Marathon Training Journal: Day 17 – Double Run +1

A double run day with a cross training session between them. It's days like this that make me wonder if the people who say I'm nuts have a point.

The workouts aren't the toughest part; it's fitting them in around all the other responsibilities of the day.

When the evening came, I was not in the mood for the second run. My mind is tired and it's hard to figure out right now how much of that is related to training, to lack of sleep or to other things on my mind.

Running on Momentum

If you've followed me even for a little while, you'll be familiar with my little sparkly motivational wraps and shoe tags. I'm not generally a sentimental person, but I love my Momentum Jewelry.

I like wearing them. I know what each one says so even thought I can't read the tags on my shoes while my feet are moving, I know what the message is. Today is one day when I just need all of it. I am, quite literally, running on Momentum today. And that's not just for running. The whole day feels so long, yet it went too quickly for me to do everything on my task list.

The Comfortable Zone Moves Around

Today was a great day for training, but time pressure threw in some challenges for me.

The morning run was business as usual. I capped out a little under 10 miles. I really don't have that urge to run around the block to make the next even number. The odds will just blend in with the previous and next runs and they all merge together in the big picture.  Besides, with a double run today, I don't want to leave all my energy out on the asphalt before sunrise. There's much to do today.

I felt surprisingly good after my hard run yesterday. Perhaps the faster leg turnover was still lingering in my muscles and they figured anything slower than that is easy.  Or maybe they are teasing me and being slow to play catch-up.

The first few miles yesterday were a lot slower than today, yet this morning it all felt so much easier. I had no prescribed instructions for this run, other than to stay comfortable and that's exactly what I did. It's always interesting to note how my body's perception of ‘easy' can vary so widely from one day to the next. It's a good indicator of both general and muscle fatigue.

I am tired!  It's not the training. At least, that isn't the biggest problem. Going to bed at midnight when there's a 4:15 am alarm set for the next morning catches up after a few days. I have two simple goals for today: Complete my workouts and get to bed at a reasonable time.

Bad Planning Creates Chaos

I stumbled my way through the morning and felt rushed trying to get myself something nutritious to eat for lunch. I'm not particularly hungry when I'm distracted, tired or busy so there's an element of discipline that fits in here somewhere. Schools go back here tomorrow so there the day generally felt disjointed and filled with interruptions.

I didn't do a very thorough job with my food prep for the week either and it's a reminder just how worthwhile it is to spend a bit of time on a Sunday getting things ready to make life easier during the week. A portion of lentil soup I stashed in the freezer last week came to the rescue.

I eat mostly raw food. Maybe that's why I'm not a great cook. When I do make something like a soup – perfect lazy food – I make a big pot of it. Nobody else eats lentil soup, but if I have to do the work and clean up, it takes the same amount of time to cook. This is my cheat meal to get lots of nutrients in. I think I got at least 12 portions out of this crock pot and it's crammed with nutrients.

 

Cross Training.  The Meat in The Workout Sandwich

I took my gap early in the afternoon to get my cross training done. My mind played games with me about whether I should run first and then cross train. It's not the way I usually do it and I stayed with my routine. I need a thread of structure in the day and a bit of familiarity will do the job. Besides, if I leave the cross training for later, I'm not likely to do it.

I grabbed my mat, resistance bands,pulled up a playlist on iTunes and got to work. Wednesday workouts are killers. There are always things thrown in there that are so hard to do and they guarantee a sore body for the next two days. I guess that means they are working.

By the time I got through the hour I was under pressure to get back to tackle more things on the to-do list. My shower was quick. I closed the door on my rapidly growing pile of laundry so I could ignore it.

Not In The Mood

It was 6 pm and the temperature was still high. I was really not in the mood for another run. I wanted to do it, but it would be so much nicer to just crawl into bed and sleep until tomorrow.

My muscles are starting to burn from the cross training and no dinner prep was done. I picked one of my jewelry wraps. The one that says “Earned Not Given” would fit perfectly. Besides, it's just a short run. I can do four miles.

I stuck a bottle of beer into the freezer, wrapped the Momentum band around my wrist and I ran.

Not surprisingly, as soon as I got going I felt great. The sky was a pretty color, other people were out running and I got caught up in my little four mile route. Before I knew it, I was home again.

It's already past the time I wanted to go to bed. That's just the way life is. Making time to rest properly can be a tough one. It means something doesn't get done. Well, today, some things won't get done. My beer was ice cold when I got home and the empty bottle is in the recycling bin.  I'm ready for another shower and some sleep. Hill repeats in the morning are going to hurt.