Doubling Up

In my last post I mentioned how I often do my run and workout on the same day so that I can give myself more recovery days. I also wrote out my weekly schedule which consisted of double workouts Monday and Tuesday and then an extra lift in before my long run Saturday. Well, I didn't abide this week. Obviously, I got my Monday in. I don't even know what happened Tuesday but when I got home from work I laid on my bed, face first into the pillow. I was unbelievably exhausted - I even considered taking a nap. My friend ended up calling me which energized me and convinced me to at least go get my steps done. However, I didn't do my typical workout or run. If this happens often and you find yourself constantly missing workouts or changing your schedule, then that may be a sign that you need to switch up your routine or get a little more disciplined. However, sometimes moving things around is just you listening to your body. For me, I knew I couldn't possibly put my best foot forward in any type of workout on Tuesday. I also knew I could get them done Wednesday.

So, on Wednesday after work, I hit legs and went on my run. I do need to stop doing this but I'm not sure how that's going to happen. I've already lost a lot of muscle, so I was trembling while lifting and then got right on the treadmill to complete a 35-minute recovery run. I put the treadmill on 5.5, my typical starting point, and never moved it again. I felt like my legs were actual logs. It felt so fast, and they felt so heavy, and I was just counting down the minutes to be done. Once again, my breathing was fine, and I knew I didn't have any real reason to stop, but it was a harder-than-usual run.

Unfortunately, when a workout is especially difficult, it doesn't motivate you to do it again. So, come Thursday, I knew I wasn't going to lift again. I had been tired all week, my legs were sore, and I just wanted to let the night take me without having a fitness plan dictate my every move.

Now, it's Friday and I have my long run tomorrow. Some people are good at balancing running and social life - I'm not one of those people. My brother, who I'm running with again tomorrow, invited me to two events today and I just wasn't up for it. While we're covering the same distance tomorrow, we prepare very differently. Long-runs consume my mind for days prior. I am thinking about what I'm eating, what time I should sleep, how much water I've drank, what I want to eat in the morning. All I want to do the night before a run is lay and hangout. I did go get some errands done after work which turned into a 6-mi walk (not ideal for a pre-long run), but now I'm on the couch thinking about what snacks I can and should eat prior to this lil endeavor tomorrow.

Run #23: Wednesday, August 6th: 35-Minute Recovery Run - 3.22 mi 10:44 Pace