Training Week May 17th - May 23rd

Sunday, May 17th: As stated last week, I'm looking to modify (again) my weekly running and biking plans. I'm trying to keep the miles lower but more days. I just don't really think I care to push myself into distances (I already backed out of my virtual half). I am trying to have some grace with my running and myself during all of this. It is good to be strong and to be a fighter, but it is also good to be okay with not being that and to take it in stride. I feel like this is all about finding a balance that brings you joy while keeping up my health. So, today I planned to do at least 7 miles but hoped for 9 secretly. I did just over 8 and that was totally fine. I could have tacked on the additional .79 to get to 9, but I thought... why? What did that prove? I know I can run 9 and so why does that number matter so much? I made a choice to NOT have it matter to me and to be content with the distance that I ran and how I felt doing that. I did take on an easy bike ride while watching tv to get hit my weekly bike goal. Monday, May 18th: In trying to change when my rest day is, Mondays will now be my 5K day I hope. This run started out really good and then half way, my brain got the better of me. It happens and so I pushed through to finish and now am in a not entirely great headspace. Hopefully it'll pass and this is a funk that comes and goes during this whole shindig we have going on. Tuesday, May 19th: Although I had wanted to keep up running on Tuesdays in honor of the Run Club that is No More that was not something that will happen with the new weekly line up so I biked instead. It was okay. I still have my bad headspace happening so I went easy on the ride resistance-wise which is okay. I got on it and hopefully each little step will make things improve instead this head of mine. Wednesday, May 20th: I kept up with the hope of a 3, 4, and then 5 mile run day. I can feel myself starting to lag a big and wonder if there is too many days in a row despite my original goal of having Friday as my rest day. I can also tell that I'm hitting a hard patch regarding this whole lockdown, COVID19 situation and gearing up towards heading in Friday. I am not sure where the anxiety is coming from but it's there and getting persistent. Thursday, May 21st: I had hoped to run today, but it just wasn't in me. I considered doing nothing, but got myself on a Cody ride and a body-weight workout with Becs. Both went fine and I felt okay so I'm trying to keep this growing anxiety under control and consider what is causing it. I often wonder if hormones play a role and have an effect on how I manage this COVID stuff. Friday, May 22nd: Despite my rising concerns,the day was hectic but went fine. I had a massive headache and knew that I was not in a place to run, but after sitting for a good hour, I finally got on the bike to do a 20 minute with Alex. Saturday, May 23rd: I wasn't sure what I wanted to do really but I felt a few extra miles would do me some good so I went out and did a 5K. It felt good, quiet humid but not sun and it was early enough that I wasn't over heated. I wanted to meet my biking goals, so did a 30 low-impact ride a bit later. I think that set-up will help with the overall week better than doing two things on a Sunday even if a long run isn't an insane distance. I think I am also going to go back to taking Monday off because it seems like it was too many days in a row on with a longer run in there.

Training Week May 10th - May 16th

Sunday, May 10th: I wasn’t sure how far I wanted to go today. I planned to dial it back because I just wasn’t feeling it, but I said maybe 7-9 miles. Starting out I was in the range of the 7 and made it so at least 7.5 miles. I had to cut off going to 8 miles because of a runner who decided to pass me when he was not going to be able to keep up that pace so I didn’t want to deal with that. By the time I was close to home, it was easy to get to 8 miles and then… why not go to the 9 miles so I did. It was not as effortless as last week’s run, but it wasn’t as draining as I feared. As stated, I’m in a place right now that isn’t great and when I get there I can feel the anxiety eat away at me and make me think what can/should I do to protect myself. Turns out I am not sure but probably not running isn’t the answer and the answer is to embrace it, think about it, try to reflect on it and try to let it goes. Monday, May 11th: A rest day as I am trying to bring these back because… well you should rest. Tuesday, May 12: And keeping up the Tuesday runs. I am pretending that I will run four days a week now so this is shorter than ones in the past since I hope to add some miles on Friday. Wednesday, May 13th: A ride from home with Alex. Nothing too crazy, but I found the last 26 second all outs very hard as they should have been. I did run on 3/8 but this was a better way to show up I think. Thursday, May 14th: I did a Peloton run with Matty Maggiacomo. It was kind of a tempo, but there wasn't a lot of guidance as to how long or effort level so I kind of made it up. It worked out okay but wasn't as hard as Becs which is actually okay. I'm trying to figure out my workout level per week and hoping to settle into something that works with the biking and a hard-ish run but that doesn't leave me feeling beat up since there is no reason to be beat up these days. Friday, May 15th: I had high hopes that I'd be able to continue my Friday 5K runs and that is not a thing that is going to happen. I didn't eat enough and certainly didn't drink enough, plus the stress level was super-duper high so I'm going to transition Fridays to being my rest day. I think if I keep my long runs down on the weekend which I don't mind doing because I realize I don't really care to train for anything that long so I am coming to terms with a long run being 7-9 miles and that is okay. I did do some yoga and core because I need to keep that streak up. Saturday, May 16th: At home with Alex Toussaint. I had a little higher hope for the class being motivational, but it was good. Hard without killing me. I suppose some of that is the effort I also put in, but I try to keep up the effort, promise.

