Monday, September 24, 2007

My legs hurt

Well, the Pfitz plan said to run 6 miles recovery with 6x100m Strides on Sunday, but I didn't follow the plan. The Pfitz plan also had said to run 18 miles this past weekend at long run pace - not 18 with 13 at LT pace, which is really what we did (or, in my case, tried to do). And before I went to bed Saturday night my legs were sore and my left IT band was hurting again. I iced and took Alieve, but chose to take a day of rest on Sunday. I was hesitant to deviate from the plan, but I'm glad I did. I really believe my body needed rest more than a 6 mile recovery run.

The plan for today said 12 miles. When I got up at 4:00 a.m. I was seriously wondering how I would pull this off. The good news: my IT band wasn't hurting anymore. The bad news: my quads and calves were worse. Michele showed up at 4:30 a.m. and we took off.

The first couple of miles were rough, but after 3 my legs started feeling better. They still felt stiff, but not as sore. I finished the run in just under a 10:00/mile pace, and I was happy with that. Tomorrow is a rest/cross training day.

The plan will have to be further modified at the end of this week/beginning of next to accommodate our vacation to Universal Orlando while the kids are on fall break. I think this entails running 20 miles on Thursday...just me, myself, and Ipod. Time to catch up on some Phedippidations.

A couple days post-Middle Half, I have a few things to reflect upon, analyze, and mention. First off, this may be the absolute best spectator support at a running event that I've ever experienced. I mean, there wasn't necessarily masses of yelling, screaming fans like you see at big events, but there were local citizens and volunteers pretty much throughout the entire course. And these people, they weren't just staring and clapping some. Honey, these people were excited for us runners. They were happy to have us there. They were not just saying "Good job!" they were shouting "You're doing great! You are awesome! You can do it!..." and on and on and on. There were locals out with their own pretty little glass pitchers pouring water. I could just really feel the heart-felt encouragement they were offering. There were college kids who woke up early on a Saturday morning (hung over, no doubt) just to cheer for us, when you know they thought we were crazy as hell out there running 13.1 miles. But they all made it a better experience, and I'm sure they have no idea how much their words of encouragement meant to each one of us. I tried to thank them all until I went totally "bonkers" and could barely speak, but I still doubt they really know how much they meant to us.

Next, I am still trying to figure out why I had such a terrible time. I have narrowed it down to general fatigue, low fuel and hydration the day before and morning of the race, and maybe a mixture of those and the heat. I also think that I am probably approaching a point in this marathon training where I am not as mentally strong as I normally am. I somewhat tired a lot of the time, and this wears on me mentally as well. My competitive thirst has been partially quenched by all the recent triathlons this summer. Fall is approaching and the kids have a lot going on - there's not a lot of downtime, and not a lot of time for me to worry about getting just the right nutrition or just the right amount of sleep. And not a lot of time for actually "listening" to my body. And so goes the same song for all us - life presents many distractions regardless of our situation. Those who really want it will find a way to achieve balance and will prevail. Those who don't, well, they'll either adjust their goals or go down in a blaze of glory, I guess. I've been pretty close to fire before, and balance is just easier. If I'm going to get that sub-4 in December, I am going to have to pay attention to the details, get enough rest and nutrition, and regain that balance and mental toughness it takes to plug through a twenty miler. So - I'm going to take it with a grain of salt, learn from my mistakes, discipline myself to improve upon them, and I'll be back.

Sing it with me, now..."hey, hey-hey, he-ey....hey, hey-hey, he-ey"...

6 comments:

Michele said...

They asked me at work if I had crashed my bike again. LOL
I hope to be able to ride with you tomorrow. I will text you before 10 one way or the other.

Lisa said...

The Brooks Trance feel really good. I love anything Brooks makes! Krista told me a while back that they were very comparable to the Adrenalines. Your stride must be a lot like mine. (only faster!)
I'm fighting sinus drainage. It finally hit me today that it was not just the heat on Sat. Bring on the first frost of the Fall season and I'll be ok. Great job on the 12 with tired legs. If I lived in Manchester, I'd be more motivated to get out with you guys in the early hours.

Rae said...

I have been SO miserably sore too!! I feel embarrassed about it! I mean, it was just 13 for me!! It must've been something in the water.

I thought they did a great job with the race, even more so with it being their first time.

Make sure you take some rest for yourself and don't burn out too early. You are more important than some random mileage. Have a GREAT vacay!!

Joe said...

It sounds like you might need an extra rest day soon. Don't be a slave to the plan, especially if your ITBS is flaring up.

Unknown said...

You're smart, Lana. You know that occasional well thought out deviation from a training plan is sometimes necessary and smart. Sounds like you made the right choice here. You're human, not a machine. Life sometimes throws curve balls. You're getting really good at fielding them.

Benson said...

Yes, good, you're being logical and smart about all your training.
Holy freak'n cow! you're putting in some serious milage. take good care of your body and it will do good things for you.