Running. Week 5. Why you so hard...

Not every week is a pretty one, right? 

After regaling about a fantastic week last week, this week was bound to be terrible. Law of the running universe. 

Womp.

The plan usually prescribes some sort of Monday workout but I usually make Monday a rest day, mostly because I'm still tired from the weekend! However, I woke up with just enough energy to sneak in a quick, but very tough workout. I think it helped that I ended up skipping my Sunday run w D, due to scheduling conflicts, as well as my deep desire to sleep past 7. 

On Tuesday, as soon as I hit start on the treadmill, I knew it would be a tough week. First off, I woke up about late (in what sad world does 4:40am constitute as late? Srsly) and had to quickly talk myself into squeezing in a few miles. More than the miles, and calories burned, I've really started craving the feeling of getting in those positive, mood lifting endorphins charged for the day, or else I spend most of the day in full on beast mode, and not in the uber cool Marshawn way.  I stumbled through 3, yes- 3, measly miles and called it a day. No time for anything else- no weights, no core, no stretching. I barely had time to jump in the shower and add some brows! 

I ended up working from home on Wednesday because E was sick. I decided to take advantage of the day at home, and I decided to move my Thursday speed session to Wednesday am. It was... Not easy. I took lots of breaks (foreshadowing to Saturday's run) and felt pretty terrible most of the time but I (barely) gutted out those 6 miles

Thursday and Friday- glorious, glorious rest. 

Saturday. 

The plan called for 13 miles. I had psyched myself out over the 12 miles a few weeks earlier, and that run ended up being pretty pleasant. I did not have good feelings about my 13 as I prepped to get out the door. 

My long runs this week and last week were similar in numbers but it's incredible how much more difficult it felt this week. Like, omigodsohard hard. 

It's amazing how much mental strength running requires. I didn't feel as positive starting off in the first few miles and I really believe it affected me the entire time. I did my usual 5 mile long run route just to check off the beginning miles, and then took a gu at about 5.5 miles. I was trying not to look too much at my watch but I felt like I could not stop focusing on my pace. I've always struggled to run my feel (I mean, it all feels hard?) but I started to psyche myself out with each passing mile. I was starting to run out of gas around 8 miles in, and I took more breaks than if like to admit. Actually, if I ran up to a light or a cross walk, I would gladly wait until the light turned green. I also tried dates as fuel for the later miles, which turned out to be rather disastrous. Two pitted dates in a small, snack sized zip lock bag - not easy to eat! The dates stuck to the bag and were too sticky to just hold and eat, so I just stood at the corner of a major intersection trying to suck the goop off the possible bpa laden plastic dollar store bag.

It wasn't the best idea I'd ever had.

Around mile 9,10 I was starting to feel really discouraged and made the executive decision to stop at 11. It was more than last week, right? Mentally I don't know if I could have handled ending those two miles in disappointment, and so I cut my losses and barely had enough juice to run my last mile under 9 min. It was much harder than it should have been, honestly. Sadly. 

Lots of takeaways this week- 

I need to work on my pre long run breakfast. One small breakfast cookie and small piece of mochi are not enough.

I need to find a handheld water bottle. I imagine those dates nestled very nicely on the roof of my mouth. Sticky. Thirsty.

2 GU work for me. One at mile 5.5, one at 10,10.5. Salted caramel is the best. 

10 is where the wheels come off for me. Note to work on that. 

Two runs can be remarkably similar, and yet so damn different. Makes me feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. I feel like often. Very often. 

Sometimes it really is mind over matter. 

Week 4 10 miles. 9:09 pace. Felt great.

Week 5 11 miles. 9:06 pace. Terrible. Don't ask me how many breaks I took. Also, mile 7 wtf

I woke up in Sunday, worried my legs would feel trashed but I managed 2 easy miles on the treadmill, and some weights. At least I ended on a good, sweaty note. 

Recap

Week 5

2/29: 1 mi WU

20 min emom

Planks

3/1: 3 miles

Woke up late!

3/2: 6 miles. 2 mi WU. 4 mile race pace.struggle. Lots of breaks 

3/3: rest

3/4: rest

3/5:  11 miles. 9:06 pace. Struggle fest 2016

3/6: 2 mile TM. Shake out/easy

20 min run

20 min strength

Totals:
Miles: 23
Run: 4 (5 including the 1 wu mi)
Strength: 2
Rest: 2