Base Building Week 6

This was a very cold and snowy week for any sort of outdoor activities, let alone training. Nevertheless, I made a point to find a relatively clear trail to run on and was able to get in the majority of my scheduled runs.


Here was week 6:

Monday: Jasyoga - Comprehensive Hip/Hamstring Reset
Tuesday: 6 miles easy
Wednesday: 4 mile progression run with 1 mile warm up/cool down, Jasyoga - Post Workout Recovery
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 6 miles easy
Saturday: 10 miles long, Jasyoga - Optimal Hip Reset
Sunday: Full Iron Strength workout
Total Miles: 31.86

The key to making this week successful was that I drove to a trail that is maintained all winter. While traction is still necessary for piece of mind, the path is relatively clear for about a 4 mile stretch that I can work into 6 miles.

Winter running is hard. It is hard to maintain an even pace when you are wearing Yaktrax or running through a few inches of snow. The first 10 minutes of a run are miserable. Your body is cold and you want to stop, but I usually find that after the first mile I am warmed up and feeling better. My mind stays busy because I have to watch my footing and it is not as easy to zone out when I have to constantly scan in front of me for ice or deep snow.

I'm having fun right?

The first few runs of the week were rough. I was really sore from Sunday's run in the snow storm, and from falling while walking my dog. I had a lot of pain during my run on Tuesday and I decided to go for a sports massage to see if that helped or if I was actually injured. Thankfully I felt like a new person after the massage. My run on Wednesday was significantly better. I was not expecting to be able to hit each mile at the assigned pace, but surprisingly I was able to, even if it meant pushing myself more than I was comfortable. I think the progression run was exactly what I needed for winter running confidence.

We were scheduled for another round of snow and negative temps on Sunday and I was determined not to miss my long run again. I have missed it the past 2 weeks, so I decided to run it on Saturday instead of Sunday. I am not going to lie - it was difficult at times but I was more proud of those 10 miles than if I had run them in any other type of conditions. There was a fine mist of snow blowing at me through most of the run and when I stopped at the Nature Center to take my gel and get some water, I saw a reflection of myself in the mirror completely covered in ice. There were a few miles that were just exhausting, but I tried to focus on the mile I was in and I finished the run pretty proud of myself.

Fatigue Level:

At the start of the week I was exhausted. Some of it was mental as I was not happy with the weather and how difficult it was becoming to run outside but my body had taken a beating with the fall and continuously snowy runs. I am glad I took some time to get a massage, get in some yoga, and foam roll quite a bit and this all paid off. I found that my recovery after the long run was relatively quick and cross training on Sunday instead of running aided in that.

Mental & Emotional Strength:

I was in a dark place on Monday and Tuesday, wondering if I was going to be able to run in this weather. My body hurt and I was unhappy that this time last year, we hadn't even seen our first snowfall and I was running outside without having to bundle up. I was questioning whether I could run my half in a month. I was wondering if I was being stupid for trying to maintain any sort of schedule right now. Thankfully all it took was one good run to build some confidence. Some days it has really taken all of my will to get out in the cold and put some miles in. Some people make it look easy, but it is not always easy for me. I know I will still have weeks to come that will be hard, but thankfully conquering week 6 was enough for me.

Nutrition:

With the cold weather, it was another great week for soup. I made a hearty vegetarian pasta fagioli that was just the thing to warm me up after some cold runs.

I also made a point to fuel quickly after a run in the cold. The first thing on my mind after a run is getting home and into a hot shower but I made sure to eat at least a Picky Bar before doing that so that recovery could begin. My main issue in the winter is hydration. I often don't feel thirsty after a run in the cold. Drinking cold water is probably the last thing I want to do, so sometimes I have to force myself to drink. Even during my 10 mile run, I only stopped once to hydrate and finished feeling more hungry than thirsty. I definitely need to watch this moving forward to make sure I don't end up dehydrated.

Week 7 will likely be a mix of getting runs in when I can. We leave to spend Christmas with my family out of state, and between the traveling and family time together I will likely not have a lot of time for running. I am looking forward to a lighter week and know the recovery will do me some good.