Thursday, September 1, 2011

yes, this is going to be a marathon-training blog for a while

So this morning's run was not awesome, which was not really a big surprise.  It would be nice if taking 2.5 weeks away from running resulted in feeling fresh and fast, but it rarely does - especially when instead I spend that time gallivanting around a foreign country on foot, bus, and bike and not eating balanced meals or sleeping enough.
 
I ran five miles on the treadmill.  It took me forever, partly because I was running very very slowly and partly because I had to take breaks.  (Treadmill runs have been uniformly unpleasant ever since my gym switched out the treadmills; the ones they have now, I swear, absorb half the energy from your leggs every time you step on them.)  Then I stretched.  I did not do any strength training, on the grounds that it was getting late and I would do it tomorrow (sadly, I cannot do that or anything else productive tonight, as I very stupidly made plans to go see War Horse, which was highly recommended but which I don't actually want to see... fortunately tomorrow is Friday, so maybe I can get some stuff done then or over the three-day weekend, if I can get out of my ill-conceived semi-commitment to go to the beach with my family).
 
So.  At least I did the five miles, right?  It would have been nice to do it fast, but at least I did it.  Now that it's getting cooler, at least in the morning, maybe I should consider doing some of these workouts outdoors, especially if I'm not actually going to lift any weights - but then what's the point of my gym membership?
 
The way I felt today - tired, leaden, but not actually sore anywhere - was typical of how I've felt through much of the training season.  I think the issue here may be inadequate sleep/rest and perhaps improper nutrition.  I'm lucky enough not to have serious stomach issues, so I don't need to avoid dairy or meat or anything (lots of runners do), but I should definitely focus on good-quality fuel and getting enough sleep, if such a thing is possible.  Again, the three-day weekend should help with this.

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