I can tell this week is going to be rough. The feeling started somewhere around the eighth mile of my 12-miler on Sunday, which came on the heels of an intense six-miler at race pace on Saturday night. It was hot. It was humid. I was dying. And then the week began.
This is going to be a crazed week of meeting work deadlines and rearranging my life. I scheduled a three-mile recovery run on Monday, but was too busy to get to it until 11:30 last night. And I wasn't in the mood for it then.
So this morning [I hate the way this sentence ends] I got up early to run before work. For the second time in as many weeks. It was awful. And I vow not to get up that early again unless there is a race. Man, I hate the morning.
And to make it worse, there was something in the air that hit my nose funny, either dust or pollen. I could barely breathe, and I was firing off snot rockets that would shock and awe many of you. I was a mobile nostril barrage of left-right, left-right. It wasn't fun, but my legs needed the active recovery.
Next up is my track work, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get to the track I've been using this time. I may need to find an alternative.
But back to that 12-miler. Worst run yet. I was keeping up a 10-minute mile pace for the first half, while my goal pace was at most 9:52 per mile, but I was OK with it because of the weather. However, on the way back I started to fall apart.
I started taking walk breaks every mile and even stopped on a bench to rest a minute. I felt gassed and defeated. I blamed the heat. I blamed the lack of hydration [I need to start carrying water]. But then again, it could have been because it was the third consecutive week of increased mileage.
This is a stepback week. Thank goodness, because it's also a very hectic week.
Cheers.
16 comments:
I too have an allergy to the early morning. If only antihistamines could help that.
Nasal douching helps. Get some saline to stick up your nose.
I sympathize with you on the shite week ahead. Also, if rearranging your life includes moving house, then you have double my condolences. Good luck.
Instead of carrying water you could just drink a gallon of water before you leave for your run. I hear that's a real effective and healthy way to deal with the hydration problem.
I remember Dick Beardsley (of all people!) mentioning in a speech that they always used to drink tons of water before their marathons back 30 years ago. their bellies would be sloshing around for the first several miles. They didn't have hydration stations. You typically didn't get another drink until the end of the race. So, I second what Vanilla says, if it is good enough for Beardsley it's good enough for you right? Of course, Beardsley lost the Duel in the Sun so....
Do you mean maybe I wouldn't be so full of snot if I ran in the p.m.?
Good luck with your hectic week.
Good luck with your week and the heat...I had a terrible long run on Saturday too. Stupid humidity...
My allergies have made a random reappearance in the mornings as well! They had gone away for a few weeks and I figured they were gone, but they came back hard core this week. Sigh. Running has not been the most fun this week. And sucks about the crappy 12 mile run. I say definitely blame the heat :-)
chah. I'm not a morning person either. I do feel good once I've arisen and start my run, but I'm definitely not a morning person.
I had a slugging 9:30ish 16-mile run on early Sunday. It's the heat and humidity. Don't sweat it. no pun intended. Well okay, pun intended.
I with you on hating the morning runs, but during the next few weeks, I'll be doing them also.
I feel so much better then running in the 90-90 (heat and humidity)evenings.
Unfortunately, my speed work crowd is on for 7PM on Thursdays - so suffering is on then...
I ran in the same thing as Razz yesterday morning. It was MISERABLE. Good luck with your week. Hopefully it chills out. :o)
I think of you every time someone fires of a snot-rocket. I tried the other day, but my mannerly raising wouldn't let me do it. I have no projectory.
It's the humidity, not the heat. Heat I can deal with: running through what feels like water, not so much...especially back there. CA humidity is nothing compared to where you are.
Hang in there.
projectory=trajectory. Whatever. It's summer.
Maybe its the polluted air of Cleveland that is the culprit. I'd say, hit the six pack!
Oye mate, I'm kind of tickled that we had the same 12 miles of shite Sunday. Mile 8 I got a face full of something crappy smelling and just couldn't get back on the 10:30 wagon again. Even did the walk of shame to compose myself.
Ef mornings. I say schedule "offsite meetings" for yourself during the workday and just sneak out for a mini love affair with the pavement.
*cheers*
come on, pussy! i hate mornings too, but they aren't that bad. Plus for me seeing the sun come up every morning is totally worth it. (that, and not sitting in bumper to bumper traffic during the normal rush hour) I can provide wake up calls if needed. I think I'd actually enjoy it. (muhahaha)
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