Almost Done

I could probably sleep for days. I probably should.

I'm really tired. My legs are really fatigued. And I'm REALLY ready for this week to be over...and it's only Monday.

I'm at the point in training, during a cycle that is testing my physical endurance and my sanity, where I just can't get enough to eat, I can't get enough sleep, and my legs just want to rest.

Miraculously, I'm still hitting my pace targets. I'm battling through the fatigue and still executing.

But oh my gosh, it's not very easy.

As I was running my last long run "workout" (a long run with a marathon pace portion incorporated into it) yesterday, as I was struggling during that first marathon mile to hit my target, I kept reminding myself that this accumulated fatigue will make me stronger for race day, that after my taper, my legs will be fresh and totally willing to run my goal pace. But right then? They were telling me to shut the hell up and go back to bed.

My workout was 16 miles total, with a 4 mile warm up, 8 miles straight of marathon pace, and a 4 mile cooldown. This was at the conclusion of a 59 mile week, with my three previous days totaling 31.8 miles.

TIRED.

But I knew that despite my body's protest, that I could nail the workout and that the more marathon pace miles I strung together, the better I would start feeling. I would get into a zone and before I knew it, I'd be ready for my four cooldown miles.

And that's what happened! Overall, it was a great workout. My four warm up miles averaged 10:25, so they were nice and easy in the cold weather. My eight mile workout averaged 8:35 on the dot (goal pace!!), and my cooldown miles, while feeling very sluggish and slow, actually averaged a decent 10:02. My heartrate data was good, I didn't overdo it, and I'd call the workout a success.

I think the best part was that all the dumb aches and pains that have cropped up here and there over the weeks, were nowhere in sight during the run. Fatigue and muscle soreness, yes. But my IT band behaved, my hamstring didn't feel tight, and the strange ache in my left (left? It's never on my left!) achilles wasn't there. Even after my run, my only problem was being tired, but not particularly sore.

Regardless, I did NOT want to wake up this morning and get out for a recovery run. I actually knocked a mile off what I was supposed to run. I'll still hit a 62 mile week for my peak week, so I don't think that pesky mile really matters in the long run. We gotta do what we gotta do. Considering I wanted to throw in the towel yesterday when my first race pace mile came in at 8:52, I'd say knocking a mile off a recovery run today wasn't too big of a deal.

These next 27 days I am going to do my best to take care of my body. I've removed some distractions from my life temporarily (social media and rum and coke), I'm going to do my best to get some more sleep, I'm eating more, I'm stretching and foam rolling and icing everyday, I'm snuggling with puppies, and I'm reading some awesome books. My travel plans are set, I'm already checking out the weather patterns (so lame), and I'm making sure I have everything I need.

Peak week looks like this:
Monday: 5 recovery miles
Tuesday: 7 mile tempo run
Wednesday: 10 easy miles
Thursday: 10 mile interval run (I'm debating on if it'll be 10x800m or 6x1 mile)
Friday: REST HALLELUJAH
Saturday: 10 easy miles
Sunday: 20 mile long run

After that, it's taper time, with a reduction in volume, then a reduction in intensity, and all the nerves that are expected as you approach race day.

So somebody tell my kids to be nice to me, ok?