My plan was to get up early and run, but I woke up around 5 am and decided not go run because if my kids woke up early(which they always do) then my wife would have to get up early. If mamma is not happy, then nobody is happy. I just had to ensure that I stayed focus all morning to get the run in. Ava finally went down for a nap late morning I headed outdoors. It was a warm 32 degrees which was perfect running weather.
The plan for today called for
MS: 2 x 800 (3'), 1 x 1600 all @ TP/Z4/Hard. Remainder of run is how you feel, but try to accumulate more HMP/Z3/Mod-Hard time.
Creating a 75 to 90 minute run from this run, where personal and physical bandwidth allows, is recommended. Simply settle into a pace between LRP/Zone 1/Easy and MP/Zone 2/Steady.
I decided from the start to aim for a 65-75 minute run. I have not run this long in a super long time. Two weeks ago I ran 60 minutes and that felt like eternity.
Today I loved running. Once I get out on the roads I just love it. I can turn my mind off and just run. I find the time to be a great stress release and an opportunity to clear my mind. I love it that I don't overheat in this weather so that always helps.
I also decided to avoid the track today. I warmed up and when I hit a somewhat flat road I took off for the 800's. This is they key. The track makes it feel like work. Running without the track is the key.
I hit my first 800 at a 6:51 pace which is way faster than my Z4 zone of 7:12. This pace felt easy. I need to retest for sure. Maybe I was just feeling good today, but 6:51 did not feel tough at all.
My second 800 I was at 6:58 so a bit slower, but still felt quite easy in terms of pushing myself.
Next was the mile which is what I feared a bit. I ran the mile in 7:06 and this included a few little hills to challenge myself a bit. I held on strong and found a good groove.
The remainder of the run I just found a nice groove of around 8:30 - 8:40 and just cruised. I felt good and it felt good to be out running. At one point I did have my left foot feel like I stepped on lava. A burning sensation and my foot hurt the last few miles. Being a few miles out I had no choice but to continue running. I need to keep an eye on my foot. It is quite tender even now when I do anything besides walking. This foot is the same one that has dealt me stress fractures in the past.
All in all I felt great. I feel good afterwards and knowing that I can run for 75 minutes and not feel terrible is a great sign that I am not as out of shape as I think. I just need to be smart and allow the small bones, ligaments and joints to catch up to the training to avoid injury. A day of rest tomorrow might be best for my foot. I have to be smart so I don't end up in a boot again.
I also have been battling with a toe issue. The last few weeks my toe has been red and swollen. It hurts to the touch, but while training it has not been an issue. As time has gone on it continues to get more red and bruised. I thought it might be a blood blister and tried popping it, but nothing happened. Yesterday after my brick workout my toe felt weird and I checked it out to find it had popped or busted open.
I know pretty gross right? It has opened up even more and this weird stuff oozes out from it. Probably time to get it check out. The good news is that as long as I don't touch or squeeze my toe there is no pain so maybe the worst is over.
The joys of training. Time to get things ready for the real world tomorrow. I am planning on staying off my foot and hope that the pain goes away. In the meantime I will stay positive and happy with my run. It was a great mental boost.
And yes, I fear the weigh in tomorrow. It could be scary!
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