Base Building Week 4

I am officially half way through the Hansons 8 week base building plan! So far I am really enjoying the plan and the structure that it brings to my weekly runs. Unlike previous years where I tend to lose my marathon fitness quickly, I feel rested but also very strong. During marathon training I was usually fatigued and sometimes hated my runs so base building is a nice change.

While a few days late, I am reporting that my November monthly mileage was 118.55! Not too shabby for a month post marathon.



Here was my plan for Week 4:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 5 miles easy, Jasyoga - Quick Post-run reset
Wednesday: 4 mile progression run with 1 mile warm up/cool down, Jasyoga - Post Workout Recovery
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 6 miles easy with 6-10 strides
Saturday: 6 miles easy
Sunday: 6 miles long, 20 min Iron Strength Core workout
Total Miles: 31.17

I was pretty beat after the progression run on Wednesday. My legs felt like lead but I told myself to slow down for the first mile which was 30 seconds slower than race pace and I really focused in on controlling my pace and effort so that I could get faster each mile and finish strong. This is really one of the hardest workouts for me, but I find it very rewarding and know this will help me during my next race.

It is hard to call Sunday's run a disappointment since we had our first snowfall of the year and I enjoyed running in it, but I was scheduled to do 10 miles. Running in the snow is significantly harder and my toes were cold and wet so I called it quits at mile 6 and did some cross training. Honestly, I could have completed 10 miles but I wanted my first snow run to be one I enjoyed and I figured my body deserved a break given my mileage for the week was still around where it should be. It was a good chance to test drive some gear in the snow in case conditions are similar for my race in January.

This is what happens when you forget your hat

I also received these Goodr Sunglasses from my Oiselle Secret Santa this week and they are pretty great! They are extremely light weight, do not slip, and reflect the sun well so they are a great option for an affordable pair of glasses.

Fatigue Level:

I was glad for a rest day on Thursday as the progression run took a lot of me physically, but overall I felt good this week. I was still experiencing some stomach issues from Thanksgiving which made for some interesting runs and I made sure to head out during the warmest part of the day which is one benefit to being unemployed.

Mental & Emotional Strength:

I had a rough day on Wednesday. I received rejection emails from three companies I applied for and this really bummed me out. Typically I am an optimistic person and I believe I have been pretty positive during this experience. Wednesday I just let myself feel depressed and by Thursday I was feeling better and cheered myself up by putting Christmas decorations up.

Nutrition:

As mentioned above, my stomach was not doing so well after two Thanksgiving feasts, so I focused on lots of healthy fruits and vegetables this week. I drank a lot of ginger and mint teas so that I could settle my stomach after eating and I am glad that I am feeling back to normal again. Nothing is worse than going for a run and jiggling your gut around when you are not feeling well! With the weather getting colder and snowier I tend to gravitate towards soup and made a Carrot and Tomato soup that was delicious and completely vegan.

The next 4 weeks of the base building plan will be interesting now that the weather is acting like winter and my plans always get shaken up once it snows. I will have to search out a strip of plowed path for my fartlek workout on Tuesday if the snow hasn't melted by then.