The other day, I mentioned that I had registered for The Hangover Run Virtual 10K, due to some scheduling conflicts between me and Mr PugRunner. While it wasn’t ideal, I liked the idea that I could go for 6.2 miles rather than 3.1, that my registration fee was going to a good cause (The Lupus Foundation of America), and it doesn’t hurt that I will be receiving this sweet piece of bling:
The virtual run was scheduled to start on August 17, and participants could log their miles anytime between then and the closing date of August 24.
According to my current training plan, I was slated for a 60 minute run (70 minutes total when you include warm up and cool down) on Friday, August 16, and Saturday, I would be hitting the bridge while my running buddies ran their eight miles for marathon training. I decided to shoot for 6.2 miles on both days. It would be the longest distance I’ve accomplished and I was kind of excited. And nervous.
I felt fantastic on Friday morning. The weather was perfect, maybe a little humid, but cloudy enough that the rising sun wasn’t really a factor. I looped in and around my neighborhood, just taking my time and focusing on my form. It’s a really a nice course and the time moved pretty quickly, considering.
I finished with the biggest smile on my face. I’m not saying I wasn’t exhausted, but it just felt so good to hit that distance, and know I am that much closer to my 10 mile goal.
I was also really pleased to see that my pace time is decreasing with my intervals. I guess the Galloway method is working out for me. All the positive progress is really helping me keep pushing forward, for which I am grateful.
I got home and was just so happy. Funny how something as simple as a run can do that to a person.
The only downfall? I. Was. RAVENOUS the rest of the day. I was so hungry that I made a quick batch of drop biscuits so that I could enjoy an egg sandwich. With just a little bit of bacon and cheddar, it hit the spot.
Saturday morning dawned and we headed off to the bridge. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve tackled this monster, so I was raring to go.
Before we left, I had printed out my personalized race bib, for motivation. I didn’t wear it because I only had regular cardstock and paper and didn’t want it to get all gross and sweaty.
While I headed towards the incline, my friends went off in the opposite direction. My plan was to just enjoy the pretty sunrise, and aim for three complete bridge repeats, at about a mile per leg.
The sidewalk was extremely congested, and I had to do a lot of weaving around other runners and walkers, but it was nice to see so many people out and getting healthy activity.
I managed two complete repeats, when I spotted an interesting sight at the foot of the bridge, heading my way: a group of people, bearing a huge American flag on a pole. At first, I thought it was a group of Boy Scouts on a some kind of hiking trip, but as I got closer, I saw that it was a bunch of adults, all tied together at the waists, dressed in military brown shirts and cargo shorts, some with camo paint on their faces, carrying enormous backpacks. One of the men’s shirts read “Ruck USA,” so I googled it when I got home. It led me to a GoRuck.com, and appears to be some kind of military-based, team-building challenge. While not my thing, it looked really cool and I give those men and women all the credit in the world for their efforts.
Since they were taking up a lot of room, I decided to head up to the summit and come back down the same way, then wrap up with a flat run through the nearby neighborhood.
That last half-mile was a struggle. My legs were done and my knees felt a little wobbly, but I kept a steady dialogue in my head, urging myself onward. And onward. And, yes, onward. Finally, blessedly, my RunKeeper app clicked over to 6.2 miles and I was able to stop.
And for all the elevation, I was only 2:00 slower than Friday’s time. That’s not too shabby.
And the best part? We wrapped up and were in the car mere seconds before it started to rain. Winning!
Sunday’s soreness proved that I maybe shouldn’t have done back-to-back runs like that, but secretly, I’m glad I did. And I can’t wait to get my medal in a few weeks.
I will finish up Week 9 (the final week) of the 5-10K program by Friday. I am a little skeptical that the distances are greatly reduced from the previous weeks, but I am trying to trust the program and will complete it as scheduled. I’m looking forward to graduating and moving on to my next big mile increase.
I also have to schedule my bootcamp class this week. It’s only offered on the mornings I tend to run, so I’m debating how I’m going to work it in. I guess we’ll just see how I’m feeling and if I can squeeze it all in.
Do you ever veer off your training plan if you don’t agree with the direction it’s taking?
Any advice on how I should structure bootcamp into my current schedule?
How do you handle soreness after hard runs? Ice? Compression socks? Tylenol & Advil? I’d love suggestions!
