Training Week January 19th-26th

January 29th: Everyone’s favorite, rest day!

January 21st: Speed work of 4x400, 2x800, 4x400 with 1:30-2:00 rest in set and 2:30 between sets. I felt okay. Paces are still a bit slower than planned on the tread but I’m trying to learn and grow on it. Also looking to aim for effort and not paces keeping in mind my work day. I started to have a wicked calf tightness in my right leg. Probably should have stopped but I know I’m off running for a few so was stubborn. The warmup and cooldown were just a mile and not 1.5 but that’s fine. Calf was sooooore but I also attribute that to heels at work.

January 22nd: I took this as a rest to rest the calf and I have little to prove until I’m back from vacation.

January 23rd: Easy four which felt pretty good with only some calf annoyance.

January 24th: Another easy four pre-travel. I had a workout planned (3 miles at MP) but with travel I decided to keep things easy and calm before the marathon of travel.

The rest of this week and next will be spent traveling and hiking. I don’t even have running shoes! I may make notes or just pick this back up once we’re back into the training plan.

Training Week January 13th-19th

January 13th: Rest day Monday!

January 14th: Our trip this weekend was canceled, which is a bummer but we have a big one the end of the month so there’s something. Plus, the reason for not going make perfect sense and is the right call. So this means there’s likely not a break in the training this week. Today was 8x1 min at 5k-10k pace. I set the tread at 7:14-7:09 for the minutes. It went okay. Sometimes when I’m on the treadmill with faster paces there’s a mental block where I almost have a bit of an anxiety attack as if I think I’m going to trip or fall. The stride gets off and I’m held back. It’s annoying but the heart rate goes up! I’m hoping that’s something I can try to fix this go around.

January 15th: The problem with going away is how much work goes into getting to that point. I’ve been out of the home for 11 hours each day for couple past weeks. What that means is that optimistic idea that my second rest day would actually be a bike day goes out the window. 

January 16th: We’re slowly easing back into the two speed workouts a week. That’ll be the case up until the marathon although at times it will be a workout during a long run, which sometimes I prefer and sometimes they are the worst. Today was three miles at marathon pace, 8:00 a mile, with .25 rest between. I actually felt really good during the marathon pace efforts, which is always a nice thing. I had to cut the warm up and cool down short because of time which is just going to be the running theme of this build.

January 17th: Today was *A Day* at work. There was 6 miles on my schedule, but I already only plan to do 4 because of dinner plans. After the day I just had there was literally no energy to even pull out a 1 mile run at this stage that would’ve had any benefit. Since technically I’m supposed to be in California right now and had the weekend off on a training block, I’m going to have some grace with myself and take the rest for what it was and what I needed. There will be plenty of time to push through and keep going even when I don’t want to that I can afford to rest right now especially with our larger trip coming up.

January 18th: I managed to get myself outside today. I knew I couldn’t make up the missed miles so I settled for something in between. I had a pretty solid headache so that took most of my focus, but I got 5.5 done I told myself to just go to the end of the rail trail and back and don’t look at your watch. Miles are miles. I held true to that promise and thought a lot about how Des Linden, when speaking about DNF-ing for a non-injury/emergent reason, said that the first time you step off is hard, but it makes the next time a little easier. I'm trying to focus on my mental game this block and didn’t step off this time.

January 19th: Long run of 12 miles. The legs felt okay at the start, but I didn't really enjoy the hills. It was sort of just a meh run. Nothing bad, nothing good. I was going to call it at 11.5, but went to the 12 just because. I feel like this is the time in the block, aside from the fact I'll be off running for about two weeks, where it's harder than it feels for what I'm doing. I look forward to a hard 20 and the 12 feeling easy.

Being Tired

 There is nothing unique or new with being or feeling tired. It's something everyone, in some manner, feels or thinks. You could play the comparison game until the end of time, trying to one-up or out-do someone with your tiredness and exhaustion and busyness. So, I'll just touch upon my own because it is heavy right now.

It's been a long couple of months and I don't expect anything to change so I constantly try to think of how I can (and need to) adjust. Each day, around 11am, I think "damn it I should have run in the morning" because I see my daily clock ticking down, my energy levels starting to go, and I just know how hard anything after the work day will be. And I've come to be of an age where I do skip days I normally wouldn't skip.

I hate that so much though. I want to be able to follow my plan as instructed. I know I can be dumb, but I want to be naive. I want to thank that I'll have the time and the energy, but I'm learning the lesson again and again that I won't and don't.

So, what does that mean? I don't know if I can change the tired without a huge change and I don't want that. I need to adjust and, to adjust, I have to commit. If I want to run like I want to run, I need to make sure I put in the effort to do that which is more than just following a plan. It's making a commitment to change and stick with it.

Despite being tired, I'll keep trying.

