This has been a wild week. I hit the 200 mile mark feeling an all-time high. While achieving this milestone, I was on my longest run to date (11 miles) and ran my most miles in a week (32).
And now it feels like it’s all crashing down.
I caught some type of bug, likely from the Bruce Springsteen concert on Wednesday, and I’ve been laid out since Friday. My running dreams have been vicarious at best. As I’m writing this, I’m watching runners trotting about in the snow from the discomfort of my couch.
I want to run. I need to run. My body won’t cooperate.
New Workout Blues Are Short Lived
I started last week with a brand new workout. It was my first Cruise Interval run, in which you oscillate between Zone 3 for 5 minutes and recovery in Zone 1.
In an instant, I remembered why I hated running for so long. This was the borderline suffer-fest I used to endure for 30-45 minutes at a time, only to vow to never do it again.
But this time was different. When it was over, I felt energize rather than depleted. I wanted revenge, and I wanted to come back stronger for the next one.
Sure enough, I would have a chance days later. This time I was working on intervals in much shorter time blocks.
And I realized, if I could push it at Zone 3 for 5 minutes, I would be able to attack Zone 5 for 90 seconds. And I did just that, and again, I enjoyed the work feeling like work.
That’s the difference of working hard some of the time versus all of the time.
With a couple really nice, relaxing runs in between (all in Zone 1 or Zone 1 and 2), my body and my mind had time to recover.
Thinking About and Applying The Lessons I’ve Already Learned
Life happens. You can’t avoid getting sick or the unexpected. But you can control how you respond.
The last time I was in this ping pong of emotions was after my epic November. In early December, I was emotionally rocked by the death of my grandmother.
As things settled down, I didn’t ease into running. I tried to get it all back in one run. That lead to my first running injury and I put things truly in reverse.
This time it’s different.
I’m still 5 weeks from my half marathon, and I have time to heal and slowly dial myself back into top form.
My goal is to show up at the race ready to perform my best. I won’t get there by trying to makeup the miles I missed in increasing the workout load.
This happened to be a bad week, and unfortunately, it’s one I’ll just have to wait out.
It’s not unlike the new workouts I experienced just last week, I need to give my body and my mind time to recovery.