Long Run Take 2

Don't you just hate when a run or workout doesn't go well and you have no idea why. Saturday I tried pushing through what should have been an easy 10 miles and I hated it! My body was not happy in any way. I immediately felt tired, hungry and just with nothing to give, almost like I was already at mile 24 in a marathon. Why, well no idea. I ate my normal breakfast, got decent sleep and was actually leaving to run 30 minutes later then normal.

I started out slower then normal and despite a stop to stretch and see if a little food would help about 3 miles in I was done. I took over BOB duty from Matt and split off from the rest of the group about 4 miles in and headed back doing a run/walk. We made a potty stop for O, I was not complaining about the break! I ended up finishing 8 miles in 1:20:00 (minus time for a toddler potty stop), yikes I am normally 10-11 miles in at this point. We got home and I quickly refueled with a protein and carbs and hoped for a better run next time. I guess this was just one of those days. Maybe I've been pushing too hard, maybe not eating enough, maybe not recovering well enough....who knows!

I woke to storms this morning and soon questioned my chances at long run take 2. I just couldn't face the treadmill today. The rain lightened up so I headed out the door only to have it pick back up which actually felt kind of nice.
Soggy morning!
Luckily the rain soon quit and it was a comfortable run, not to hot for once and actually a little bit of a cool breeze until the sun came out with about 4 miles to go and brought the heat. I was happy that I felt much better then yesterday and even continued to push. At about Mile 9 I met up with a couple guys out running who I got in front of. I could feel them closing in so I kept pushing harder. Yes I even race when it isn't a race, but it was fun to let them unknowingly push me harder for a few miles until they turned.
New favorite running gear- calf sleeves!
 I am happy to say I did not have a repeat of yesterday. I completed my run and felt good. 16.5 miles 2:13:23 and even successfully tried a new fuel product, Hammer Perpetuem Solid.

How do you push through a tough run? What makes you decide to just call it a day?
I am also excited to be the guest post on Back to Square Zero Check out my post on balancing motherhood and running.

Comments

  1. Mindy BobeJuly 29, 2012 at 2:13 PM

    Glad you had a better run today! Sometimes we just have bad runs and it's hard to figure out why. My runs lately have been harder too...I'm thinking it's the heat and humidity. Great job pushing through both runs!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coach JenJuly 29, 2012 at 7:58 PM

      Thanks Mindy! I just hate not being able to figure out why things go bad and what to change. The heat has been tough this year.

      Delete
  2. cherelliJuly 30, 2012 at 2:02 PM

    Good question...though it's been a while since I was running i remember having those really bad off days - and one thing that kept me going was the thought that if I could push through then the "toughness" would prove advantageous in competition. on the other hand there were a few long runs where it really really felt like moving through quicksand and I decided every now and then to modify it to walk/run intervals, or have a good stretch break before returning...or just let it go as my other sessions had been on track. How do you find the calf socks? Is there a noticeable difference in leg fatigue?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coach JenJuly 30, 2012 at 3:51 PM

      Saturday was truly one of those days when pushing through was not the answer and the best choice was to let it go. I started wearing compression socks/calh sleeves in the winter when I was having calf issues and I think it does help with fatigue and faster recovery. It has made running much easier and made my calf pain free even when it was still achy without the sleeves, It makes sense, but I wonder some days if it is just a mental thing.

      Delete

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