I tried a little experiment last week. Instead of scheduling workouts and then blowing them off and feeling guilty, I decided to just take the entire week off. No early wake ups, no swimming, no biking, no running, no spinning!
The result? I felt like crap. Plus? I still felt guilty anyway.
Sigh.
I took off Monday through Friday, and I can't say I recommend this lethargy thing as a strategy, though it did hold a lot of promise. Every day I still felt like I had climbed a mountain. My legs hurt. And of course I still woke up at 6 a.m. And I was kind of miserable. Post-tri season depression? Maybe.
If I have a choice between not working out and feeling guilty, like crap, and gaining 10 lbs in a week, OR working out, feeling guilty, like crap, and not gaining 10 lbs in a week? Well, I guess I might as well work out!
But we all know that I can't workout unless I have a goal. So, after much thinking and tossing and hemming and hawing, I decided that I need to get reacquainted with my oldest blog companion: Running.
But you knew that already.
Yes, I'm going back to basics. Again!
My initial target is the Fredericksburg, Virginia Blue-Gray Half Mary on December 13, which I have run twice before.
But I decided to up the ante a little and sweet-talked Number One Daughter into doing a half-mary with me (her first! Her longest race to date has been a 5k! Bwahahahah!) However, clearly she was going to need something more compelling than a trip to Fredericksburg (no offense).
Disney is closed, sadly.
I looked at Austin. (I do love Austin!) But it's not until Feb. 14. I'll need to be at home fending off all my admirers that day.
So, we looked near Austin: Dallas! (Whatever. I don't really do Texas geography.)
We put the call out to our favorite Dallasian: Runner Susan.
She responded: How about you guys can stay with me? I have plenty of room. I'll heat the hot tub and serve you wine. (Deirdre to me: "Do you think she'll take us shopping?")
So, we found the Dallas White Rock Half-Marathon, Jan. 30, 2010.
I'm going to try to actually stick to a plan. It's a been a long time since I had a plan. I loves me a plan. I'm looking at good old Hal's intermediate, or good old Jeff Galloway's half.
Today was Day One of the get-yourself-ready-to-run week. I ran 3 miles in 34 minutes.
I'll let ya know how Day Two goes!
24 comments:
Off to a rockin' start!
And I think Juls and I need to come with. Pretty sure about that. ha ha - just kidding!
Greased lightning girl - one day you're lying in your bed like Brian Wilson next thing I know you're off to Dallas. You took - gasp! - a whole 5 days off?
Fabulous plan though - hot tub, wine, girl trip, blogger meet-up - it's ticking all the boxes.
Now onto training - I would pick something different from Uncle Hal. The more I hear about it the more I hear people getting injured on it. Steve Runner has STRONG views on it and having used it for years I'm actually inclined to agree. I'm not saying you need to do a really hard program - NOD is not going to thank you (or me) - but something with a bit of speed / tempo work etc. might be good. On the other hand - you CAN ignore all of this advice. Truly. It has been done before. And will dare I say be done again..
In know this will be a great girly trip, but keep your credit card bill in mind if Susan takes you shoe shopping.
I live in Austin and the Feb. 14th race will be my first half. Enjoy Dallas!
Another training program option, which seems pretty similar to Galloway's is the Runners World SmartCoach. You put in a time from a recent race and it gives you exact paces to run. Knowing how fast/slow you should be running is pretty helpful so you aren't left guessing. The workouts also include some variance, with speedwork and tempo runs mixed in.
http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/smartcoach
Atta'girl, Jeanne. Also, Texas is heaven. HEAVEN, I tell you.
Yay for getting back on track. It is awesome that you got your daughter to commit to run with you.
You know I vote for Galloway. It works for me, it will work for you.
I love the idea of traveling for a race. I need to try that out some time (oh yeah... right... I don't get vacation days. LAME.)
heck I had 4 days off last week b/c I was sick. You are really truly dreadfully hard on yourself.
hey jeanne, glad you have a goal set. that always help keep our ass in gear!
woot! I am training on that exact same plan now! Can't wait to read all about it.
Nice - you should do a 10K or two as well. I just got a postcard in the mail today for the Veterns Day 10K in mid-November. :)
You know, just running after triathlon training was kinda refreshing. It's so easy by comparison!
Well logistically at least...
How fun! You're spreading the running contagion AND wangling a cool trip out of it. Yay you! Good luck with Day Two.
I've been employing the same lazy strategy for a month now, and to similar results. Maybe I need to find a race and pray I'm healthy enough to run it this time.
Color me green with envy that you are going to Casa Chef & Shoe Addict.
Color me purple with jealousy that you're going to F-burg, home of the Finally Runner.
You're just taunting me, even throwing Disney off the cliff.
Well at least you're making grand plans. I am happy you're coming back to your taunting roots.
I meant to write "torturous" roots.
Uh oh, you do realize that the Dallas White Rock half is December 13, not January 30th right??
What's all this talk about Texas? Did you move or something? I was in Texas recently. I drove from Houston to Dallas to look at Dealey Plaza and back again in the same day. It was, like, a long day. Houston to Dallas (and back) is NOT like going up to walk around the Inner Harbor and come back. But driving through Dealey Plaza was mystical. It just opened up in front of me as I drove down Elm Street and I saw the Depository, the Knoll, the underpasses, the RR Bridge. I instantly recognized it all altho I'd never been there before. It was interesting.
Interesting experiment and findings! And what better way to motivate yourself than to do something fun like travel to a race. Heck, I don't know if I'd even be racing if I only raced locally. Then again, Orlando does not have as happening a race scene as DC.
Great that NOD will be joining you!
Just stumbled across your blog! Welcome back to running! I look forward to reading about all your tris! I am thinking next summer will be my "Summer of Tri"!
Amanda
Hi Jeanne. Missed you.
So how was DAY TWELVE? (And how does young Petra know who Brian Wilson is?)
You are ahead of me. I better get training!
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