I ended up taking the rest of last week off (no running or cycling Thurs-Sunday) somewhat guilt-free. Since I'm getting back into the swing of training this year, downtime is a bit hard to swallow. I just need to keep thinking long-term, though. I do think the layoff helped. I ran 6.5 miles today (longest so far in '09) in 55:53 (8:36 pace) and felt very comfortable...even with the very gusty winds. Avg heart rate was 142 - right where I want it. My right hip bothered me until about 4.5 miles. Not sure if the endorphins masked the pain after that or what, but I felt pretty good the rest of the run. Did a little post-run stretching, then took a 12-minute ice bath (with double the amount of ice...yow). No dramatic singing this time ;-) Just my iPod, some hot tea and banana.
I'm not basing my workouts on a written plan so far this year, so I kind of design them as I go. I think I'll make the rest of this week a long, slow distance week with both running and cycling. If the weather allows, I'll do a ~40 mile ride sometime this week (or a long spin on the trainer). Next week, I may throw in some short intervals. I'm not normally so "seat-of-the-pants" when it comes to training, but I'm more concerned this year with just staying "out there" and making sure the body holds up.
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