Monday
Tuesday 6 mi
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday Rest
Saturday 8 mi
Sunday
What I wanted to do for this training period is incorporate weight training back into the program. I'm quite aware that it is going to feel like starting over again because I've dropped the weight training for more than a year, specifically in my last five marathons. Monday works out to be the day for weights. It's a non-running day and it works out perfectly that it can function as a active recovery. Squats, dynamic lunges, bent over rows, triceps kickbacks, biceps curls, shoulder and back exercises all wreaked havoc with my muscles on the very first day. I knew I was going to be in bad shape when that very same afternoon I felt the soreness come on. Geez, not even a day passed and I already felt it. Little did I know that it was going to take me down straight through Friday this week.
On Tuesday, I woke up with a bad sore throat. The minute I felt my throat was scratchy, I usually ran for my Emergen - C. However, this time I didn't and would pay for it. I've managed to dodge getting a cold, but not this time. On top of this sore throat, my legs were sore and my hammies were screaming. I couldn't tell whether the soreness was from the weights or if I had the flu. I didn't let the soreness get the better of me and miss running with the Divas. I dragged myself out of bed at at 4:50 am for our 5:30 am Tuesday run. I managed to stay with the girls for a mile and a half. Then after I reached my threshold, I let them go and I ran the rest of the six miles easy, in the dark all by my lonesome. Well, me and Pepe Lepooh that is! My headlamp's battery was running out of juice and it was hard to see 50 feet in front of me. I thought it was odd the way this white feathery thing was waving back and forth. Then the stench overtook me. I was quickly overcome with fear what if this skunk decide to spray me? Would Miner's Hardware store have something to get rid of the stink? I shuddered at the thought. I was lucky, he didn't bother me.
By that afternoon, the soreness was the worst: DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) came on strong. I was glad that I pulled a 9:36 pace even with timber legs. I thought my time was going to be worse, but I'll take what I can get.
Wednesday came around and I felt like my evening track workout would have to be scrubbed. My cold gripped me like a wet shirt. I was feeling congested and all fogged up. My eyes were watery and I couldn't imagine running a tempo workout in this condition. There was no way I could run. My legs felt like timber.The simple act of sitting down on the thrown felt like the day after running a first marathon. I was worried about missing my workout, but there was nothing I could do.
By Thursday I thought I was going to be ready to run. I was still sore. I thought I might as well a rest rather than push it. However I didn't know what got into my daughter. She woke up at 6 am and asked me to run with her. She was so cute, how could I say no? I let her borrow my running clothes, tights and tech tee. It was about 36 degrees or so, cold enough for mitts and earwarmers. We ran/walked together for 2 miles. I was glad that she was taking it slowly, since I couldn't move any faster. I hope with Power next week, my recovery would not be anywhere this slow.
On Friday I was feeling a lot better, but still coughing like crazy. I could have run, but I was reserving my legs for Saturday's pace run. I felt that if I rested one more day, that would give me better chances of hitting my pace and reserve my effort for this quality run.
I woke up Saturday still hacking up a storm. My cough is problematic because it is not productive. I can't bring anything up and it's the annoying dry hacking cough. I can feel the itch on my throat and soon the coughing would follow that would last anywhere between 30-45 seconds of continuous coughing attack. I missed 2-3 days of quality runs and it seemed that it took faster to lose the fitness than to gain it. I could not hit my pace. The first few miles were easy, but by the 3rd mile, it was evident that hitting the pace was not going to happen this day. I lowered my expectations and settled for a medium long run, at a conservative pace. I might as well make this one count somehow. With 8 miles, I managed to eek out a 9:43 pace. Good enough for today, since I had to stop many times to get my coughing fits out. Drivers along the road must have thought I was in trouble or something.
My last salvation was Sunday. I know that it would take a very slow run to finish the distance. The goal today was to get it done. I was nowhere near 100% with my cold and cough, I had to be happy with a 10:14 pace. Turri Road and LOVR was the course I picked to finish the 16 miles. I was short by one mile, by my miscalculation. Stopping to answer a biker's question and I forgot to hit the restart on my watch once I got going again. I was proud of myself for not taking the easy way out and turning away from the hills of Turri Road most especially with my cough. That was my consolation today. With that, I ended up with 32 miles for Week #9. I hope next week would be better than this! (By the way, I took my UltraAspire Spry vest with me today for my 3rd run, and still loving it.)
Happy running!
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