The Ups and Downs of Training

Typically, after a race, there is a given time span where you have to let your body recover.  We all acknowledge that.  Some of us ignore it, but oh-well.

Post-race we head down.

After Saturday's 70.3 (the race report is in the works), I meant to do a short recovery run on Sunday, but found that my left foot was bothering me.  I put off the run and before I knew it, the day was over and I hadn't ran.  I wasn't all that bummed, but I was worried that my foot was going to hamper this week's training.

And then back up!

On Monday, I headed to the track for my last set of 1200s.  I had 6x 1200m with a 400m recovery.  I honestly expected to make it through maybe 4 of them and then bail.  My energy was ok, but not high.  I still showed up, got warmed up, and started the set.  While my foot bothered me for maybe the first 800m of the warm up, it went away after that and hasn't returned!  It seemed my fear on Sunday was unnecessary.  And on top of that, I ended up running the 1200s only a second or two slower than before; and I finished all six.  I was pumped!!  My energy may have been slightly low, but my body seemed to have handled Saturday's race well and wasn't going to keep me down.

And down again.

Today, I went to coach and felt GREAT!  My legs felt refreshed and loose, my foot wasn't bothering me, and my energy felt good.  I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of another longer run today, but I'd make it through.  Then as I headed back to my car to get changed, I must have passed through some aerosol spray of demotivation because I all of a sudden had nearly zero push to go run.  I wanted to go home and veg so badly!!

I knew I wasn't going to do the workout on Wednesday since I have less time then, so I mustered myself up and headed out.  The 10 mile run that was supposed to be split into a 3.5 miles easy and 6.5 miles at a 6:30 pace quickly turned into a 3.5 mile easy jog.  My left ankle bothered me right from the start.  My left hip started to tighten up.  I was a mess!!  I made it back to the car 3.5 miles later and was not about to go for another loop.  I called it a day.

Maybe I'll just have a Looooooong taper.

Hartford is 2.5 weeks away and this was supposed to be my last hard week of training.  I'm thankful I got the 1200s done, but I'm slightly bummed today didn't go anything like what I planned.  I'm going to take tomorrow as an easy day as well, getting in some miles just to loosen up, and then do my best to reclaim myself Saturday at the Hogsback Half Marathon.  I'm using that very fun race as a long run; 13.1 miles at 7 or sub-7 pace and then I'll head out for an additional 7 miles at whatever pace I feel I can hold.  Having some people around will certainly help keep me motivated and distracted.

On a happy note, however, I no longer feel like I'm coming down with a cold!  Woohoo.  I can put the Halls back in the medicine cabinet for now.  =D

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Questions
1.  How long do you take after a big race to recovery and return to training?
I usually give myself a week or two of light workouts after a hard race, but HITS was not a hard push specifically so I could not interrupt my marathon training.

2.  Have you ever used races as a training day?
I've only done it once this past February and it worked well, so I'm hopeful Saturday will work out the same.

3.  How long do you taper for a big race?
I find a marathon is 2 weeks for me.  A half marathon is 1 week.  Ironman is 1-2 weeks, different for each discipline.  And a Half Iron is 1.5 weeks.


DREAM.  BELIEVE.  ACHIEVE.