As the race approaches – only two weeks away – I look back on this training cycle and while I have had some success, I feel a bit frustrated. I feel like I am still stuck in a plateau. Both of the 5k races I have run during this training cycle have been busts, or near-busts. I have battled with negative thoughts nearly constantly, doubting my ability to accomplish the runs, specifically the long runs. The heat and humidity feels like it has killed me this summer, way more than in the past. I simply look back on this training cycle and do not see a BQ training cycle, or one that would set me up for a BQ. This week, despite my negativity, went fairly well, except for the long run on Saturday. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t a disaster. It just wasn’t the run that it was supposed to be. We shall see how these next two weeks – and the race – go.
Monday: 55 minutes with 6 x 30 seconds hard effort
I simply forgot to write about this run until a couple days after. I assume that it went well and that nothing out of the ordinary occurred because I felt fine.
Tuesday: off
It still felt weird to have an off day on Tuesday. Thankfully, next week is back to “normal” with a run on Tuesday.
Wednesday: 15 minute warm up, broken tempo at 7:50
I felt awesome on the warm up. The intervals were challenging, especially after the third one. I pushed through and really enjoyed.
Thursday: strength training
Since Ellis was out on his bike and I wanted to get in one last strength training session before the marathon, Mom and I attempted to do this on our own. Clearly we have learned from the master because, boy were we sore Friday!
Friday: 20 minute warm up with 400m intervals
My legs definitely felt sore from strength training. I felt really good and strong on the intervals but had to cut off the last 10 minutes of cool down to make it home to shower and to the Praxis testing site on time. I definitely should have gotten started sooner than 5:40. Looks like I need to start getting back into the habit for the start of the school year.
Saturday: 140 minute long run – progression
Honestly, these runs always intimidate me. I remember feeling the same way before I ran a similar one several weeks ago in this training plan. I also remember surprising myself with my performance on that run. I hoped for more of the same on this one but unfortunately did not get it. I did, sort of, accomplish the goal on the first two parts of the progression run but the heat and humidity quickly got to me. I, honestly, do not ever remember a summer where those two elements have been quite so bad. I sweat so much I could feel and hear my shoes squishing. I wonder if I am becoming more sensitive to heat. If so, I might have to look into moving. 😉 After the first hour, I gradually transitioned into surviving the hills (we purposefully stick closer to home and run the hilly route instead of heading out to the relatively flat Swamp Rabbit Trail due to the infamous San Francisco hills) and staying as close to a 9 minute pace as possible. (I was supposed to do 30 minutes at 8:40 and then 30 at 8:20 before cooling down.)
I hope that the weather will be more kind to me in San Francisco although in an ironic turn, the high (yes it’s 14 days out so hopefully this will change) is supposed to be 80. In San Francisco. Great.