Lulu's Challenge... rise from the ashes

Rode my bike about 38 miles in the hills today. This is a great way for me to recover from a long run. About 7 miles into the ride, I was ready to hammer, and I did! Legs feel great. Looking forward to this week's training. I know this mileage doesn't count for the challenge. But it is fun anyway!

I had 4 miles on my schedule, but this turned out to be a rest day. Bubbles (my daughter) was running a fever, and I had a major headache.

Ran 4.3. Well, I really ran 4 miles and did 0.3 miles of plyometrics. The plyometrics are getting easier. Tomorrow I am supposed to run 7 Yassos during an 8 mile run. I should feel good enough. I could not have done them this morning. By the end of today's run, my legs felt much better. I had some sore places. Friday is a pace run and Saturday I run 15 miles.

This morning's workout was supposed to be 8 miles with 7 Yassos (800m repeats). Obviously, that did not happen. In the first mile it was very apparent that the Yassos were not going to happen. I was very hungry. So I immediately abandoned the idea of the 800m repeats and thought I would do some "quality" miles and still run the full 8 miles. As the run continued, I got hungrier. I normally will eat something right before I run, but I was running a few minutes late this morning and wanted to get in all 7 Yassos and all 8 miles. Also, the speed of the Yassos tend to make me queasy if I eat too much before or eat between the repeats. For me, nutrition is a huge part of my running. My metabolism is so fast I have to eat before almost any run and also during any run over 6 or 7 miles. I should have known there was no way what I tried to do this morning was going to work.

At the 4 mile turn-around point I felt okay. By 5.2 miles I was suffering and dizzy. I had already figured out that I also probably did not eat enough yesterday (duh!). I ran to 6 miles and cut the course short and walked home. I drank a recovery drink and felt fine. I usually don't run without breakfast, much less 8 miles with speed work. Lesson learned.

I will probably move my pace run to tomorrow morning. I normally do it on Friday, the day before my long run. However, Friday I have to fast after 9:30pm Thursday for a nutrition study in which I am participating. I know that after today trying to run a pace run with no breakfast would be a disaster. Also afterward, without being able to refuel, I would probably take someone's head off! The 15 miler the next day would suffer. I really did learn something this morning!

BONK!

I don't have much to say. I need to eat more today and tomorrow. I was supposed to run 8. I had to cut the course short and walk home. I thought I ate well yesterday, but I realize now I should have eaten more. I was quite distracted as someone stole my bank card number and cleaned out my checking account yesterday. That made my adrenaline run all day.

Tomorrow is another day. I need to prepare carefully for 15 Saturday.

Ran four mile pace run this morning. Considering that I fasted for a nutrition study overnight (so no breakfast before the run) and my previous two days' bonks, I ran well. However, I am considering doing an eight mile pace run tomorrow and save the 15 miler for Sunday. Our church has a service Saturday evening so running Sunday morning, I won't miss anything. Several reasons for this change: I have to be home early tomorrow so my husband can leave the house by 8am, make sure my nutrient stores are right after bonking twice this week and then fasting for about 16 hours for the nutrition study, and this would give me the correct distance pace run before the 15 miler to maximize the training affect.

Finally back on track! Pace run today felt great. I was a bit thirsty at the end. Will run 15 tomorrow.