This past week's training actually went really well. I ended the week with my long run and feeling confident about my ability to finish the 15k I'm training for at the end of March. I love when I have training runs that leave me with confidence and what makes it even better is that my best friend complimented me tonight and told me how skinny I looked. I sometimes struggle to see progress when I look in the mirror so to hear those words tonight meant a lot to me, even if she didn't know it.
Monday 1/24/11:
Monday night was a three mile short run, which was good because I was recovering from my long run the day before. The three miles flew by because Denise and I were chatting and I once again enjoyed sprinting at the end of the run. That's become my favorite part of running because I know I've reached my goal and have crossed that "finish" line.
Wednesday 1/26/11:
Wednesday should have been another three mile run but I had completely screwed up my school schedule for spring quarter, along with thinking I had ruined my plan of graduating next spring (2012) by messing up next quarter so I spent the evening in front of my computer crying and cursing myself for making such a stupid mistake. Luckily hours later I corrected it, but at the expense of missing my run.
Sunday 1/30/11:
Today was my long run day and I had seven miles scheduled for today. Since the temperature outside actually reached 40 today, Denise and I decided to get in a couple of miles outside. She's training for the Disney Princess Half-Marathon in a couple of weeks and had ten miles to do and I had my seven and we just couldn't bare the thought of being stuck inside on a treadmill for two and a half hours when it was so beautiful outside. We started out with a one mile warm up on the treadmill and then headed outside for one of our favorite three mile loops which goes 1.5 miles each way.
The first couple of miles in any run is tough for me and about two miles in I was asking myself why I had signed myself up for this torture but by the end of those first 2.5 miles when we reached the farm that's our turn around and my legs had officially gone numb, I remembered how great it makes me feel. The last time Denise and I did this three mile loop it was 90 degrees outside and the first time I had ever run three miles. Today it was nothing to run those three miles!
By the time we got back indoors, I had no feeling left, both from the fact that I had gotten chilly outside and because I was four miles into a seven mile run and everything had gone numb. I didn't think I was going to be able to finish out the seven miles I had to do today but I pushed myself, even though it meant walking the last three miles. I had about a tenth of a mile left to go in the final part of my run so I decided I was going to sprint it out, since that's how I love to end a run. Well, that lasted for all of a second because I got a HUGE cramp in my leg that spread all the way down to my toes and I had to literally stop and work it out so I could finish the last little bit of my run. Let me tell you, stretching after my run had never felt so good as it did today!
Things I've learned this week in my training:
--Sleep is so important! I actually got a good night's sleep last night because I overslept my alarm and missed church today so I had the energy needed to complete my run. Had I not slept well, I don't think I could have made it through seven miles.
--Hydration is also important. I drank the equivalent of nine glasses of water while at the gym today and that helped lessen the cramps I've been dealing with. I carried my water bottle with me during our three mile outdoor run which helped. I need to start making sure I drink more water throughout the week as well because I think it will be beneficial in the long run.
--I need to start trying some of the different chewy things Denise bought me when I run longer than an hour. My energy level dropped after the first four miles and I had to force myself to finish those last three. I know my body needs to replenish nutrients and what not from running so I'm going to need to figure out what I like and take them with me during training runs so I can get an energy boost during my longer runs.
--Having an awesome training partner is so important because you know you have a built in support system, someone who is going to be beside you during your more difficult runs, someone who will push you when you don't think you can go any further. It helps me to have the accountability, someone who is going to see me through my training and ask me how I'm doing. It also helps knowing I have someone waiting for me at the gym, because I don't think I could ever make myself go without her there. I don't know what I'm going to do when she's in Florida during my 9.3 mile run in a few weeks, my last long run before the 15k. Guess I'll have to fire up the ipod, do some time outside if possible, and just push through. It'll probably be the worst mental battle to make it, but knowing Denise will be asking me how it went, I know I have to do it! I could never, ever make it through this training without her by my side.
All in all, I consider this a great training week. I feel confident about where I am and it encourages me to get through another week of training. I know I can do this and I'm going to be able to look back on this week and remind myself that while there will be bad runs, there will be so many more good runs that outweigh them.
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