The Funk

I know I'm not alone in going through periods in which you fall into some kind of funk - whether it be a minor illness or just fatigue from overtraining or not yet being recovered from previous workouts. I find myself currently slogging through a week like that. So far this week, I ran a decent 10-miler on Monday (after which I could tell I wasn't quite "right"), took Tuesday off due to feeling really drained, and ran an easy 4 miles today...still feeling weak and tired, with no pep in my legs. This could be a cold coming on, since I've been sneezing and sniffling a little.

I've got a 5-mile race this Saturday, and I'm pacing a friend for the last 21 miles of a 50-mile ultra on Sunday. I'll try to be disciplined enough to run relatively easy in the Saturday race (which I wish I hadn't signed up for, but what's done is done...and I'm not skipping it since it's paid for...so says my frugal wife...and you're correct, dear). I'll need to save strength for Sunday's long run. Even with a full tank of energy, this weekend would be a challenge. Since I'm feeling wiped out, I'm now mentally stressed out about it. Last week was big, for me. 52 miles, including my first 20-miler in a monsoon, a hard hilly 10-miler, and and yet another freezing rainy run on Friday...so it doesn't surprise me that I feel this way now. I guess my "point" to this rambling entry is that I don't really do well, mentally, with these periods of feeling wiped out, whether from a cold or otherwise - especially when training has been going so well. I know I need to listen to my body, back off a little and rest, and trust my fitness, knowing that I'll bounce back soon.

Sorry I don't have any cheese to offer you to go along with my whine.

Week in Review

A nasty head cold decided to take up residence in my noggin long about Wednesday morning. I felt the dreaded sore throat, but fortunately only missed one day of running...which I ended up making up today (Sunday) anyway. Running through this thing actually helped, I think. I feel like it broke up a lot of mucous and cleared out my sinuses. I'll spare you the disgusting details of what happened during some of my runs when I tried to help the process along.

Here are the numbers:

Runs - 6
Miles - 40.7
Long - 14 mi
Total time - 5:46:44

Despite the cold, I had a really strong 8 mile hilly run on Wednesday. I can feel my mileage base carrying me lately. I just feel stronger, even on days I'm feeling a bit "off".

Next week is a bit of a back-off week in my marathon training plan (week 4, officially). The schedule calls for 38 miles with a "long" run of 10 miles. Due to the mileage base I mentioned feeling pretty good about, I'm going to bump up the long run to 12 miles and put in around 40 for the week. Soon enough, the weekly mileage will reach the 50's and peak at 60, with my long run topping out at 23 miles. I'm actually looking forward to it!

Here's wishing everyone a great week of training!

Yuck

Yesterday morning I woke with a slightly sore throat. I still ran my scheduled 8-mile hilly trail run and felt pretty good. Last night, this cold kicked in. Didn't sleep well at all. Woke up with a stuffy nose, sore throat (hard to swallow) and an overall achy and lethargic feeling. I only had a 4-mile recovery run scheduled for today, so missing it won't be a big deal. I also got my long run in for the week (14 miles on Monday). I'll rest today and see how I feel tomorrow.

Last Two Days

On Friday, I ran an easy 8 miles, which was the longest I've run since my half on 10/11. It felt harder than it should, thanks to the chest/lung stuff I've been fighting. Yesterday, I ran an easy "recovery run". I'm still learning about the purpose of different types of runs. So far this year, I've put in plenty of "easy" runs...but they weren't exactly "recovery" runs. So yesterday, I set out to run at a slower pace than I have all year: 3.5 miles at a 9:19 pace. I was proud of it. That's about a minute per mile slower than my "easy" runs. This type of run, long overdue, will be important in my arsenal as I start marathon training early next year. It's a great way to get in the miles, while helping the legs to actively recover from hard runs (i.e. hills, speed, long). I'm not sure why it took me so long to come around on this. I guess one positive thing about having an illness that seems to hang on forever is that it can force you to back off on the pace. My heart rate was nice and low, too.

Miles this week: 20.5
October mileage: 75.6

The Hills Are Alive...With the Sound of Couging

Decided I was tired of running the same course six times last week, so I made the short drive over to a local park to run my favorite hilly, 1-mile dirt/gravel loop. I had planned on going 5 miles, but cut it short at 4. My legs feel fine, but my lungs and chest are still a mess. I coughed quite a bit and had that tight, burning sensation most of the time. I hate going to the doctor, but I might find my way there this week. I've basically been sick with something or other for about a month now. I think I'm susceptible to upper respiratory infections. I had one for two months last fall (when I wasn't yet running), for which the doctor put me on antibiotics. Might be time for a little deja vu, unfortunately.
Tomorrow, my plan is to run some half mile intervals within about a 5-mile run. Hopefully I can follow through on that. I'm itching to pick up the pace!

