A Tale of Two Runs

One of my favorite books is a A Tale of Two Cities and it is fitting to name this post after two vastly different runs I experienced this week. Sometimes it may appear that running is always enjoyable and easy, when that is not always the case. Before I present you with my tale of two runs, here was my training schedule for the week:

Monday: Jasyoga - 5 minute back reset, Standing Balance Flow
Tuesday: 5 miles easy, 20 min Iron Strength Core workout
Wednesday: Hill Workout
Thursday: Rest, sports massage
Friday: 3 miles easy, Jasyoga - Post-run Hip Reset
Saturday: 15 miles long
Sunday: 6 miles easy, Jasyoga - Booty Lock Mitigation

Hill Workout

This was the first official hill workout I have ever done. Sure, I run hills on a regular basis during runs, but I have never focused specifically on getting faster and stronger going up hills. The workout I did was from Coach Jenny Hadfield, which comprised of the following:

• 10 minute run warm-up
• Run 1 minute uphill at half marathon pace
• Recover 1 minute
• Run 2 minutes uphill at half marathon pace
• Recover 2 minutes
• Run 5 minutes at an easy pace
• Repeat 6 times
• 3 minute cool-down

Hills!

This ended up being 6.26 miles of running so it was a good workout and I was tired at the end of it. It was difficult for me to find a hill that I could run continuously uphill for 2 minutes, but I made do with what was around my house. If I had more time in the day, I would have driven somewhere with better hills. Unfortunately the hill workout killed my hamstrings and I was so very thankful for the rest day on Thursday, and that happened to be my monthly sports massage which felt like heaven.

Long Run

This is where the tale of two runs begins. My long run for Saturday was 15 miles which was only 1 mile more than last week however this run ended up taking 24 more minutes than the previous week. I chose a trail for this run since it had been a while that I have run long on an unpaved trail. I decided to do 3- 5 mile loops so that I could stop for water and fuel after each loop and the smaller loops would break up the run into something manageable mentally. The first two loops seemed to go by without any issue, but during the last loop I started to feel drained. Even though I had taken a gel just after mile 10, around mile 12 I felt all my energy disappear. I started to feel nauseous, and when I stopped at a stoplight waiting to cross the road with just over a mile to go, I felt like I was going to pass out. I was concerned and decided to walk. I made a few attempts to run, but as soon as I felt sick I just resolved myself to walking. I had to get back to my car anyways, so at least I finished the run. I drove home fighting back vomiting, and pretty much collapsed on the floor for a while before I had the energy to take a shower.

This is what real running looks like

After some food and Nuun, I felt better. I was not in a great mood as usually running makes me happy, but this run went so horribly that I was angry with myself and my performance. However, I chose to learn something from the situation and what I think most contributed to my complete bonk was that I tried something new for breakfast that morning. Instead of my usual go-to meal, I went for something different and I think that I did not eat enough and was essentially running on a negative calorie deficit for too long. At least I tried something new and now I know it doesn't work.

Recovery Run

Sunday was a scheduled recovery run and I was not looking forward to it. After such a bad run, I didn't feel much like running. But I headed out and really enjoyed the 6 miles I put in. The sun was shining and it was such a lovely day that I was surprised at how good my legs actually felt. Recovery runs are important because they teach you to run on tired legs but in my case, this run was recovery for my mind. I felt so much better mentally after this run that it did not even matter what my mileage or pace was. I just needed to run to enjoy the run and remember that not all runs are bad. 

Happy runner!

This tale of two runs has a happy ending for now, and that is why I can never stay mad at running. Sometimes it sucks and I hate it, but I think of all the wonderful runs and experiences I have had and am thankful that most of the time, it is pretty great.

Stay tuned for my next post, which will cover what my new running goal is, and it is big!