Week 6 of Half Marathon Training

 

This week:

• 2 - 3 - 2 walk/run/walk -- Tuesday on Treadmill, rescheduled due to meetings for Wednesday... Was a terrible run...
• 4 MIle Run -- Friday on Treadmill -- Great run :D
• 9.5 Mile run -- Sunday on long winding country roads... 

Thoughts from this week:

Ups and Downs

This week started with the crappiest run ever.  I was supposed to walk 2 miles, run 3 miles, and walk 2 miles.  With the start of the school year, chaos, and last minute meetings, my plan for a Tuesday treadmill run went down the drain.  Instead, I had to push my run to the end of the day Wednesday which meant running on tired feet at the end of the day.  Late in the day running also meant that I had to contend with other gym-goers.  

The start of a new school year means a rush of newbs to the gym.  Watching these rookies diddle around with the machines, weights, and exercise equipment is like watching monkeys at the zoo.  While it's amazing to see youngsters dedicated to their health, it is also a little irritating that my favorite treadmill is taken by a teenager walking 1.5 miles per hour.  

By the time I got on a treadmill, I only had time to do the 3 mile run (not the 2 - 3 - 2 that I needed).  As I got into the groove, my ankle pain started flaring up -- resulting in  my ability to complete only a mere 2.68 miles.  

Disheartened, I vowed to push further on the other runs of the week.  Friday's 4 miles took a lot of mental effort.  Another end of day run, a slightly less crowded gym, and a still annoying ankle pain meant constant mental reminders of why the heck I'm doing this!  By mile 3, my ankle had loosened, the gym had cleared, and I actually felt good.  This helped pump be back up, though I was still worried about my long run.

Something about the weekend long run -- it feels like a monumental weight I carry all week.  Knowing I had to tackle 9.5 miles first thing Sunday morning was a fact that loomed like a dreaded to-do list task! (dishes, yuck!)  I just had to view it like a deposit into my running bank.

"Depositing in to my running bank"

On one of the many blogs I follow, I read about how a girl training for a marathon views all her workouts as little deposits to be withdrawn on race day.  I loved this analogy, so I borrowed it this week when I felt overwhelmed by the thought of 9.5 miles.

Random ankle pain 

Breaking in new shoes means new aches and pains for me.  One such random pain was in my ankle and really affected me early in the week.  To address this, I switched to my older trainers for a few runs AND I made sure to wear sneakers to work where I stand on my feet all day.  Both of these adjustments meant happy feet/legs for my long run over the weekend.

How was your week?  

Do you use any tricks to motivate yourself for running?

How do you get through your long runs?