Training Week May 3rd - May 9th

Sunday, May 3rd: I did a little real life biking which went fine. It’s not totally my jam, but I’m trying it out as the husband seems to enjoy it. Not sure I’ll get into it outdoors like him, but you never know. I also did a Robin Peloton which…whew. That was a cathartic ride that I didn’t know I needed. I haven’t been super sad during this whole situation. Not because I shouldn’t be, but it’s not my go to emotion. I tend to get anxious and nervous but not sad. This ride brought some tears out because of the acknowledgement of how hard this is right now and how that it sokay and sometimes you have to let to consume you if only to push it away after acknowledging it. It felt good and was a moment that I didn’t know I needed until I was having it. Monday, May 4th: May the Fourth Be With It. For me it was just some easy toning. Tuesday, May 5th: Keeping up with the running on Tuesdays. Nothing fancy to see here, just getting out and moving along as you do these days. Wednesday, May 6th: I decided to find a hard class with Olivia and uuuuugh. I am not in the place to have gone this hard and did need to dial it back a bit. Be it time or just something around, I am finding myself in an anxious headspace right now and the ride wasn’t the cleanse that I had hope it to be, but actually made me a bit more anxious. Thursday, May 7th: I tried out an interval run this go around. I thought the intervals would be shorter and had thought to do a longer run, but that’s okay. Felt pretty good and the splits were faster than the prior speed workout (which those were longer at points so it makes sense). I am beginning to feel like maybe I need to dial back a bit towards the end of this week and we will see where I find myself. Friday, May 8th: I’ve decided that maybe I’ll add on an additional run day instead of longer runs but fewer days. I also wanted some company and to see how Robin was on the Peloton running app. It was pretty good all around; perhaps a little more up tempo than I should have aimed to do, but I felt okay with the uptick in speed. Funny how much different those can be on a run versus a bike depending on which is more your style. Saturday, May 9th: I wanted to join my closed 10,000 plus friends on a ride today so I did that. Nothing too crazy to report and not the emotional rollercoaster like the last time I did one of these.

Training Week April 26th - May 2nd

Sunday, April 26th: I did a low impact Peloton bike to keep active and cross a little today. Monday, April 27th: Rest day, but keeping up with a Peloton activity everyday, did a ten minute yoga. Tuesday, April 28th: I didn’t think about run club until I posted on Strava and realized, maybe I do miss it…? I’m not sure but I think what I do miss is the long runs with that crew who I really enjoy running with. The Tuesday runs can be a bit daunting when preference with a work day but I suppose I should appreciate having had that in my life as an option. So, I’ll try to keep running on Tuesdays which, at least it won’t be at 6:30p. Wednesday, April 29th: I decided to go full Denis Morton today. I wanted to do something longer but didn’t actually want to do a long ride so two it was. Thursday, April 30th: I want to begin to bring back speed to my workouts, but the idea of running repeats seem blah. I enjoyed the Peloton runs so I tried out an interval run. It went pretty well. It’s fun having someone in your ear who talks through the whole time of the run and makes it go so much faster. I had a bit of stitch the first half, but managed to keep it together and paces under 8 minutes which was my goal. Friday, May 1st: I wanted a little fun in my day so a Cody Rigsby Backstreet Boys ride seemed like the perfect fit. Saturday, May 2nd: I did my long run today and it was nice. I wanted to keep my pace down, but I fell into the normal rhythm once I was out there. I suppose it could be that my paces aren’t quite what I expect them to be, but I also want to focus on the enjoyment of a long run and going slower, in general, makes things more enjoyable since you aren’t dying. But this was a positive little jaunt for me and farther than I’ve run in a long time.