had a small breakfast, took some advil and was out the door.The Go Red Run 5k was for a great cause, to increase awareness of heart disease in women. This is very near and dear to me, as heart disease runs strong on both sides of family,(males and females) and all the females on my grandfathers side have passed away due to some form of heart disease. My Aunt is currently undergoing treatment for her heart condition,and recently had her 3rd surgery on her mitral valve.I ran this race in honor of my aunt Deani (Geraldine)
It was a cold morning and I really didn't feel like running, but the hoodie that came with the race registration was pefect for a cool blustery morning.
I was able to find my friends Amy and Tammi from the track group and get in a warm up before the race. usually I do between 1-2 miles beforehand, typically under 2. Since Tammy was doing a longer run in the afternoon, she turned around about a half mile in. Amy and I just kept running,and talking and not really paying much attention to where we were going in the large park with lots of winding pathways and turnoffs. we were JUST talking about my lack of a sense of direction and then.....hmmmm I don't remember this dog park, how long have we been running? where are we at? we turn around and start jogging back the direction we came from, both a little nervous that we wouldn't have enough time to get back to the start, or even find the start so we could run. We arent seeing many cars or people out and about so the very next car we see, we flag it down so we could ask for directions or even better, a ride to the starting line!!! we were very fortunate that the lady we stopped in the car was part of the race crew and pointed us in the right direction. we made our way back to where we needed, was able to find a restroom and make it to the line with a couple minutes to spare!!! it ended up being a 3.07 mile warm up. I have had some pretty crazy and chaotic race starts before and while this wasn't really that crazy or a big deal, it was out of the ordinary and was the first time I have ever warmed up at a distance longer that the actual race (yup the course was short). First time for everything, right?!
we make our way up to the start, which was laid out crosscountry style. The ground was muddy and messy and it made for a slow start from the gates. we had to hug the tree lines going out for the first quarter mile before getting to the paved trails. since i wasn't feeling the mojo, I decided to make a place goal and not a time goal. i wanted top 3 overall and thought I stood a chance for 3rd because I saw 2 fast gals who are faster than me. Right before the start, tammi tells me to keep an eye out for another lady, because we run about the same pace. great.
the race starts, I slog through the mud and muck until I reach the pavement. I start off in 2nd place female, I get passed and am 3rd. about a half mile in, the lady tammi warned me about comes up beside me. and I get passed. in my head i actually get excited for a minute because I thought this would be a good competitive race until the finish.I thought I could stay with her and pass her at the end to recapture that 3rd place spot. I was ready to fight for it.BUT my body had other plans. my legs were dead, my head hurt, I felt congestion in my lungs.....it was going to be a long 3 miles.
shortly after the 1 mile marker I get passed by another female and that's when I lost all mental focus. its funny how much crazy shit you think about when a race is going poorly and you don't feel on point!!!!! all the nonsense and foolishness that crossed my brain filled me up with self pity and self doubt. I turned my music up so loud I didn't hear my watch beep at me to tell me the mile splits, and honestly I didn't care. I knew this wasnt a PR course, so I tried to just keep an even pace and not let the dude behind me pass me. he tried a couple times but i would speed up when he did.
the last 2 miles of the race took forever. lots of bends and twists and turns and it felt like i was running in no mans land-aside from the periodic glimpsed of the gal in front of me and the occasional side glance of college boy behind me. I could not wait to be done running!
But my thoughts did lead me to my Aunt, and all the family that has passed away much too soon.
I do think the best part about this race was that the path to the finish was lined with wooden post with handwritten signs of who the race participants were running for or in memory of. even though this had been an ugly run for me, I really felt the purpose and meaning of this race as I crossed the line-
Which college boy did end up passing me at the finish. That's OK though, he gave me a hug afterwards and thanked me for pushing him out of his comfort zone.
: )
Little things like that make a crappy run worth it!
I did end up 5th over all female and 1rst in AG so I cant complain there.
not to mention the hoodies were an added pick me up to the cold day. They are so warm and fluffy on the inside!!!!
I didn't find my mile splits until I got home
7:15
6:54
7:08
I crossed the line at 21:19.
That night I felt rundown and things snowballed from there. By the time I woke up on Sunday, my voice was gone, my body ached, my head hurt due to sinus pressure and I just felt completely wiped out. Ive spent the past 3 days feeling awful. I did get my voice back today and am feeling a little better. I am still coughing though so no running until my lungs clear up. I completely don't mind a rest week!
No big or goal races until march 12th and April 16th, so i think i can get by without losing a lot of fitness.
: )
Heres to healthier days ahead!!!!!!
