Notes
This week just went up in flames. Mentally and physically....
Tuesday was great, and I absolutely nailed that workout.
Wednesday I was REALLY tired, as is appropriate. And Thursday I was quite tired as well.
In hindsight I wish I had run fewer miles on Wednesday and Thursday. I got a little obsessed with my goal volume for the week, and I didn't listen to what my legs were telling me.
Friday I wanted to get a workout in, but I was teaching all day, and finally when I got out at 7:30 I was exhausted and grumpy, hungry and just mentally drained from the week, and I set off to run and 4 easy miles later came back a bit dejected, but knowing I had probably made the right decision in not attempting a workout.
Saturday morning I got up with somewhat renewed enthusiasm to get in a long workout: long run with 6 miles @ marathon pace and 6 miles @ half marathon pace, and then the workout just sorta fell to pieces. I couldn't narrow in my paces at all, I was all over the board, and my legs felt heavy and like they had no life. I was too fast and then too slow, and marathon pace was feeling more mentally and physically challenging than it should have. After running a final mile too fast I got so frustrated I just stopped and walked for a few minutes. Started up, fully intent to just run an easy 6 miles home and finish a long run, but my quads specifically just didn't have it in them at all. Finally I decided to just throw in the towel, because at that point I was just mentally digging myself into an even larger hole, and I wasn't accomplishing anything by continuing. Called my roommate and she came and picked me up and I didn't run the last 5 miles home.
I think I just never got enough good or timely recovery after Tuesday. I really need to respect long and hard efforts like that, and my theory is a day of 8 and a day of 10 right after the workout was too much, even if the pace was slow.
I wish my legs had felt better Saturday, but oh well. about 30 hours later I'm over the frustration and just looking forward to a different week ahead.
I also decided to take Sunday completely off, something I don't often do. It was incredibly mentally refreshing, I thought about the absence of that pressure and stress many times throughout the day, and it was a good decision.