I had to take a week off from running. Had a cold. It was bad. Funny how much more frustrating being sick can be when it interferes with a training plan! I'm back to life now and started back with Couch to 5k today.
I decided to play it safe and repeat Week 6. It's a tiny bit disappointing to have to redo some of the progress I made, but I know that being conservative with this decision was the right choice for my body, because it still kicked my ass (6.1 was the workout that nearly killed me last time too. Funny).
Usually, when it's raining, we still run outside on our beloved trail. But tonight, it was pouring. Pouring rain is pretty rare around here; intermittent drizzle to slightly-more-than-drizzle is typical. So Andy and I headed to the gym and ran on the treadmill.
I've worked out on treadmills before, and have felt indifferent to them in the past, but I did NOT enjoy that workout. Maybe it's because my body was getting used to running again after a break, but I don't think the treadmill's for me. It seemed so much harder on my body... granted we usually run on a wonderfully cushy bark path! Even though I set the speed at a pace that I knew was a bit slower than I usually run, I felt like I was going uncomfortably fast. Plus, running outside provides inherent distraction and entertainment. Having such easy access to the timer ticking right in front of me did bad things to my mind and made my workout a lot more challenging.
I'm not opposed to running at the gym in the future; it's definitely better than skipping a workout (especially since I definitely don't get my money's worth out of my gym membership). Some people are treadmill runners and some people are outdoor runners, and I definitely know now which one suits me! Thursday's looking warmer with lighter rain, so hoping to get back to the grind for real.
My new goal is to work on my stride. I run really slowly, and Andy has a theory that it has to do with how I'm lifting my legs (or not). Learning how to be the most efficient with my energy is really important to me, but I also don't want to get ahead of myself. I'm still training my heart and lungs to support me. I do know that my pace is absurdly slow though; recently a guy walking on the fast side of average passed me. Embarrassing.
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I can't decide whether to give you the requisite pep talk or keep my mouth shut, but what I must say is how completely amazing you are for putting this all out here. So many people have exactly the same types of experiences (running or anything else), and they're too embarrassed to admit it publicly. It's a huge achievement for you to be doing this in the first place (I know, because I still haven't), and you're becoming stronger in so many ways you don't even know yet. xox
ReplyDeleteI've had a nasty cold, too, and had to postpone my training. Hope you're feeling better! Also, I find that reminding myself to keep my shoulders relaxed and my arms low during runs helps to lengthen my stride. Give it a try!
ReplyDeleteI love reading about your progress and regress as well. You are going out there (or inside) and follow your goal. That is all that matters. Concerning your pace - when I go running with my man for my long runs on the weekends there are always parts where he walks next to me speedy, because I am slow compared to him, but that is not keeping me from running my first trail half-marathon in May. Speed doesn't matter. And yay to cushy bark paths! Love them too.
ReplyDeleteGood plan! You seem like you're rolling with the various punches really well. And you know, I wouldn't worry about redoing stuff you've already done. You have plenty of time to build up your endurance, and repeating a week now only means that your later weeks will be easier (because you will have built up another week's worth of endurance by the time you get there).
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of using your energy most efficiently, you might already be on top of this (especially with your PT), but are you doing any core strengthening? Having a strong, stable core can be great for your form, and for helping you avoid expending extra energy in your stride. :)