Training Week January 6th-January 12th

January 7th: Everyone loves a rest day which was yesterday. I also enjoy it being a Monday because, Mondays amiright? Today I did a sneak peek of next week with five one minute pickups on the tread amongst my five planned miles. The pickups went fine, I did them at 7:14, and felt okay. Looking forward to seeing how this training block evolves.

January 8th: This was going to be a bike day, but that didn’t happen so I turned it into a rest day. Happy with that decision, but I do hope to make changes going forward.

January 9th: I had an appointment after work so I knew if I was going to get my run it without having everything be super late, I had to do it in the morning. My alarm went off and I mentally tried to convince myself it would be okay to run at the end of the day and I would have time. But *then* I told myself, just get out of bed and get it done! I successfully did that and ran 4 miles early in the morning. I have to adjust my wake up time going forward if I want to run more than 4 to 5 miles, but I’m going to take the success for what it is right now

January 10th: I fully was set in the fact that there was no way I was getting in 6 miles after work. Throughout the day, I convinced myself that it would be too hard and that I would find myself only running 3 miles. Which would be fine! It’s fine! I didn’t want to run in the morning because my husband had to work late so I didn’t want to have him wake up because the dog can’t settle. So after work I got home, later than expected, but not really as things go these days. I did a few things and then I laced up and I put on a 45 minute Peloton class. I added to that and got 5.5 miles done. The entire day/night ended up being later than expected but I’m glad that I got it done and I feel proud of myself for that.

January 11th: I lied to myself saying I’d do 5 inside and 5 outside in the snow because it was pretty. I did a 45 minute Peloton class that has 22 minutes of incline which I held! Becs had some good focusing tidbits and it didn’t hurt my legs so that felt good. I, of course, stayed on the tread, convincing myself that’ll be too much of a pain to change, the roads might be dangerous, and I was in a groove of some sort. The run went well and I was particularly proud of myself for getting it done today because I had a tighter schedule on Sunday. This was a day that I just felt content with my running and decisions

January 12th: I was pretty optimistic this weekend about the things I want to take it done. I’m about 80% the way through my to do list and the things that I haven’t done can actually wait. I was able to get 4 miles in before Dear Evan Hansen which was fantastic. Not the run. The run was actually kind of shitty but so it goes. Nothing in particular, just hard and hilly. Dear Evan Hansen was fantastic and I’m so glad I made the decision to go.

Trying to Make a Name

 One reason I come back to blogging here and there is because I keep thinking what if I can make a break through and become "someone" online. I don't even think that I want that, or could effectively do that, but it's always there. What if someone read what I wrote and liked it? What if they saw what I did and it inspired them? The thing is, I don't know how to do that other than putting some words to a blank screen and maybe someone will happen upon on the internet. 

In college I had a live journal that was much more open/shared. I even had a few folks that were strangers follow and post with me. It was neat and a part of me tries to get that back each time I try this. But the thing is, I still keep this part of me hidden. It's not out on my social media, it's not something that I put my name to. To take that leap, I think I need to show me, but I'm not entirely sure I want to do that.

What is this all leading to? Not much, for sure, expect a little bit of honestly that I'm trying to be more here, while still remaining less.

Training Week January 1st-January 5th

I'm falling into the trap of New Year's resolutions, as usual, so this training log begins on a Tuesday because it's January 1st. The goal race is the Bayshore Marathon on May 25th so this training cycle, devised by my coach with edits from me, is focused on that. I've been holding pretty steady since my fall half in October with 15-25 miles a week, but limited speed and no cross training. The training will actually being after our February trip, but technically began around last week.

January 1st: 40 minutes of Peloton biking post-NYE. I didn't really drink but ate so-so yesterday and slept like garbage so this was harder than planned although the heart rate wasn't too bad. I eased off the second class, partially because I felt like trash and partially because I made the excuse that biking is new fixture and I don't have to go 100% from "day one". 

January 2nd: To no one to surprise, the first day of trying the 5 AM wake up did not go according to plan. I was extremely stressed about how my workday would go and couldn’t relax. Although my watch said I slept okay, it didn’t feel like that (liar) so I called it around 4:30 and did my normal wake-up time and routine. All that sets up the fact that I did my run after work. I left early because I had someone coming to the house so I was able to start the run around 5:20 which is a nice change of pace. On deck was 6 miles and I did 6 miles according to my watch, which ends up being about 5.5 according to the treadmill. All in all, not bad. I wore my new Adizero that Believe in the Run rated as their favorite (normal) shoe of the year. It’s a firm and not ideal for my toe striking but I’ll keep it and wear it periodically on the treadmill. I’m having the random tightness still in my right calf but I’m just kind of ignoring that for now and seeing how it goes.