Have a great week!
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Glad you enjoyed both runs. You mentioned how a run catn make you feel better. I whole-heartedly agree!!! I think, for the most part, there’s nothing a run can’t fix. i keep hearing more & more about these virtual races. I think I may partake in one soon.
I try not change the training. The only things that would make me make changes is if migraines would sideline me. Thankfully, they have been gone since February. Plus, my husband is my running coach. So he would have a fit if I questioned the training he laid out for me. LOL
Can you change your runs to the evenings to be able to fit in boot camp?
To prevent soreness, I rely on P90X Results & Recovery. It’s been a lifesaver. I drink it immediately after my run or other workout. When I used to work for corporate, I’d ice my knees when I got to work since I used to sit all day. And sitting makes it worse. Now that I work from home, I try to keep moving; housework, or just getting up every 20-30 minutes for short walks around the house. Stretching is also key to prevent soreness. Make sure you stretch thoroughly.
Yokasta Schneider recently posted…unfoneltblult
The virtual race wasn’t ideal, but it made my 10K official (at least in my mind), so it was a great motivator for me.
Migraines will sideline just about anything, in my experience. I love that your husband is your running coach.
For the time being, night runs are out for me. It’s just too hot and too humid and the chance of bad thunderstorms is too great. Once summer ends, I’ll have increased flexibility. The good news is that I very rarely sit. Everything feels better today, though.
Way to go on those back to back runs girl! I definitely will change my training schedule if I think I need to. You have to trust your body. And for soreness…I roll, stretch, ice bath, and wear compression socks! 😉
Mindy @ Road Runner Girl recently posted…The Weekly Chase #34!
Oh, those ice baths sound so excrutiating! Eek!
I just feel like I’m still so new that I shouldn’t change things up, especially when the program is telling me to back off for a few days. Rumor has it, those tapering and rest days are super important. Eventually, I’ll find a groove.
Glad you got two solid runs in! I always feel so accomplished after two hard days in a row. As for soreness, I just take it easy until I feel better. I still run, but try not to do anything crazy.
jan recently posted…Family Hike
Yeah, it was really a fabulous feeling! This week isn’t going to be too challenging as far as runs is concerned, so I guess I’ll get rest whether I like it or not! 🙂
After rough runs like that I shower, then put on my compression socks, stretch, and nap…. I swear the nap helps;)
Abby @ BackAtSquareZero recently posted…A Long Run Surprise
I support naps. They are my favorites.
Congrats on hitting your highest distances ever on back to back runs! What an amazing feeling!
I definitely agree that if a training plan isn’t working for you, you should tweak it, but sometimes even though you feel like you should be doing more, it’s probably best to just ride it out and take it easy on yourself for a week. After years of pounding the crap out of myself in the weight room, that’s definitely become apparent to me since I started running! Here’s to more PRs in your near future!
Martha recently posted…Biking Through the Wilds
Thank you! And what great advice! It’s just so to pull back when you feel that momentum, you know?
I veer off training plans all the time. It’s not my intention sometimes life just gets in the way of me running. It happens.
One thing that has helped me is on my long run, I run for time, not distance. Doesn’t matter how slow I go, I could go 10km in 1 hour or I could go 11km. This really helped with training for my half instead of the “go this distance this week”.
How often do you want to do bootcamp? Is it weekly or a few times a week? If it’s weekly you could do a super session day, where you do bootcamp, and then you do a slow recovery run right afterwards.
My long run day is Monday, so on Tuesdays after I do my weights, I go for a 3km easy run. Again not worrying about time.
As for soreness on hard runs, stretching, and foam rolling, which reminds me I need to do.
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My current training plan (the 5-10K program) does work in time, not distance. There is an end goal of 6.2 miles, so the expectation is to be at or around that distance by the last long run. I think that’s going to be how I proceed, since there is, sadly, no 10K-15K program. Blah.
I want to do bootcamp once a week, I think. I had planned to start this week, but with school starting and trying to get that all sorted, starting next week or the following might be more reasonable. I won’t have time to follow it with a run because it will be scorching hot by then – but fall is coming, where I will have a bigger window of running time. My long run is usually Friday or Saturday, but since I stay at home, it’s flexible, as long as it’s not too brutally hot and humid.
Thanks for the great advice!