Well, I survived the week that I've been dreading since training began. This week tested me mentally, and I definitely got stronger. I know that all of these lessons will help out on race day.
Started the week off with a slow, five mile solo run. My legs and hips were still recovering from the weekend. I've come to realize that my Monday runs are going to be a little slow after a long run on Saturday and cross training on Sunday. I was surprised when I finished to see that my pace was 10:18. I've started to learn that my body is capable of doing so many things.
After running 28 miles in three days, I took Tuesday as a rest day. I was supposed to meet Krisitn for a five mile run on Wednesday, but it rained most of the day. It was raining when I left work, so I cancelled. When I got home, the rain was slowing down, so I decided to lace up and head out the door. I really wanted to curl up on the couch and take a nap, but I knew I'd hate myself if I skipped a run. My intentions were to enjoy a slow run because I was exhausted from working 13 hours on Tuesday. I started off nice and slow until it started raining on me at mile 3. With that being said, I finished the last two miles at a 9 minute pace. Needless to say, that didn't make my hips very happy!
I met Kristin for a five mile run on Thursday. She had to be at bowling at 4, so we went at a pretty fast pace. There were some hills on the route, so I was happy that my hips stayed strong. Every day it's a guessing game on how they will react.
Friday was a rest day before Saturday's 20 mile run. I spent the evening carb loading and catching up on my weekly tv shows. Kristin was going to run the first ten miles with me, and Monica was going to join us at mile 8 to get in her long run. Kristin and I started off strong even though we encountered a few hills along the way. A couple of the miles were under 10 minutes. I knew I was going to have to slow down in order to finish the entire 20 miles. Once Monica joined us, we maintained a good pace. When we got to mile 16, my hips were starting to hate me. They were tightening up, and my stomach was cramping. The last 3.75 miles were a struggle. There were moments when I seriously considered calling Kevin to come and pick me up. In my head, I knew that I was possibly going to face similar circumstances on race day. I knew that I needed to try a walk run approach for the last two miles. I encouraged Monica to leave me and finish strong, but she stayed with me. It wasn't pretty, but I got it done. My pace was still where I want it to be on race day even though I walked at the end. Lesson learned: start off slow in hopes of finishing strong. No matter what happens; I will finish.
For cross training, I spent the afternoon on Sunday hiking with Jadynn, Monica, and Monica's family. It was a beautiful fall day, and I definitely got in a workout. Thankful that I didn't twist an ankle on a tree root.
Looking forward to tapering the next two weeks. Hoping it will give my hips and body a chance to rest. It's hard to believe that I only have 11 more runs until race day. Here's to staying healthy and resting until then.
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