Week 5 down and my goal is to keep being as consistent as possible with my training plan. One common struggle I seem to have is sticking with training plans. I tend to get a week where I have too much going on and it breaks my focus. This leads me down the rabbit hole of doubt and frustration, which causes me to just say “forget it” and then I stop the plan, and do less meaningful workouts for a week or so before I realize how off-track I got. I then get back onto the plan or start another plan, only to have the cycle repeat itself. The end results is always the same; much poorer than expected race results or an injury. I know I say this a lot, but Apple’s Rings have some really addictive properties that keep me working out no matter what. This has helped me get more consistent and not fall off of my training path. I may still miss certain workouts, but I still get a workout in and continue on, and it has been paying off.

Monday 11/30

Started off my week with a lot of motivation, so I tackled my 2.5 mi endurance run. I did my NTC Wake-Up Warm-Up to get loose, then did my run. Not sure why, but the timer on the treadmill seems to not work correctly. Fortunately the distance is fine, since I measured it. Therefore, I am using the stopwatch function on my phone for an easy time tracking visual. I really don’t understand why Nike cannot allow the watch app and the phone app to work together. Regardless, felt really good after my run.

Tuesday 12/1

Today was supposed to be 3 x 800 m intervals, but I didn’t get done with work until very late, so I decided to just make it a trainer session. I didn’t really push myself too hard, but I did get in a 45 minute session.

Wednesday 12/2

The plan called for a rest day. However, I was a bit bummed I didn’t run on Tuesday, so I decided to get in a run today. I did my usual warm-up, followed by my Tuesday scheduled 3 x 800 m intervals. I went at 7.2 mph and was exhausted at the end. My knees were bugging me slightly afterwards. I am sure it was my form. Even though I should be able to handle 7.2 mph, I noticed my stride, especially on the 3rd interval, was getting a little too long and I did over-extend a couple times. I’ll work on this, but to be safe, I’ll probably drop the pace down to 7 mph next time.

• Lesson 1: If you are running, always be careful to watch your stride. Although having a longer stride isn’t a bad thing, you can easily overextend (have your stride longer than it should be), which can cause all sorts of injuries. If you are unsure, record yourself, have someone else record you, or head to a running store that has a treadmill and see if they can help you.
• Lesson 2: It might be a good idea to head to a running store to see if you can get a basic gait analysis and see if you are using the correct shoes based on how your foot strike is. Plus you can also make sure your current shoes are the correct fit.

Thursday 12/3

NRC had me set to do a 0.5 mile benchmark run. However, doing the benchmark is rather worthless since I am not using the phone app when I am running. Therefore, it does not track the proper intervals and then apply to my training plan. Therefore, I decided just do a ride, especially since it was late. I put in some high effort and got my ride done in about 36 minutes. However, when I reviewed my data, I saw that my HR maxed at 89 BPM, which is really low. My only thought is that I was really tired and my perceived effort was much higher than actual. I did also workout after 10pm, so this does make sense.

Friday 12/4

Today was supposed to be my NTC day. And, as usual, I wasn’t feeling motivated enough, so I skipped it and did some cycling instead. I rode for 45 minutes and definitely got my HR up a little better than yesterday, but it was still a late workout and I was really tired.

Saturday 12/5

For a change, I was able to do my long run on my scheduled day. The plan was a 5 mile run. I was feeling really loose since I had been doing some cleaning and other activities, so I skipped my usual NTC warm-up. I set the treadmill to my usual 6 mph and I was off! I did have a few times where my 30 second walk intervals became 1 minute or loner, but for the most part, I am happy to report I stuck pretty well to the 2 minute run, 30 second walk Galloway plan. I was extremely tired when I was done and feeling a little nauseous. I usually would have a glass of whole milk or chocolate milk, but I was out, so I had one of my Honey Stinger Cracker Bars. I usually have these before my long workouts or if I am hungry and will be working out in 45 or more minutes from when I eat the bar. This actually worked out well, and combined with another Nuun Energy tab, I was feeling better within 10 minutes after my workout.

• Lesson 1: For many people, when they hear “long distance” or “long run”, they usually think about 10 miles or more. However, long distance is relative to everyone. If the farthest you have ever run is 3 miles, then a 3 mile run is a long run for you. Make sure you always have necessary nutrition and hydration for your long runs.
• Lesson 2: For shorter distances, you will typically need less fuel. However, depending on your level of fitness, along with how your body’s metabolic rate, you may need something extra during even a 3 to 5 mile run, such as a Gel or some other snack that won’t upset your stomach.

Sunday 12/6

I woke up really exhausted today. My legs were a little sore, and my whole body felt tired. The day after a long run, even if you are sore and tired, you should still do something. Just sitting idle will usually slow down your recovery. But, like most people, I give into that feeling and usually do nothing. However, thanks to me being addicted to closing my rings on Apple Watch, I knew I had to do something. The smart me knew I should be doing some stretching, Tai Chi or Yoga. However, the lazy me won out and I hopped onto my bike. I ended up doing a trainer ride for 45 minutes. Since I was so exhausted, my heart rate actually jumped up like crazy for a very light resistance ride. I still felt much better afterwards thanks to getting in some movement. One of these days I’ll get over being lazy and do a proper set of workouts for my post-long run rest days.