Monday, 11/9:
12-mile run
A pretty good run, all in all, despite the nearly constant rain. I could definitely feel a cold coming on so wasn't sure how far I'd go -- as SAJ pointed out, the week held a 5, an 8 and a 12 and I could choose to do any one of those distances. I said I'd see how I felt as we went along but in my heart, I planned on doing the 12. I knew it would feel fantastic to get it over with. SAJ, on the other hand, said was feeling tired and planned for 8.
We did our usual loop, adding the spur at the duck pond to increase the distance a bit, and found ourselves back at SAJ's house at just over 8 miles. Her kind husband Blue-Eyed S met us at the door and immediately grabbed a pot of hot water and towels so we could warm our hands and faces a bit. SAJ did look tuckered out, it's true -- and she told her husband that she was done for the day, but that I was going to push on for the 12.
He gave her the sweetest look and most gentle encouragement -- no pushing, just, "Are you sure you don't want to go those last few miles?" SAJ grimaced a bit and reminded him that it wasn't a few miles, it was 4. He gently nudged again, "Are you sure?" It was about the most charming motivation I've ever seen -- and it totally worked. SAJ sighed, stood back up and said, "OK, let's go." We grabbed our iPods, plugged in and headed out for the last four wet miles ... and wouldn't you know, it was all I could do to keep SAJ in my sight. She may have been tired, but it wasn't showing in her speed. Maybe she just couldn't wait to get back home to the hot bath her husband said he'd have ready for her. That definitely would have hurried me along ...
Then, as if I wasn't impressed enough with SAJ's supportive husband, I got to enjoy a giant bowl of his delicious homemade chicken vegetable soup after the run -- hand-delivered to my front door by SAJ less than half an hour after I got back home! It was delicious, warm and perfect. What a treat!
Tuesday, 11/10:
Full body weights
45 minutes on the treadmill in zone 1 (125 or so bpm)
I was definitely in the full swing of my cold on Tuesday but still had enough energy for a moderate workout. I took it slow with the weights and didn't push myself too hard on the elliptical trainer, hoping that I'd give myself a nice immune boost by exercising without pushing too hard. I was more tired than usual when I finished, but didn't suffer any adverse reaction beyond that.
Wednesday, 11/11:
Rest
This was supposed to be interval day and I just couldn't face it. While I was comfortable doing a regular workout, I didn't have the energy for the full-out effort of intervals. I promised myself I'd do them on Saturday (my usual rest day) instead.
Thursday, 11/12:
Upper body weights
45 minutes on the treadmill in low zone 1 (110 or so bpm)
The low zone 1 workout felt like the perfect thing to do in the middle of my cold -- it really seemed to help me sweat it out a bit. The weights, on the other hand, were hard. As I've mentioned before, I rotate through an assortment of weight workouts -- and the one that showed up on this day was the most difficult in my roster. The movements are more involved and the weights are heavier ... I have a feeling this workout is one that I picked up when I was much more full-bore on the weight training. All the same, I got through it and was happy to have it behind me.
Friday, 11/13:
8-mile run
I was supposed to run with SAJ in the morning -- but after a night of crappy, congested sleep, I woke up to cold temperatures and drizzle outside. As much as I didn't want to leave SAJ to run alone, I didn't think it would be smart for me to be out in those conditions. So I stayed home and cozy during the morning, watching the sky and thinking that I could always run on the treadmill at the gym if the weather didn't improve.
Happily, the sun came out and my energy rebounded in the afternoon. I set out for a solo 8 and, despite feeling some fatigue from lack of sleep and my tiresome cold, followed the same route that SAJ had done that morning: a reverse of our usual hilly loop. It was interesting to do the same route backwards and I could definitely tell that I wasn't at the top of my game. But I got through it and finished just in time to run to Little C's school and cool down while walking alongside her as she rode her bike home.
It had been a long time since I'd run any kind of distance on my own -- and I was reminded all over again of how wonderful it is to have a running partner. Even with an iPod for distraction, time seems to move so much more slowly when I'm on my own. Thank goodness for SAJ and our compatible schedules!
Saturday, 11/14:
Intervals
Although I couldn't quite believe I was keeping the promise I'd made to myself, I got dressed and headed to the track for intervals on Saturday. Lucky for me, Husband M agreed to come along and run, too. It was interesting to do the intervals during the day -- and with a kids' soccer game taking place in the field at the center of the track to boot. I think I like running intervals better at night; the darkness lets me feel like I'm running faster. In the daylight, it was all too obvious that I wasn't very speedy. Perhaps I was also more sluggish because of my cold? Probably. Regardless, I got through the intervals, crossed them off my list, and felt satisfied. (Apparently that's my refrain for the week: "At least I got through it and that's enough for me.")
Sunday, 11/15:
Full body weights
45 minutes on the stairclimber in zone 2 (147 bpm or so)
Even though I was more congested than ever, I had better energy than I'd enjoyed all week. The weights felt good, not too hard, and doing the stairclimber was a novel treat. I was supposed to run 5 miles but had a really sore and spasming lower right leg after intervals on Saturday -- so I thought a lower-impact exercise would be better on Sunday (especially because I knew I'd be running 6 miles on Monday, which would have meant 4 days of running in a row -- a bit much for me).
It's been a long time since I've done the stairclimber and it felt hard at first. But I settled in pretty quickly and plugged along while enjoying a magazine. I usually have a pretty easy time getting into my desired heart rate on the stairclimber and this day was no exception: I aimed for zone 2 and was able to stay in it fairly comfortably, without feeling like I was knocking myself out. All in all, a very satisfying workout and a great launching pad for the new week to come.
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