5-10K: week 3, day 2 {5.30.2013} & week 3, day 3 {6.1.2013}

I’m going to combine my last two running sessions for a couple of reasons. First, because the next week is going to be chock full of posts and I don’t want to fall behind. Second, because I think the combination paints a more complete picture of the overall state of fitness.

Week 3 Day 2 was hard. Really hard.

Last Monday, I was on what can only be called the runner’s high. I ran a great race and was positively giddy over my accomplishment.

So, of course, in true Murphy’s Law style, Thursday’s run, the first run after the race, was dismal.

It didn’t matter that I was up and out before the sun to try to avoid the heat. It didn’t matter that the name of the game was speed work (10 minute jog. 5 minute fast run, 10 minute jog), which I love. I just couldn’t get it together.

The air was nothing short of suffocating. Both my arms and legs were like lead. I couldn’t shake it. In the 35 minutes, I managed to knock out about 3.2 miles (including the warm up and cool down).

I’m not going to lie. It was discouraging and I really started questioning myself, wondering how I was ever going to manage to complete the 5-10K training, let alone successfully finish a 10 miler and half marathon.

But what comes down must go up. And Saturday morning’s run was fantastic. Week 3 Day 3 called for a 40 minute steady run; my longest yet. And I nailed it. I had two small shoe adjustment breaks, but I ran 3.82 miles at a 10:27 pace. Which says to me that I am doing this.

Running is not an instant gratification venture. Every step forward requires a substantial physical and emotional commitment. There’s no phoning it in. No halfway. You can’t get there overnight and there are no shortcuts. You have to put in the time, the effort, the hours, the miles.

It has been a hard and humbling lesson, but I keep coming back for more.

This week is going to be tough. We have little man’s graduation from VPK, along with all the assorted fanfare and events, plus the weather is threatening to be pretty miserable. I’m going to be working hard to fit in my running time, but I’ll do my best. I only have a few more weeks until my tonsilectomy and I need to make the most of it.

How do you handle training when you know that you’re going to be out of commission for a period of time? 

What are your plans for the summer?