Happy Monday!
Most of you probably either already know Google Reader’s last day is today or have no idea what I’m talking about, but for those of you who didn’t know Google Reader’s swan song was tonight.
You can either follow my blog with Bloglovin or subscribe using Feedly, which is my reader of choice.
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Last week’s running sort of sucked, but I’m going to recap it so in a few weeks, I can hopefully look back and see how much better things have gotten…
…right?
Monday: glorious rest day
Tuesday: 35 minutes at “easy pace” + 5 20-second strides with 20-second recovery jogs in between. Tuesday’s run would have been okay if I hadn’t been looking at my watch. My typical “easy” pace for a short run like this around 9:15-9:45, but I had a hard time ever getting below 10:00 miles, which hasn’t happened for a long time. I finished up the 35 minutes and headed to the High Line for the strides and felt like I was on an obstacle course. I know that sounds awful to most New Yorkers, but it was actually kind of fun dodging people since it was still early and not super-crowded yet.
Wednesday: The day got away from me – which is totally an excuse – and I didn’t get my run in. I figured that I could just do the rest of the week’s runs on consecutive days…
Thursday: Mile repeats of death. Weirdly, for as much as I bitched about the mile repeats and how hard they were, this felt like my best workout of the week. I have no doubt that this is because this was the day I ran the fastest. I need to not always tie a “good workout” to “pace I’m happy with.” Goal for next week?
Friday: Jess and I had shifted my workouts for a bit, and I was supposed to an easy 4-miler on Thursday and the mile repeats on Wednesday, but we moved them. I went out to do my 4-miler, and got about half a mile before turning around. My legs were absolutely shot, and I couldn’t imagine shuffling around on them for another half hour, and then, running 12 miles the next day and 45 minutes the next day.
Saturday: I hoped and prayed that that extra rest on Friday was all I needed…
I had a fun 12-mile run with friends on Saturday, so I guess the rest helped. It’s such a fine line to tell when you’re completely wussing out and when you actually need it, but it seems that my legs and lungs are having a hard time starting up this training cycle in the humidity.
PLEASE COOPERATE, BODY!
Sunday: Had another slow-for-me run, but tried to ignore that and just get the miles in and not freak out about pace and chill out listening to a Jillian Michaels podcast and found this nice, quiet little patch along the West Side Highway.
It made me very excited for the real beach I’ll be going to this weekend with friends.
So, the week sucked but I did what I could and am acknowledging that I’m having a harder time than usual adjusting to training in the heat. I’m trying not to freak out for what this means for the rest of my training cycle.
How was your week of training? What are you doing for the 4th? What is your Google Reader substitute of choice (or do you not use Google Reader?)
I’m going with this weird banana obsessed person to a beach. Wonder if she’ll bring bananas with her?
@Ash Bear: Duh, have we met?
Just switched to Digg Reader – it’s awesome!
@Laura: Ooh, I did hear that one was good, too. I think it’s awesome that the demise of Google Reader has inspired a lot more innovation/creativity in RSS readers.
I need to not always tie a “good workout†to “pace I’m happy with.â€
Kernel of wisdom I need to focus on. Thanks 🙂
Great job on your workouts – even if you werent’t as fast as you’d like, you still completed them. This eat and humidity is no joke! I’ve had junk miles lately and I think part of it is the heat. Have a fun weeks at the beach!
I had a short 3 miler last week in crazy humidity, and even though it was only 74 degrees out, my running buds & I all agreed that the run just plain sucked. We all ran quite a bit slower than usual. But, I just told myself that means it IS the humidity, not me – so don’t worry, your body is still strong! Stay positive & maybe try running without your watch on one of your ‘easy’ days to just enjoy the run 🙂
I seriously do not miss humidity one bit! It really does slow you down, at least the moisture is good for your skin?
Good job on your work out! 🙂 You are way more dedicated than I could ever be, but I know if I keep trying I will one day be as successful and driven…haha (hopefully)
Oy this humidity is killing me! My marathon training had me step back to 9 this week for “long” (ran a half last) and I stupidly first, did it midday Saturday, and second felt like I was slogging through it (new descriptive word of choice for running through the humidity). Then my coach gave me a lovely short but sweet 3.5 mile tempo run Sunday…let me tell you getting miles below 8:30 never felt so damn hard before.
But I totally equate a good run with a pace I am happy with. I see 10 and over and get pissed!
Ohhhh summer running in the city!
It’s so hard not to freak out over pace – so I’m struggling with the same thing you are! Thanks for reassuring me. I mean, misery loves company, right?
I’m going to tell myself that this just means I’ll kill my marathon (Chicago) this fall when the temps are cooler!
Don’t be too hard on yourself – and feel grateful that you can still run!!! What I wouldn’t give to be able to go out for a run again – with heavy, tired legs or not. I’m waiting for the results of an MRI on my shin – to see if I can start running again (at all) or not 🙁
As much as I used to love running, it’s become more of a love-hate relationship now…oh well!
Anyway – good luck on your training and don’t freak out too much. you have SO much time before your marathon – you might be better off taking some additional rest days rather than pushing yourself too hard early on and risking an injury or just burnout – mental and physical.
I will be visiting my sister in NYC for the holiday weekend. I am very excited. I had a tough run today as well. I made it 7.5 miles but every step was a struggle. I can’t even blame the heat right now because we have had a bit of a break from the heat. Oh well, tough runs happen.
I really like what you said about not equating a good work-out with a pace you’re happy with. I try to tell myself every time I go out that even if I’m not happy with where I am, if did the same distance in a shorter amount of time, or just plain went farther, it’s progress even if I don’t feel like it. It’s hard, but I try to remind myself that I will hit my pace and distance goals eventually as long as I move forward a little every time I go out.
Love your blog!
Didn’t think I needed a Google Reader substitution until I remembers that flipboard, that I use for my blog reading, used Google Reader.
I am having a week like that this week! I can’t help it but I just can’t seem to get motivated to run, I think I’d been over doing it a little. I have changed it up for some ab exercises so it’s not like I’m not doing anything, but I am trying not to freak out over it too much.
No matter what the pace, a workout is better than no workout 🙂
I love reading this type of articles as these personal stories have something magnificent in them. Btw, you did a nice workout this day!
I’m training for Wineglass too! And yeah, the heat and humidity have sucked big time, which have made for much slower paces for me too. The nice thing about Wineglass is that the weather is usually perfect, and I just need to keep telling myself that training through the summer heat will make me twice as tough come fall!
Very instructive 🙂