Sunday, February 16, 2014

Mulligan

My race training was supposed to begin this week. I chose a 15 week plan because I feel like for both of my previous races I was under-trained. I had only one run over ten miles. In both races (they were just three weeks apart) I struggled BADLY after ten miles. I just felt unprepared and my brain just shut down trying to push me towards the finish line. The longer plan has several runs over that ten mile marker and just more miles overall It was the plan I was using before becoming pregnant and dropping out of the half marathon last year. This was week 1 of that plan. And I failed at week 1. Failed badly.

Tuesday was great, 4 strong miles in the gym before work. But I had an ugly, embarassing weird injury in the middle of the week and didn't run the rest of my plan. Objectively I know that no one has failed at a race because they skipped a short run with strides. But I admit that those zeros in my training log make me feel uneasy. I think that this is common. Most runners I admit that do events have that obsessive side of their personality. They devote a lot of time trying to sort out the best way to get across the finish line.

Now this week is my chance to get going on the right track. We will see if I can get a couple of speed workouts in and work past this slow start.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Race Ready

When I got pregnant I was training for a half marathon. My previous two races at that distance had been great accomplishments but poor finishes and I really wanted to train better for my next try. I felt so strong and was about a third of a way into the cycle when I found out I was pregnant. I couldn't keep up the training and eventually stopped running.

While I was still pregnant I had a feeling of loss about that training cycle. That sounds really stupid, especially since I really wanted another baby and I was much more worried about my age for pregnancy then my fitness routine. But still, I had invested a lot in that cycle and it was going so well. So I kept focusing on my comeback that I could get back to how I felt like I did during that cycle. I spent all the time rubbing that thought between my fingers, just trying to move forward until I could try again.

Coming back has been harder and easier than I expected. It was easy to get in the groove again, easy to start training. But it has been more painful than I anticipated. And less linear. Under normal circumstances each run builds on itself and you can feel yourself progressing. But I am stutter stepping forward. I get better one week and then the next every step hurts. It takes a lot of faith to keep moving. I had thought I would try another half in March, no time goal, just completing the distance again would feel like a win. A post baby PR. I had an April race in the back of my head as a back up. By the time it was November I knew that initial race was too much of a stretch for me. It was just too soon. I wasn't able to log the miles, my body wasn't recovering the way I wanted it to. . .Last week I realized that I really needed to get into a cycle if I wanted to do the April race. And it scared me.

I typed up my training plan and started to worry. I just didn't feel ready. Every run seemed scary - even without a time goal. I had actual doubts about finishing.

And then I got an email about a new women's half debuting on a great course nearby. They were even offering a discounted buy in. Sold. That gives me three extra weeks to get ready for my training. I didn't realize that it was weighing on me so much until I changed my focus. Then it was clearing the right decision. Now I am excited about starting out and sure I can finish it. I can't imagine PRing this race so I will still be at the back of the pack. But I can finish. That feels huge at this stage.

Last week was a sluggish one.
4 miles treadie on Sunday - progression run
3 miles HITT on Thursday
6 miles road on Saturday - 1 mile finish on hill repeats