Epiphany

Let's interrupt my weekend getaway reporting with a quick training update:

I ran last night and I felt like crap!!

There, I said it.

While running has not been high on the priority list over the last couple of months, I still get about two runs in per week. One track workout on Wednesday that normally is around 7 miles and then another run around 4 to 8 miles on the weekend. That I run on Mondays is highly unusual and that I run in the afternoon is even more rare.

The odds were stacked against me.

Odds= running in the pm, it was in the 80s after a couple of cool weeks, I haven't worked out in almost three days and while on the weekend getaway, I ate whatever my little heart desired and much of it.

This leads me to epiphany number one in my first couple of miles of yesterday's run: Eat crap, feel like crap! I know, I mentioned this before, but sometimes I need to remind myself, because obviously, I have a memory like a squirrel when it comes to that.

I am not going into details with my food choices over the weekend (yes, it was that bad), but one thing that shouldn't happen is, that you crave ice cream on Monday, since I gobbled up ice cream every day for three days... Not good! In order to get back to cleaner eating, I treated myself to a smoothie with coconut water, recovery powder and blueberries... Very yummie and so much better for me than ice cream... Lesson learned for now until amnesia sets in again.

Epiphany number two came sometime between the 3x 5min intervals at 10K race pace* and it was the realization that I don't handle breaks in my training well.

*which I ran too fast and therefore made me feel even worse... go figure

I like to follow my training plan to the T. That's one of the reasons I have a coach, because I love love love structure and I love love love that somebody tells me what to do and when to do it. Soooo, due to the getaway, I had a little break in training which is certainly not the end of the world and rest does the body good etc. While it sure is physically benefiting to take a break every now and then, mentally I run through the same patterns each and every time....

First I panic, because I am not working out... So much free time and no workout, something's not right. And then, after a couple of days when I am supposed to get back into things, I can't get motivated. Once I get this first workout done according to plan, things start to click again. Quite honestly, if it wasn't for Terry dragging me out of the house yesterday, I don't know if that run would have happened at all.

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On a brighter note: In order to focus on anything but running after Mitchell, I put my first swimming only event on the calendar. It's going to be a 3K open water race in Lake Hartwell early in June. That means I will have to make it to the open water practices there every now and then... Can't wait! ;-)