Duration: 60 minutes
Distance: Just over 7km
Pace: About a 14-minute mile
Ratios: All 3-and-1's (even on the Bastard Hill and Mini Bastard Hill...boo ya)
Song: Viva La Vida by Coldplay - the beat was perfect for the pace I was trying to maintain
Okay, first thing to address - yes I've been a little M.I.A. lately.
The demands of my current lifestyle overwhelmed me a little last week and I just couldn't keep up with everything - the blog being one of those things that I let slide. You see, last week there was runs, and there was fundraising, and event planning, and the minimal social life that I have, and of course - two jobs. Thursday and Friday, in fact, were both 12-hour days. There was just enough time for running, working, eating and sleeping - nothing in between.
But boy oh boy did I have stories to tell last week and it drove me crazy not being able to write them down for you all to see.
I started going earlier on my runs last week - it was the only way to fit them in. They were also only 40 minute and 45 minute runs - the shortest I will ever see again in my training schedule. So I'm sure you can understand why I simply could not miss out on these runs despite my full work week!
My goodness that trail is beautiful and awe-inspiring early in the morning with the fog rolling off of the river. The herons that are normally sitting as still as they can in the river were flying together with elegant beats of their wings one morning as I came down the hill onto the trail. That distracted me for at least the next 10 minutes.
Another morning I laughed for at least a full kilometre because of the ducks. Yes, ducks. I've seen ducks dump their heads in water and stick their little tooshes up in the air before - but these ducks were sitting there like that, not just briefly. And the current was carrying them down the river, tooshes up in the air and everything. It was super cute.
Or there was the morning I was on my return and saw an Irish Setter just barreling down behind his owner, so upset that he'd been distracted by something in the bushes. I thought his legs were going to fall out from under him.
I may still not 100% enjoy my runs, but one thing is certain - I find things to enjoy when I'm out on them.
Now for the sob story -
So, I did make time for all of my runs last week despite my ridiculously overloaded schedule. I did this the same way I had in the past - by rearranging my training week. It worked before, so why not.
On Friday, I actually had to end my 40 minute run at the 35 minute mark because a blister had developed on the inside of my left foot during my run and I could feel it getting worse with every step. That was slightly frustrating.
Either way, Saturday rolls around. Any of you who know me personally know that Saturday was a big day for me - the biggest yet - 90 minutes. I was scared out of my socks.
Speaking of socks, thanks to the blister on Friday, I chose to ride my bike down to the Running Room on Saturday and finally picked up some double-layer synthetic socks. I really didn't want to, as they are about $11-$12 a pair. But, I can tell you now that I have worn them, they are the most heavenly socks I have ever owned. It's too bad that they are used for such unhappy things as running.
I also picked up my first pack of 'energy'. I remembered that you are meant to ingest 'energy' every 40 minutes on a run - so I would definitely need it on my 90-minute run. I bought a pack of GU Chews, as they are apparently easier to swallow than the GU Gel. On an interesting note, I also was recommended to pick up the caffeine-free type. The very knowledgeable gal at the Running Room explained that when running, your digestion basically shuts down - so anything you are even remotely intolerant to will come back to haunt you. I can't drink coffee without feeling sick, so caffeine was clearly out.
Anyway, I get home from the Running Room and soon after, Jeff gets home from work. We finally get in the mindset to go out and do this 90-minute, Jeff speed-walking beside me.
The first few steps ached a little, and then subsided. I made it through my first rep.
The next rep was better, but not great. The rep after that felt like my legs were on fire.
I was getting mad because obviously starting in pain is not the way to get through a 90-minute run. Jeff was doing a great job trying to keep me focused and motivated with his 'keep pushing, you can get past it' nonsense - and so I pushed.
The next rep I could feel every step reverberating through my shins, and each step burned and throbbed more than the last. Prepare yourself for the most difficult thing for me to admit publicly - we rounded the corner onto the trail and I collapsed on the ground in a pile of tears. All I could think was, how the hell am I going to get through another 14 weeks of training at this rate. I was mad, I was disappointed, I was frustrated, and I was in a lot of pain.
I couldn't even point my toes while sitting on the ground without pain shooting up my entire body. Eventually, sadly, we turned and walked home. And yes, even that ached.
For anyone not familiar with marathon training, I had committed the biggest faux-pas. I had overtrained. By rearranging my training schedule, I was not allowing myself my usual rest day the day before my distance run - and my body was revolting. Of course it had been okay in the past, because the mileage was much smaller. But now, nearly 1/3 of the way into the training, things were heating up and it needed to be taken more seriously than I had been taking it.
Either way, this whole experience shot my confidence down to the ground. I didn't run Sunday, or Monday, or even Tuesday. I was done - I didn't want to go out and not complete another run. I didn't want to fail. I didn't want to have gone through 6 weeks of training already, just to not be able to complete a run.
Obviously, when I have invested the money and time into this training, and all of our supporters have invested their time and money into believing in us - I can't just stop. And in the back of my head, I knew that. So, I emailed my trainer (yeah, we have a trainer now - through our online Running Room clinic, woot). He said the greatest thing to me "One bad run can spoil everything, but after that, one good run can turn it all around". He suggested a few ways to get through the shin splints in the future, and also recommended a way to get out on my run - wake up, put on your gear and walk around the house in it for a while. Then walk outside. Before you know it, it will happen naturally.
I woke up this morning and I put on my gear - and just doing that, I knew I was ready. There was a running god out there, smacking me down on Saturday, and today, I was out to spite the heck out of him.
And spite him I did. A full hour, and 3-and-1's the WHOLE way, even on the hills. I had a good comfortable pace that I was happy with, and I felt as good as my first hour run that was ran with all 2-and-1's.
The fact is, this morning's run was exactly what my trainer was talking about, and exactly what I needed. I am pumped and energized. I can't wait to see my trail turning to fall in a few more weeks, I can't miss that. I'm not giving up - I'm stubborn! I may have to go even earlier now that the students are back and 'pretty' girls were doubling me - but I won't give up.
I'm back and ready to run - and just in time. This Saturday is 115 minutes, and I'm going to blow it out of the water.
