Lessons Learned
This week has been a learning experienced for me. The end of week 6 is looming large in my future with a big 10 miler tomorrow. It's the first time I've ever done double digits. Like...ever. Needless to say, it's been circled on my calendar and it's been something I've been gunning for since I decided to train for a half marathon back in November.
Up until now, training has been relatively bump free. I had some IT band pain pain mixed with patellofemoral pain in my left knee, but I've added stretching and strengthening exercises to my routine. Not to mention enough KT Tape on my left knee to make me feel like a robot. This week was tough though. I struggled through tired legs, crappy runs, and a general lack of motivation. Despite it all, I learned quite a bit.
1. Pace is Important! It's all well and good to run a 9 minute mile, but to try and sustain that pace for 5+ miles for a training run is not realistic and just plain dumb. For me, at least. I'm a 10:30-11 minute mile training pace runner. I know that. But when I got out there on Wednesday and saw a 9 minute mile, I was PUMPED. And then I wasn't because my legs felt like jelly the next couple of days. I'm somewhat worried what I'm going to do for my run tomorrow, but I'll make sure to pace myself.
2. Not every run is going to be perfect. I will be the first person to tell you that I have not been running for very long. This is my first time training for a race. All things considered, I've been pretty damn lucky when it comes to having good runs. This week though, I had to accept the hard fact that not all runs are going to feel good. Whether it's because of the weather, motivation, or tired legs, sometimes you just have to find small victories in the grand scheme of things.
3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! In the past I have fallen into the trap many new runners have also found themselves in- it's the winter, therefore I don't need to hydrate as much as I do in the summer. Newsflash...YES YOU DO! I know that I sweat just as much, if not more (TMI, sorry!) in the winter as I do in the summer because of layers. Which means I need to hydrate a whole heck of a lot. And this week I learned that the hard way when I got a HORRIBLE side stitch that wouldn't go away. Luckily, I was doing a loop and happened to pass my car, so I could grab my trusty water bottle and fill up. But dang, H2O is our friend.
4. Some days, you just need to run. This sort of goes with number 2, but I feel like it deserves its own number. Wednesday was a horrible day for me. Nothing went right. Running was the LAST thing I wanted to do. But I did it. And dang, if I didn't feel like a million bucks afterward. Granted, I ran too fast and my legs were tired, but still. Endorphins make you happy.
So, this week taught me some things to say the least. They were hard earned lessons and I hope they serve me well for my 10 miler tomorrow and on every other future run. Happy Running!
Up until now, training has been relatively bump free. I had some IT band pain pain mixed with patellofemoral pain in my left knee, but I've added stretching and strengthening exercises to my routine. Not to mention enough KT Tape on my left knee to make me feel like a robot. This week was tough though. I struggled through tired legs, crappy runs, and a general lack of motivation. Despite it all, I learned quite a bit.
1. Pace is Important! It's all well and good to run a 9 minute mile, but to try and sustain that pace for 5+ miles for a training run is not realistic and just plain dumb. For me, at least. I'm a 10:30-11 minute mile training pace runner. I know that. But when I got out there on Wednesday and saw a 9 minute mile, I was PUMPED. And then I wasn't because my legs felt like jelly the next couple of days. I'm somewhat worried what I'm going to do for my run tomorrow, but I'll make sure to pace myself.
2. Not every run is going to be perfect. I will be the first person to tell you that I have not been running for very long. This is my first time training for a race. All things considered, I've been pretty damn lucky when it comes to having good runs. This week though, I had to accept the hard fact that not all runs are going to feel good. Whether it's because of the weather, motivation, or tired legs, sometimes you just have to find small victories in the grand scheme of things.
3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! In the past I have fallen into the trap many new runners have also found themselves in- it's the winter, therefore I don't need to hydrate as much as I do in the summer. Newsflash...YES YOU DO! I know that I sweat just as much, if not more (TMI, sorry!) in the winter as I do in the summer because of layers. Which means I need to hydrate a whole heck of a lot. And this week I learned that the hard way when I got a HORRIBLE side stitch that wouldn't go away. Luckily, I was doing a loop and happened to pass my car, so I could grab my trusty water bottle and fill up. But dang, H2O is our friend.
4. Some days, you just need to run. This sort of goes with number 2, but I feel like it deserves its own number. Wednesday was a horrible day for me. Nothing went right. Running was the LAST thing I wanted to do. But I did it. And dang, if I didn't feel like a million bucks afterward. Granted, I ran too fast and my legs were tired, but still. Endorphins make you happy.
So, this week taught me some things to say the least. They were hard earned lessons and I hope they serve me well for my 10 miler tomorrow and on every other future run. Happy Running!
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