Stressing your Body.

Some days you have to just roll with it.
My day did not unfold in a way that was planned at all.

My routine Thursday run with Danielle was canceled, making me have to actually come up with a plan.

Last night, reality hit me that I will be running the Disney Goofy Challenge in 7 weeks. I have not ran more than a 13 mile long run since the Detroit Freep Marathon. Granted, the last 3 weeks I have had a 13 miler each week. But I need to step it up.
I shared this information this morning with Andy and he confidently replied "Anita, you are always Marathon ready, you will be fine."

"The purpose of training is to stress the body, so when you rest it will grow stronger and more tolerant of the demands of distance running."

David Costill professor of exercise science at Ball State University.

I didn't plan on running 13 miles today. Especially after yesterdays hill run and leg work out.
Wednesdays Rundown: 5 miles of rain, mud, backroad, trails and HILLS. My GOAL was to maintain an average pace until I approached the hills. At the base of the hills, I would run between a 7-7:30min/mi. up them.
When I run that hard it allows me to pick up the pace without it registering with my body. So my "Average" pace actually becomes better than average without realizing it due to the effort level I put in on the hill sprints.
That is a reason why intervals are so good for you, It allows you to program your body and mind for pain, it toughens you up. You think you are running easy because of your effort level, only to look down and see that you are running faster than you "FEEL".
Because I just wasn't hurting enough, when I came home I decide to beat myself up more. I started out just recovering with my foam roller and a yoga matt. Somehow, I ended up out of breath again doing squats, lunges and legs.
I wanted to do sit-ups and abs except I have a 2 inch scab on my tailbone from over doing it Sunday and Monday.
Thursdays Rundown: Unplanned and total last minute, Claudia text me to meet her at the Red Devil to run at 9am when she is out of yoga.  We were on for 8 miles.
I knew I needed to get in more than 8 miles. With the sun shining, I headed out to get 5 miles in beforehand.
I kept waiting for my body to loosen up. I thought maybe if the right song came on I would have more energy.
Or maybe I should have ate more than just a banana.
Maybe I should have rolled more..stretched more...PRAYED MORE...
My legs were screaming at me. I was grateful everything other than my pulverized muscles still loved me.
"Anita, sometimes you need to run on sore legs." I looked at my watch with only 4 miles on it and told myself  "You are what YOU THINK, I can do this, I can do this, 11 more to go.."
Meeting Claudia, was exactly what I needed. I slowed down a little more and enjoyed just listening to her stories. I quit managing my pace. The wind picked up and about knocked us back. It was all I had to barrel forward. There was no room to complain as I was running in November in SHORTS!
A FOX crossed in front of us, that was another highlight on our run. It gave me a few minutes of forgetting how bad my butt and legs hurt.

I am thinking next week I will have to have a 15 miler. Monday is looking like the only possible day. Maybe Sunday. I really wanted to get a run in on the trails. The trails scare me, my directionally challenged mind will  turn a 15 mile trail run into a 20 mile, 5 hour Amber Alert.

Anyone else out there signed up for a January Marathon???

Anita