This week has been a learning week. I have been doing research and experiments to help me with my form, my nutrition, and my overall health.
On Monday I went to the Good Form Running Clinic at Track Shack. We ran a block then the staff taped our run to see how we are running and what improvements we could make regardless of whether we employed the Good Form Running technique or not. I felt very proud when the staff approved of my stride, strike, arm position, and posture. It was yet another opportunity for me to see my improvement over the years of running, particularly since I picked it up again a year ago. However, I am trying to employ some of the Good Form Running components to lessen the risk of injury and to pick up the pace while keeping my short stride. Click here for more information on Good Running: http://www.goodformrunning.com/
While I was at Track Shack I decided to pick up some nutrition aids to experiment with this week. I purchased Nuun tablets, Honey Stinger gummies and wafer, and Gu Chomps. The Nuun tabs are awesome! Just like an isotonic but cheaper and definitely no side effects. Although there is no sugar in the tabs, I still get that sugar-on-my-teeth feeling with just a few gulps. However, I can deal with it. I just have to fill up my water bottle, drop a couple of tabs in and go. However, I do not think I could get through a long run on a drink alone. I only had the Honey Stinger gummies today and no side effects either so the Honey Stingers are on the "good list" as well.
I was only able to try out the HS gummies because I was not able to get in all the runs I had to this week. I did 3 out of 3 days; better than the last two weeks but still not great. However, I feel like I did the most important runs for this week. Week 6 started the speed and tempo runs. The speed runs I think are gonna be my favorite. It's a great way to work on pace and after all the mileage, it's kinda nice just to run my heart out for a few minutes at a time and not feel guilty when I stop. I stayed on target at each 400 meter run and in all was just 3 miles--that's cake! The next unique run this week was the tempo run. That was a bit tougher. Here I am really working on getting close to my goal pace by running 10 seconds above the goal; this week for 5 miles. The first mile I was 3 seconds too long, the second mile I was 8 seconds too long, the third mile...., the fourth mile, right on target and the fifth mile I made it a full minute faster than the goal. It was my first tempo so I'm trying to be positive. Although I only hit the target once, at least the first two weren't too far off and the last one I went so fast only because I was going to be late for a quiz. I felt so down because I had to take a walk break between each mile and especially after that third mile. I wonder if I set my goal pace too fast but I am holding off on reevaluating my goal paces until a month or so. I feel confident that I should see improvements by then to know what I need to do.
This week I missed three easy runs. Two 4 milers and the first 8 miler. I am still trying to recoup from burnout due to my leadership responsibilities and have not been fighting my body if it is asking for rest. It's been tough mentally to miss these runs but at the same token, I'm giving my mental health the treatment it needs to continue training. I was doing some research on burnout this week and learned that although "burnout" is not a condition, adrenal failure, which causes burnout, is the medical reasoning for feeling burnt out. To summarize what I understood, when you are pushing your body to meet those stressful demands, the body is in constant "fight or flight" mode. To make a running analogy, the adrenaline is supposed to help you during a sprint in life's demands not through a constant marathon of continuous demands. If the adrenal glands fail to fire then the body goes into adrenal failure. It is very common and the only cure is rest--sleeping, naps, and just being vegetable. Over the past week I have been unintentionally doing this, not feeling guilty about mental health day, and it has worked. Today I woke up feeling more like myself and with more energy than I have in weeks. I felt strong enough to do the 8 miles scheduled for today. It was a bit tough mentally as I feel like it was a huge climb from the miles prescribed this week but I'm seeing how much closer I am getting to these miles being the norm.
Now that I am feeling rested, I need to work on respecting my morning alarm, waking up on time, and getting each of my runs scheduled for the week. For the first time since I started I am super excited for my run and can't wait to get up tomorrow and get the miles in. It's only 4 miles--cake!
On Monday I went to the Good Form Running Clinic at Track Shack. We ran a block then the staff taped our run to see how we are running and what improvements we could make regardless of whether we employed the Good Form Running technique or not. I felt very proud when the staff approved of my stride, strike, arm position, and posture. It was yet another opportunity for me to see my improvement over the years of running, particularly since I picked it up again a year ago. However, I am trying to employ some of the Good Form Running components to lessen the risk of injury and to pick up the pace while keeping my short stride. Click here for more information on Good Running: http://www.goodformrunning.com/
While I was at Track Shack I decided to pick up some nutrition aids to experiment with this week. I purchased Nuun tablets, Honey Stinger gummies and wafer, and Gu Chomps. The Nuun tabs are awesome! Just like an isotonic but cheaper and definitely no side effects. Although there is no sugar in the tabs, I still get that sugar-on-my-teeth feeling with just a few gulps. However, I can deal with it. I just have to fill up my water bottle, drop a couple of tabs in and go. However, I do not think I could get through a long run on a drink alone. I only had the Honey Stinger gummies today and no side effects either so the Honey Stingers are on the "good list" as well.
I was only able to try out the HS gummies because I was not able to get in all the runs I had to this week. I did 3 out of 3 days; better than the last two weeks but still not great. However, I feel like I did the most important runs for this week. Week 6 started the speed and tempo runs. The speed runs I think are gonna be my favorite. It's a great way to work on pace and after all the mileage, it's kinda nice just to run my heart out for a few minutes at a time and not feel guilty when I stop. I stayed on target at each 400 meter run and in all was just 3 miles--that's cake! The next unique run this week was the tempo run. That was a bit tougher. Here I am really working on getting close to my goal pace by running 10 seconds above the goal; this week for 5 miles. The first mile I was 3 seconds too long, the second mile I was 8 seconds too long, the third mile...., the fourth mile, right on target and the fifth mile I made it a full minute faster than the goal. It was my first tempo so I'm trying to be positive. Although I only hit the target once, at least the first two weren't too far off and the last one I went so fast only because I was going to be late for a quiz. I felt so down because I had to take a walk break between each mile and especially after that third mile. I wonder if I set my goal pace too fast but I am holding off on reevaluating my goal paces until a month or so. I feel confident that I should see improvements by then to know what I need to do.
This week I missed three easy runs. Two 4 milers and the first 8 miler. I am still trying to recoup from burnout due to my leadership responsibilities and have not been fighting my body if it is asking for rest. It's been tough mentally to miss these runs but at the same token, I'm giving my mental health the treatment it needs to continue training. I was doing some research on burnout this week and learned that although "burnout" is not a condition, adrenal failure, which causes burnout, is the medical reasoning for feeling burnt out. To summarize what I understood, when you are pushing your body to meet those stressful demands, the body is in constant "fight or flight" mode. To make a running analogy, the adrenaline is supposed to help you during a sprint in life's demands not through a constant marathon of continuous demands. If the adrenal glands fail to fire then the body goes into adrenal failure. It is very common and the only cure is rest--sleeping, naps, and just being vegetable. Over the past week I have been unintentionally doing this, not feeling guilty about mental health day, and it has worked. Today I woke up feeling more like myself and with more energy than I have in weeks. I felt strong enough to do the 8 miles scheduled for today. It was a bit tough mentally as I feel like it was a huge climb from the miles prescribed this week but I'm seeing how much closer I am getting to these miles being the norm.
Now that I am feeling rested, I need to work on respecting my morning alarm, waking up on time, and getting each of my runs scheduled for the week. For the first time since I started I am super excited for my run and can't wait to get up tomorrow and get the miles in. It's only 4 miles--cake!