Welcome to the Weekly Rundown. Hello, August!Β We kind of got off on a bad foot.Β Chicago Marathon Training is chugging along but was my running able to keep up?Β It’s almost time for the new school year and I am kind of in denial.Β Linking up with hosts DeborahΒ and Kim for this weekly training recap.
Monday 7/29
Run: Easy.Β I missed the morning Corebata class because I was feeling sluggish and running late.Β Went for an easy 5 mile run, again, and got POURED on.Β Absolute buckets.Β The rain stopped just as I was finishing my run, so at least I lucked out with a rain-free bike commute.
Tuesday 7/30
Run: Speed.Β I’ve been having a lot of issues with running ever since starting on some hormone medications to end amenorrhea.Β Every run feels harder and my legs feel flat.Β Combine that with growing anxiety around work and lack of sleep, and this speed run SUCKED.Β The workout was 2x 400m @ 5k then mile, 2x 800m @ 5k, 1x 1600 @ 5k, 1 x 800 @ 5k, 2x 400 @ mile.Β The best I could do was hit marathon pace, and even that felt miserable.Β As soon as I was done, I tried to put it out of my mind and focus on coaching Sprint Tuesday.Β Luckily, I planned a fun one – a Fartlek where I blew the whistle at random intervals to signal either fast or slow.Β It was a fun way to end the morning and my mood improved.
Wednesday 7/31
Run: Easy + strength.Β I went to strength class in the morning and then had a nice 8 mile easy run.
Other:Β New Books!Β I am continuing my goal of reading 15 pages a day for August.Β After work, I picked up two new ones.Β First, a fiction novel, Recursion, by Blake Crouch (the same guy who wrote Dark Matter, a book club book from last year that I enjoyed).Β The novel is about a phenomenon called False Memory Syndrome, an affliction that drives people mad with memories they think they have lived.Β The second book is How to Stay Human in a F*cked-Up World, a recommendation from an EDGE athlete.Β The book offers mindfulness practices to learn how navigate the sometimes depressing world in which we live.
Thursday 8/1
Run: Mountain Goat.Β Goodbye July, hello, August!Β I welcome you with open arms.Β My speed workout today was one I love best: an elevation workout on the treadmill.Β The first set I climbed from 5 – 7% rocking marathon pace, and the second set I did typical 5k and 10k paced intervals at 1%.Β It was a short 2.5 miles worth of work, but I gained over 450 ft of elevation, mostly in that first set.Β The warmup and cool down I did outside to take advantage of the nice weather.Β Let’s felt better that Tuesday, but still not great.
Friday 8/2
Run: Rest day.Β Β A whole lotta notta.
Saturday 8/3
Run: Long Run.Β Β I felt so defeated after this run.Β It was 14 miles with 2.5 miles worth of hill repeats.Β Again, my legs felt dead.Β My body sweats SO MUCH now, which makes it harder to run in the humidity.Β I stopped a lot on the back end, and by the time I got back to EDGE I was so upset with myself.Β The stress from the week, the feeling terrible about myself after the run, the being extra emotional because of the hormones, and I sat down on the ground and cried.Β Robyn and Jackie and Katie all talked with me to make me feel better, but I’m super frustrated because I had been making great progress, but these past three weeks have been garbage.
Other: Family Reunion.Β Β A few months back, my dad decided he wanted to host a family reunion at their house.Β My dad comes from a large family, 11 siblings (I think? I lose track).Β 75 people responded as coming – relatives and spouses or plus-ones.Β So my parents moved the reunion to a nearby park.Β I met SO many relatives that I didn’t even know I had, 5 generations all in one place!Β It was really cool.
Sunday 8/4
Run:Β Trail run.Β Β Aaaaaah, Trail Church.Β How I love you.Β I went out for some solo miles to clear my head after an emotional week.Β Someone at EDGE had mentioned a new single track trail that I wanted to find.Β I think I was successful, however there was a hawk with a huge nest just a little ways in. The hawk started circling around me, getting lower and making angry noises, so I turned around and sped out of there, finishing up my 8 miles elsewhere.
And that’s a wrap!Β I said hello to August with 47 miles for the week.Β Β The humidity is still affecting me, along with hormones, stress, and lack of sleep.Β I’m trying not to let my frustrations escalate, but it’s hard to keep positive after multiple bad runs. Sigh. I really hope that next week is better and my body gets some energy and speed back.Β Otherwise, it’ll be a long rest of the training cycle.
How was your week?Β What books are you reading?Β Letβs stay in touch!Β Follow me on InstagramΒ orΒ FacebookΒ for more food/fitness related posts.Β Β
Happy running,
Becca
How to stay human is such a wonderful read.
Love the trail pic & wow, what a wonderful family reunion
Hope you find some relief from the meds’ side effects
Ugh I’m so sorry the hormone meds are wreaking havoc on your runs. I can relate to that roller coaster thanks to menopause/hypothyroid shizz and I well know how much it sucks. It’s probably why I find so much joy running on trails and letting go of all pace goals. What a wonderful family reunion!
I am sorry to hear about your week. I hope next week (this week) is better. Love the family reunion. Wow, cannot imagine 5 generations in one place.
I am so very sorry you are struggling so much. I know this feeling too well actually. I feel defeated with almost every long run I’ve had this cycle (and even with some of my “easy” runs). It never used to be this hard but I wonder now if this has something to do with menopause! I mean I already have other issues (don’t get me started with sweating because OMG please make the night sweats stop!) but I didn’t even consider that being in menopause might be affecting my running in this way. At this stage I’m not even… Read more Β»
You’ve been dealing with a lot but still managed to log some great miles for the week! I hope your runs are less frustrating this week.
I’m curious to hear what you think of How to Stay Human!
Love your reading resolution for the month (and that youβre tackling a fiction and non-fiction!)
So sorry to read about your frustrating week(s) π Hoping this week is much better and you find your stride again. That family reunion looks amazing! Love that your dad comes from a big family and that you could meet “new” relatives!
Ugh to the hormones!!!! That has to be a huge factor to the stress you’ve been experiencing, I’d think. Hoping things “level off” for you … ((hugs))
Thanks, Kim π
Another great week of training for you and I love that photo of you!
With everything going on, I feel like I also need to pick up that “How to stay human in a f*cked up world” book!
One of these weeks you have to tell us all about the corebata class and how it works. I am very curious! I am reading a spy thriller from Daniel Silva it’s a good one. You look very official w your whistle π
Next time I go to the class I’ll make sure to get a picture of the workout board π