Rest is Best

Alas, the mini running streak came to an end at six days after yesterday's fatigue-filled run. I decided to give in to this war I've been waging against whatever illness I've had. My cough won't go away & I've been feeling weak & tired, so I'll probably be visiting my doctor soon. It's supposed to be rainy all day tomorrow (Monday), so the odds are, I'll be taking tomorrow off as well. I just want to get healthy again! This is getting old!
Congrats to those of you who raced this weekend. I've read a couple of good reports so far!

Day 6

Last night I had a slight fever of 99.9. My normal body temperature is about a degree lower than normal (usually 97.3-97.5), so it was noticeable. I had the chills, followed by the usual sweating. The fever broke sometime during the night. So, did I run today? Did I continue my silly streak, along with my "battle" against this illness? Why, yes I did! And I felt pretty sluggish and tired, too, even while only running 3.5 miles at an easy 8:43 pace. I'm not sure if I'm trying to channel my inner Nietzsche, but I may continue for a 7th day tomorrow, even with this cruddy cough...as long as the fever doesn't return.

Another Decent Run (While Sick)

Ran another 4.5-miler today. I haven't pushed the pace since my half marathon (coming up on 2 wks ago) and my legs were itching to let loose a bit, so I threw in a little surge during mile 2 (6:52). It felt awesome! I also pushed the pace up a 1/4 mile hill at about mile 4. What strikes me as odd is that I've been sick all week, but my runs are going fairly well. I've never been a "streak" runner (I once ran 16 days straight back in 1985), but this was my 5th day in a row and I felt stronger than in my earlier runs this week. I plan on keeping it up, although I'll probably continue to keep the pace and distance down until I get over this crud.

I Should NOT...

...be running (have a head/chest cold with a bad cough & feel weak), but I'm waging war against this illness! It seems like it doesn't get any better when I lie down or sit on my butt, so I'm going to run (albeit short and slow). This was my 4th day in a row of running while sick (4.5 miles today at an 8:44 pace). Hope it doesn't put me out of commission for the long term. I know...I'm not being very smart. I'm just really ticked off.

You've Got To Be Kidding, Part 2

Well, I indeed DID listen to the voice that said to run anyway! Just got back from an easy 4.5 mile run at an 8:38 pace. I'm waging war on this "perpetually being sick" crap.

And if you don't see a post from me again, you'll know what my stubbornness did to me...

;-)

You've Got To Be Kidding...

Went out for my first run yesterday since the October 11th Spokane Half Marathon. Ran an easy 3.5 miles, then did some strength work. I took last week off to let my body rest and recover from both the training and racing, as well as the illness that beat me up for over 2 weeks.

So...

Last night, I started getting a cough. Again. My youngest daughter stayed home from school yesterday with a fever. My oldest daughter woke up with a fever this morning. I still have a burning, raspy cough that started last night. My wife, while holding up the best, is also under the weather. I thought I was done being sick, but it appears I'm going from one crappy illness to another. This is @#$%&* frustrating!

Part of me is saying "screw it. I'm going to run anyway". But that's probably not the part of me I should listen to. We'll see how this plays out. I'm not happy, in case it's not clear.
;-)

Off To The Race

I'm loading up the truck and driving to Spokane this morning (across the state, 5 hours away). I'll be running the Spokane Half Marathon on Sunday. I ran another short 3.5 miles yesterday and am STILL trying to shake this head/chest cold, so my mantra for this race will be: GO OUT SLOW! I'll post a report after I get home on Monday. For all of you running races this weekend, good luck!

Short, Quick Run

I ran a short 3.5 miles today, but with some speed included. Starte with 1 mi easy (8:35), then 2 miles at sub-half marathon pace (7:14/7:09), then finished with 1/2 mi easy (4:20). My lungs burned from still being sick, but legs felt decent. Couldn't have run the 1/2 marathon today, though. Hope I get better before the race on Sunday. I was pretty wiped out, post-run. Probably shouldn't have run today. We'll see if it comes back to bite me.

From Bad to Worse

The high I got from Friday's 10-mile tempo run was followed by a pretty extreme crash. Over the weekend, I got much sicker. The cold dropped into my chest and I've had a deep, burning cough and little energy to add to the head cold I've fought for more than a week. I don't know if it would've gotten worse on its own, or if pushing myself for 10 pretty hard miles, followed by an ice bath, pushed my body over the edge. I hope this thing starts clearing up soon. I'd love to get in a couple more runs before the Spokane Half Marathon next Sunday.
I'm going to take a walk with my wife here shortly just to keep moving. I can't just lay on the couch!

Surprising Run!

