rough week – Slacker Runner

Upcoming races– Firehouse 5K (this week!!)
SLO Marathon 13.1

Focus– Take it easy and bump it up to 4 days of running

Maybe it was something in the air or the water but this week kicked my trash. I haven’t been sleeping well and that hasn’t helped matters any. I was so tired most days I ordered a coffee and a soda most mornings. Not the best, I know. Towards the end of the week, I made a choice about my stomach meds and that threw some things out of whack as well. I was also feeling very hermit like this week and I ended up bailing on all my public involved plans. #horribleslacker

Running was rough but I hit the days I set out to. Last week was the week of the my first 16 miler attempt and this was the week where I stepped it up to 4 days a week. In retrospect, I should have scheduled those 4 days better.

Monday- 3.5 miles I ran on a Monday! Say what?! I was supposed to have plans later in the week, so I decided to run on Monday. I also ran in some new shorts that I had picked up over the weekend. I have to get over my sudden phobia of running in shorts in public somehow right? Even if it means buying a bigger size. 😭 The run was average if anything. I wasn’t sore after the 16 miler but my legs felt tired. I headed to the lake path for a few easy laps. I kept the pace slow and easy and just tried to enjoy running. However I had shoe issues. I started out in my Launch’s thinking the extra cushion would be a good thing right? My calves tightened up so badly, I changed my shoes 2 laps into the run. Luckily I had my Nike’s in the car as well. I made sure to stretch really well after my run.

Tuesday- Rest This was a rough day at work and a big part of me wanted to run it out. However I was trying to rest my legs after the previous days issues. It was also the lovely shattered make up morning.

Wednesday- Rest– I wanted to run after work, I had everything packed. I had a meeting in SLO in the morning. Part way through the meeting my head started to hurt. By the time I got back to work, I had a full on migraine. I still told myself I was running after work. Around 4:30, I realized that just wasn’t going to happen. I wanted pizza, then comfy clothes and a dark room and an ice pack. So I did just that.

Thursday- 4.5 miles– Ouch, ouch, ouch, damn it. Another run in the Launch’s and a ouch filled 4.5 miles. I probably should have called it sooner but I was stubborn. I kept stopping and stretching out my calves. No luck. I was thisclose to taking my shoes off and finishing the run barefoot. But instead, I went back to my car, then home to stretch. It was probably payback for not going to the work social thing that I was supposed to that evening.

I don’t know if it was the shoes or what but I woke up in the middle of the night with the worst cramp in my left leg. I damn near screamed. It was like a charlie horse all over my calf. I felt like I had barely dozed off when it happened again- in the right leg. WTF?!

Friday- Rest– Ha! Standing in the morning and walking around was real fun. My upper calves were so painful and tight from the cramps. Compression socks can be had to conceal at work but thankfully it was a casual Friday. And I pushed it to the limit when I wore my old dark blue Pureflow’s with my jeans. I meant to change them, I really did but never did. So bad.

Saturday- Firehouse 5K, 3.75 walk– First 5K of the year! It was rough, no lies, recap will be up on Wednesday. I tried to get ahead of the soreness I knew was coming by heading out for a walk later that day. I could tell that I was getting super stiff already. I was really hoping the walk would make things better. I also missed another social situation- this one was family related. #horribleslacker

Sunday- 7.5 miles– Oh my quad. Serious ouch! Full disclosure- I have never run the day after Firehouse. I usually take 2-3 days off, sometimes 4, I’m that sore. I ventured out Sunday morning for a long run. I was hoping for 10 miles but I knew that was unlikely. My quads were so tight, my feet hurt and my knees were sore. Throw in 90% plus humidity and this run was Rough. I slogged my way through 7.5 miles. I welcomed any break so when some cyclists needed directions, I was more than happy to. ☺ 7.5 is better than none right?

All in all, it wasn’t a bad week. The runs weren’t the best but I got them done. The mileage was a little lower than I would have liked but I knew that was likely with Firehouse in the mix. It’s suddenly dawned on me that SLO is only 3 weeks away. How did that happen? I feel unprepared, I’m not ready! I need more time. So this week, I am just going to keep my head down and just keep running. Hopefully the soreness will ease up and I can have a decent week of running. And foam rolling, I really need to do that more. 😛

How was your week?

Ever get horrible cramps in the middle of the night?

Have you ever had a week where you just wanted to be a hermit?

I have a race tomorrow. A 10K. How did that happen?

It’s not that I forgot about it, just that it somehow snuck up on me. I thought I had another few weeks. But I don’t. I feel woefully unprepared for this race. Not just because I still haven’t upped my mileage but my head is just not in the game. At all. I considered downgrading to the 5K at packet pick up today. This coming from the person who completed a 5K after a 10K with serious asthma complications. But let’s back up.

Monday– I knew I wasn’t going to be running after work but it was odd not taking my gym bag. I had a meeting after work about a fall race so the evening was still spent talking about running. 🙂 Of course, as I was driving home I was jealous of all the people out running. Tuesday– Headed out after work for an easy run. My legs felt like lead. I tried out a new interval setting for my runs. I always take a walk break at some point each mile so I decided to try 4:30 run/ :30 walk intervals. I was curious to see how I felt. My easy runs never seem to feel that easy, so I was curious if this would help. I didn’t really notice a difference. I ran 3.5 miles with an average pace of 10:14. Which would have been fine if the splits hadn’t looked like this- 11:40, 9:51, 9:30. Wednesday– National Running Day! I was planning on running anyways but by days end I really needed to run. For the past month, I feel like I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don’t have to wait anymore, it drop kicked me. But it happened, so now I can build from here and move on. I made it through the day and headed to the lake for an easy 5K. 11:44, 10:17, 9:27. All over the place but pace wasn’t the goal, quiet thoughts were. I also stopped along the way to visit with lake cat. 🙂Thursday– I really had planned on running. The weather was odd all day and just kept getting grey-er and grey-er. The wind had increased as well. I changed into my running clothes and headed north, hoping to drive out of the grey. An upside to commuting is that I have multiple locations along the way to run. The sun came out a bit along the way but the wind increased. By the time I hit home town, the wind was 20+ mph and my head was not mentally wiling to do that. Rest day instead.

Friday– National Donut Day! My boss was nice enough to pick up donuts on her way in and you better believe I partook. I had 2. 🙂 Both were equally amazing. I had planned for the 2 all week, and my carb choices were on point all week, so I had zero guilt with either donut. Plus, don’t donuts have magical healing powers? And as an added bonus, I got to leave work shortly after 5, so it was only a 10 hour day. Woo hoo!Today- Instead of running, I headed down to SLO to pick up my packet for the race tomorrow. I had received an email that said this was their largest year yet with well over 500 runners and I knew that race morning could be more than chaotic. Parking!!! Packets could be picked up early at Left Lane Sports in SLO, so I decided it was worth the drive down. Plus, I’ll never turn down Firestone for lunch. 🙂 I returned home in time to make my hair appointment. I loved the cut I got in February but it had grown a little too long, so it needed to be chopped. I tried to take a before and after picture but I am crap at selfies. 🙂

Which brings me to tomorrow’s race. Honestly my head has been elsewhere all week. 6 miles seems so very far. My only goals are to finish and have fun. I ran this race 2 years ago, so I know it is lots of loops and turns throughout the vineyard. I am probably going to wear my trail shoes. It also has a start time of 8:00 and is quite a drive from home, so it will be an early morning. I am hoping it won’t be too cold. This has been the oddest May/ June weather.

Who raced today? Racing Sunday?

Advice for when your pride gets punched?

Did you indulge in donut day? How was your week?