Well yes and no.
Yes, I am ready to take a break from trying to BQ. I obviously need to take a step back for now to figure out what I'm doing wrong in my training and of course on race day. And of course just give my body and mind a break from all that entails. I'm thinking of either trying again this Fall or waiting until the following Spring.
But no, I am not slowing down by any means. I actually just signed up for my first ultra marathon this April. It is a 50k trail race here in Central Florida and I am excited and nervous as can be. My goal for this 50k (it's suppose to be 31.1 but it's a long course and is actually 32.6) is simply just to finish. So my goal for training is to just get in my miles in, stay healthy and enjoy this new endeavor. Kinda like when I embarked on my first marathon journey.
What better way to keep my mileage up for my upcoming ultra than to pace a full marathon!?! So yes, I will be running yet another full, but this time I will not be racing rather I will get to be helping out fellow runners with their marathon goals.
And if that wasn't quite enough for me, I've decided to add a few other races to my schedule between now and May including a 10k, half marathon and sprint tri. I haven't raced a 10k in almost three years. I haven't raced a half marathon in over a year. And last year was the first time I had done a tri in almost 7 years. So I'm anxious for these three events and am definitely going to be shooting for some PR's!
So with all that being said, here is a look at what last week of training went like for me and what's in store.
MONDAY Spinning + Lift
Hunter took the boys to school and I was able to sneak in a quick lift before teaching my spin class. This was the first opportunity in weeks to work lower body so I figured I'd give it a whirl. I went a lot lighter than were I left off but still got in some multiplanar lunge rotations, goblet squats and single leg RDL's. I threw in a few upper body exercises as well then taught my class. By the afternoon, I knew I was going to be "feeling" my leg workout but I had no idea how sore I would turn out to be!
TUESDAY 8 Easy Miles
Without anything to specifically train for, other than keeping up the miles, I figured I would just lace up, throw my head phones on and hit the trail to see how far I felt like going. My sore legs really loosened up out there and I felt great, like I could go forever. There was just one issue that kept me from running much further. I was given a pair of inserts for my shoes to test out/review and they did NOT work for me! I'm sure many a runner including their sponsored Olympic athlete absolutely love them, but I wasn't impressed. I took the time to ensure they were measured out, cut down and placed in my shoes correctly, but they just not feel right at all. They irritated the crap out of my feet causing a few new blisters, and also caused my Achilles and runner's knee to act up. So there was a lot of stretching and foam rolling over the next several days to correct it. Needless to say, the inserts came out, my old ones went back in. I may try to give them another shot but I wasn't sold after that first day at all, so I think I'm going to stick to what has always worked well for me. Live and learn.
WEDNESDAY MetCon
Before all my marathons this Fall/Winter, Wednesdays were my big days in the weight room. I would usually lift heavy, throw stuff and jump. But as I got deep into marathon training and running back to back races, I scaled way back on those MetCon workouts. But without any major running goals other than keeping up my miles, I figured now is as good as time as any to get back after it in the weight room. My legs were a little sore from Monday and from my inserts fail the day before, so I was a little anxious to see how body would react to a high intensity workout. It was definitely a challenge but it was equally AWESOME! I managed 5 rounds of 8 potent exercises including swings, hex bar squats, box jumps, ropes, sprints and more!
THURSDAY 8 Easy Miles
Very similar to my run on Tuesday (minus the inserts) I just wanted to see how far I'd go Thursday (with the limited time I had of course). I was definitely much more sluggish and slower to get started. But once I got going, I felt great. It was much warmer that day and I was sweating and breathing much harder, but I felt good though as my legs loosened up and I got into a good stride. I knocked out another solid 8 miler that day too. I am definitely thinking 8 is my magic mileage for my "non-training training plan."
FRIDAY Upper Lift + Core
Hunter was heading out of town to speak at a conference all weekend, so I wanted to get my workout in early to get him off to the airport. He rushed home after his early morning class and I hit Planet Fitness up for a quick upper and core. I spent the rest of the day getting some work done in peace in quiet in my office then it was off to pick up the kiddos!
SATURDAY 8 Miles at HMGP
My Ahcilles was feeling much better after my insert fiasco and overzealous workouts of the week, but my knee was still a pinch tweaky. I rolled out all my quads and adductors on Friday night in hopes to help alleviate the issue for my Saturday morning run. It definitely felt a lot better waking up that morning but I didn't want to push it too hard (and because I don't have to) so I decided to shoot for 5-8. If it didn't go well, I could cut it short and get some laps in the pool. Because Hunter was gone, I had to wait until the Kids Club was open at the gym and do it on the treadmill there. I didn't mind though, I got to sleep in, snuggle with my babies and enjoy a full cup of coffee before heading in. My run actually went better than expected. I felt a little discomfort in my knee early on but once I got going, it felt much better and by the last few miles there were no issues with it all. I ended up doing 8 progressive miles with my average pace ending up around HMGP. All in all it was a great way to finish out the week of training. I was pleased with my Saturday run and all my workouts of the week, but I was definitely ready for some much needed rest.
SUNDAY Rest Day + Meal Prep + Laundry
Young children have no concept of sleeping in on the weekends so we were all up with the sun, ready to take on the day. We went to the grocery store, to see the Lego Batman movie, grabbed some lunch, then the rest of the day was spent cleaning, playing superheroes, meal prepping and laundry. Then it was off to finally pick up daddy from the airport and then hit the hit to start another big week!
I'm really digging on this anti-training program I'm currently on. It is a much needed change from the last several months of my life. I know that when I'm read get back to work on my ultimate goal again (BQ), I'm going to have to get focused and committed. But it's definitely nice to get to go freestyle on my fitness and running for the time being.
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