I've had a head cold all week. I ran on Monday, then took the next three days off to rest and recover. Today, the cold is still kicking, but I needed (or felt I needed) to get out for a run, since my half marathon is coming up on Oct. 11th. I had scheduled a 10-mile tempo (or race pace) run for today. I ran my out-and-back course, with the intention of turning around wherever I thought I should (yeah, right). Of course, I got to the five mile mark before turning around. I ended up running the 10 miles in 1:17:41 (7:46/mile pace). I felt much better than I expected, although the last couple of miles were tough. And I wish I had had some tissues out there (I won't go into details, but it was a bit messy, thanks to the head cold). For the first time, I carried my Nathan hand-held water bottle...and I wasn't really loving it. I'm sure it'll take a few more runs to get used to it, but I think I actually prefer my belt. I switched hands every mile, but my arms and hands still got tired.
So...this run built my confidence, which I felt I needed going into the race - especially with this cold. Now I'll put it on "cruise control" from now until the race, doing a few more easy runs before taking the last 3 days (or so) off before the race.

(EDIT: the blisters I got on my 14-mile run a week ago are gone. Taking the last 3 days off due to my cold helped them heal. I ran in my new shoes again today, but used my old inserts...so it was the new inserts, not the new shoes, that caused the blisters. Good to know)

Uh-oh

I haven't been sleeping well for over a week and finally caved to drugs. I bought some Unisom and took one last night. I still woke up early, and with a very sore throat. I thought it might just be a reaction to the Unisom, but now I'm convinced that I am indeed sick. Hopefully it's just a cold...but even if it is, they tend to hang on for awhile. So...my last bit of training leading into the Spokane Half Marathon is up in the air. I've got an easy 4.5 mile run scheduled for tomorrow, then a 10-miler at race pace scheduled for Friday, with an easy 8 on Sunday. If I can't get those in, I'll just go into taper mode next week and hopefully have enough strength to run well at the race. I don't have a tremendous mileage base built up, so I'm a little nervous about missing the rest of this week's training. Fingers crossed...

Feeling A Bit Crummy This Week, But The Show Must Go On

Been feeling sick, with very low energy levels last couple of days, thus the previous 2 days off. Decided to go short today and throw in one fast mile. Here's how it played out:
1st mile slow (8:04), 2nd mile fast (6:29), last 1.5 miles slow (11:58 / 7:58 pace). Still felt a little out of it, but ran the fast mile faster than expected. It took a lot out of me, though. Was going to go 4.5 miles, but I shut it down at 3.5. My plan is to run 8-10 miles tomorrow morning...SLOWLY, depending on how I'm feeling. I hope this crud goes away soon, since my 10k race is a week from tomorrow. The race is a "B" race, though; just a tune-up for the Spokane Half Marathon next month. Happy Friday!

Rest Day

Well, I do feel a bit better this morning, but I can tell I definitely need a rest day. After spending several days out of town, not sleeping especially well and running a hilly course 3 times in 4 days, my body is sending me a message. After dinner last night, I laid on the couch to read and rest and quickly fell into a deep sleep. I ended up going to bed at 9pm. My throat isn't sore like it was last night, so I'm hoping it was just fatigue and not a cold. That soreness in my tendon behind my left knee is still there, so there's another reason to rest. Like I hinted at a few posts ago, the boost in running mileage after doing more cycling than running might take a more gradual effort on my part, given the injuries I've dealt with in the past.

If I feel up to it tomorrow, I'll do some sort of tempo/speed/fartlek workout, then maybe take Friday off, then do my long run on Saturday.

Run in the Country, the Trifecta

This morning was our last in Spokane. I was on the road at 6:10am for the same 6-mile hilly run, which I ran in 48:27 (8:05 pace). I attacked the hills a little more than in the last two runs.
We just got home from the cross-state drive. I now have a troubling tickle in my throat and feel pretty fatigued. Hopefully this will pass with a good night's sleep. I also noticed that a tendon behind my left knee is tender. I'm guessing it could be from flying down the hills and probably pounding my legs too much. I need to work on my downhill running technique, I'm sure.
If I feel better tomorrow, I may do some trail running with my friend Arthur, who will be running his 4th Cascade Crest 100 mile trail race in the mountains this coming Saturday.

Off to the Mountains!

I had tentatively planned on riding this morning, but, for a few reasons, that didn't happen. We're heading to Mt. Rainier this morning for a camping trip. Last night, I felt absolutely exhausted (I also lifted weights yesterday, after my ride). I thought I was pooped from the heat (we're in the midst of the hottest weather we've...maybe ever...had...supposed to break 100 deg F today), but I woke up with a sore throat this morning, still with no energy. So no ride. I'll go out for a tough ride on Saturday morning. If I start feeling better, I'll get in a good hike.

Since I won't be here tomorrow, I did my weigh-in 1 day early. Here are this week's stats (and changes from last week):

Weight: 147.6 lbs (-.2 lbs)
Waist: 30.3" (-.2")
Bodyfat%: 10.2 (-.3%)
Resting HR: 41 bpm (-2 bpm)

My weight was basically the same as last week, which is interesting. I've been relaxing my diet just a bit...which makes my waist and bodyfat measurements even more surprising. That's the lowest either of those has been since I started keeping track about 10 years ago. My goal for bodyfat % is to get under 10%, so it's getting closer.

I better help finish packing, before I get "the business" from the Mrs. Enjoy the rest of your week!