January 3rd: I made plans with some friends about two weeks ago for tonight, but I bailed. The last couple months have been super draining and I feel like I haven’t had a break or time to myself. I know that’s not entirely true, but sometimes it just seems that way. So I asked if we could reschedule and I made a plan that tonight I would do laundry, do a run, eat some food, and just sit with myself, by myself. The Friday runs are always some of the hardest. The week takes so much out of me and it can be difficult to get on the treadmill or out the door. But I usually feel better afterwards and take some pride if seeing the run through. Today was a planned 4 and I did 3.75 which was entirely fine and enough. Overall not feeling too bad, still have some weird niggles here and there which I really just need to get my act together and do PT and strength as all of the niggles are things that I have felt before. The run was done is the Rebel 4 which, once I got the tying down to avoid blisters, are a fan-fav.

January 4th: Ah, the weekend. Time to rest and recoup. I'm trying to following my coach's plan even though long runs on Sundays can be trying. For now, especially since the distances are shorter, it's not as bad so today was another 4. The weather here is meh. It's sunny but cold and windy. The real feel was like 10-15 degrees when I was gearing up to run to run so I stayed on my trusty treadmill again (tomorrow, after all, is another day). I did some pick-ups during particular parts of my play list to keep things fresh and the legs turning over since speed training is right another the corner. Overall felt good. I'm looking to use our Hyperice more regularly because I am awful at other forms of recovery so I'll see if the passive form can do me some good. Also done again in the Rebel.

January 5th: Long run day. Although I had the best intentions of considering an outside run (considering, not doing), I pretty much vetoed that on Friday. I checked the weather and it just didn't feel like it jived for me today so I laced up and found myself back on the tread. I did a few things this go around, warm-up, k a 45 minute Peloton class, and part of the NYC Marathon course. Overall it went fine. I had some tummy issues towards the last 5K which was a clear indicator of poor nutrition choices yesterday. I knew that yesterday and it played out today. But I got it down and the first week of 2025 training is in the books.

Once More, With Feeling

It's that time of the year, the beginning, where I'm trying to determine how to make all the changes to my life for it to be "better". Overall, I am happy with the day-to-day in my life, but I am also a victim of comparison syndrome and see all the ways that I should be able to improve my days. 

 Remember: comparison is the thief of joy. Some of my proposed changes do come from a bit of a place of necessity. 

The early morning workouts I hope to accomplish allow me to let the workday take the path it will take and not feel like I'm losing something if/when it gets away from me. The others goals, meal prep to make my days easier and aim to eat balance, sleep more, write more, stretch more, do more strength and PT, these are all goals I have to improve how I feel. But, man, is it hard to always find the motivation even for those things that you *know* will make you feel better. 

 Yet, I'll try. 

One thing that I do miss is writing. It's been for myself for the last years and, let's be honest, will continue to be for myself as this little corner of the internet will likely get little travel. But I can put some words to a page and look to grow and share even if it's just me. Today is the start of the new year. That is an arbitrary start, but also a clean one. Today is the beginning, although I've had forty-two other beginnings that have bleed into one another, but we'll still call today a beginning. 

So, I'll write my post, share my post, and consider the next steps after that. Overall, this place will be about running and health because that is what I happy to share. 

To start the new year, I'll concluded the last one. 

 On my last run of 2024 yesterday, I put some retrospection into my running year. I ended 2023 very disappointed and frustrated. I'd put a lot of effort, energy and myself into a spring marathon that was a disaster. I actually bounced back okay, focusing on the fact that it was a one-off, but I also new that it easily could *not* be a one off and could I put myself through a training block that ended in something so bad (for me, remember, this is always what I consider bad). I'd looked at running coaches online and pinned one for a few months and finally, at the end of 2023, I decided to take that leap and reached out. It's a purely online coach, but what a difference. 

The coach allowed me to just let go and following instructions. I gave me someone who, more often than not, provided the right positive feedback and motivation. It gave me someone who said they were proud of what I did in something, big picture, as trivial as my running. It allowed me to just show up and do what the plan said and try my best. In a life that is so often controlled by me and something that I often have little control over as well, it was what I wanted and needed. 

 The year resulted in a Boston Qualifying time that, although I did not make the actual time cut off, I made it on paper. It gave me a half marathon personal best and it also made me love running more than I have in the past. The downside of it all, it is caused me wo to wonder "what if". What if I had done this before I was in my forties? But that will get me no where so I'm focusing on what "what now" aspect of this. 

 I know 2025 easily can result in no further improvements. I know I'm getting older but I also know I have some fight still in me for times and efforts that I never reached before but I think that was because I hadn't tried like this before. I look forward to the challenges as it is something that I am choosing to challenge myself with and not something that I have thrust upon me. The training cycle pretty much begins now, with a brief two week lull this month, and then we take off. 

It's time to see how much I can grow this go around.