Week 6 Recap

WEEK 6

Tuesday: 11k Long Slow Run, Pace 7:14 min/km AND yoga

I was determined to make up the 11k some way so I did it by myself on Tuesday afternoon. Better late than never! I had this week off from work so there was no excuse! Jeff of course was working so I had to head out on my own. Yes I cut the umbilical cord! Lol! It's not that I can't run without Jeff, in fact I like running alone sometimes. But if I had to choose I would pick to run with him. We don't talk, we just run alongside each other, each with our own music on. I just like his presence. Plus he carries the water! He's my Sherpa : )

I knew I needed to carry some water so I grabbed one of the small bottles from the fuel belt and it fit in my pocket perfectly. I grabbed some Sports Beans and off I went. I always go out fast and find I struggle for the first 5 or 6k. I was just breathing a lot harder than I wanted to for a long slow run. I went all the way to the tip of Garry Point for the first few kms. It was a dreary, drizzly day but it's such a scenic route. For some reason I struggle on gravel which is what Garry Point is. I really don't know why I don't like gravel, it's weird. I finished Garry Point and headed back to some neighbourhood roads and was feeling a bit better until I realized that I didn't rinse the water bottle fully and I was sipping dish detergent! Gross!!! The bottle was foamy! I gagged and spit a bit and had a jelly bean to get rid of the awful taste. I feel like I didn't really hit my stride until 6k. I was determined to finish 11k so I trudged along and found a nice stretch of road that was newly paved. This helped a lot so I did 2 loops of the road and at around 9k I started to head home. The last part of the run was so much better than the first and I finished up my 11k! Considering how crappy I felt for more than 1/2 of it, I was actually happy with the pace since the long slow runs should start at 7:20 for our program. But I never really found my zen so can't say I enjoyed the run. Some runs just don't jive with you and this one didn't. Oh well, can't win em all! I still did it though with a faster pace than planned so that's a win. We will call this one a tie : )

So it was double workout day for me and I actually made it to yoga too! I was pretty pleased with myself! Tiring but very satisfying day.

Wednesday: 8k Moderate Run, Pace 6:52 min/km

I'm a little surprised that I made it out for this run considering I did an 11k and yoga the day before. Hubby still had to make up the 11k so I decided to just stick to the program and run the first 8k with him. I didn't want to get set back another day. I decided to make it a moderate run instead of a tempo one. The last thing I wanted was to push myself too hard and get injured. I introduced him to the new stretch of road in our neighbourhood, which we like because we don't have to deal with a lot of lights, traffic, driveways and uneven pavement. We almost always run at night so the uneven pavement can definitely be a danger as I found out! We do have some running lights for our shoes but we have to charge them. Safety first! 

I finished up my 8k and Hubby took off to finish up his 11k. 

Thursday: Unplanned rest day, no yoga

My legs were very sore and tired so I decided to listen to my body and not go to yoga since this class is pretty killer on the legs. Instead I did a lot of foam rolling to work out the knots. Hurt so good! I think I cried a bit! 

Friday: 6k Tempo run, Pace 6:31 min/km

Since we changed the Wednesday one to a moderate one, we made this a tempo run. I told Jeff to set the pace and make me uncomfortable. Which for me right now is anything under 6:30. I am trying to get faster and I know I have to get uncomfortable to do so. But I also know it takes time and I have to be patient. Ideally I would like to be running under 6:30 on a consistent basis but I'm not quite there yet. I'm nowhere near being a natural runner. God just didn't hand out athletic prowess when it came to me. It's a struggle and a lot of work for me. A pace of 6:30 and up is probably turtle slow to a lot of people but for someone like me it's fast and a struggle to maintain. But I do have determination and a good work ethic so that is what I will have to rely on!

I was uncomfortable this whole run but I did it so I'm happy and proud.

Saturday: Rest day

Woohoo!!!! Let's hear it for rest day!!! It really doesn't get enough credit : )

Sunday: 12k Long Slow Run, Pace 7:30 min/km

I didn't think this run was going to happen. I woke up with a tickle in my throat and a small cough. I also had that really heavy, no energy feeling you get when you are coming down with something. Damn! I could not afford to get sick. I ended up sleeping for about 4 hours that day off and on! After my second nap I had something to eat and felt much better. Phew! My body told me to sleep and I did and it fought off whatever was coming to get me. I'm a big believer that sleeping well can keep you from getting sick. So I was ready to tackle the run!

I was also feeling a little burnt out and I realized it was because it's been a really long time since I actually enjoyed a run. And that's just not good. One of my goals this year was to enjoy running more and so far I have not accomplished that at all. I know it's because I've been so obsessed with pace and getting faster that running just seems like chore. I don't mind putting in the hard work but I was long overdue for a nice, enjoyable, relaxed run! Today was the day! 

I told Jeff that I was not going to turn on MapMyRun and listen to pace, time or distance. I didn't give 2 shits about pace today. I just wanted to take in the outdoors, relax into my thoughts and enjoy the feeling of being able to run. It was a beautiful day and the sun was setting about 45 minutes into it so I just took it all in. We saw a huge Crane fly away just steps away from us which was really cool. I was so happy to do nasal breathing for the first time in a long time. When I'm not focussing on how hard I'm breathing I can settle more into my thoughts and I feel a lot more free. The first 8k just flew by! I was so happy to not be thinking about my pace. The last 4k were a bit tiring but we did pick up the pace and had some negative splits. I even had enough juice to get in a nice sprint at the end. Success! It was exactly what I needed! It was damn slow as you can see by the pace but I don't care!! It's still on the lower end of the suggested pace for long runs.

Recap - Happy with the Tempo run and I can now go into the next week having an enjoyable, long run under my belt. 

Plus this week the dreaded hill training starts!! GULP! It will be a nice change of pace and I know will make me a better runner. I curse them but they are good for me. I also recently read a race report for the Whidby Island Race and it's really hilly! Yikes! I'm scared! 

OUTFITS

I don't really have any new outfits to post so here's a change up with some of Hubby's tried and true outfits:

This is a typical yoga outfit. Both are Lulu. I love his tank that he got at the SeaWheeze Showcase store last year.

He recently got a new pair of running shoes because he found Saucony Kinvara 3's on sale for $65!!! I was so jealous! They have great reviews and are so lightweight. He loves them so far.

This is a typical running outfit for him. He usually wears shorts unless it's really cold. If it's close to 0 degrees out he will put on his Lulu shorts/tights combo to protect his knees from the cold.  Don't worry, I would never let him wear tights just by themselves! Eww! His shorts are from a variety of brands - Lulu, Nike, Reebok, Saucony. His fave are the Saucony ones. He will usually wear a short sleeve running top and his Lulu run jacket. He gets warm easily and the jacket is a perfect lightweight layer to keep out the wind while still being breathable. He loves it! It is a definite staple. If it's cooler he will wear a long sleeve Swiftly top from Lulu. My fave running top!