half training week nine: get back

cusco views from san cristobal church

For the next couple of weeks I will be reminiscing about vacation, so please enjoy my vacation photos for the next little while. What week am I even at in my training schedule now? Probably around Week 7 of my plan in terms of long runs, but on track at Week 9 in terms of my shorter runs. Speed wise? Undoubtedly falling behind. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards is playing and I am really identifying with this jam right about now. The past month has been all over the place and this week was me trying to figure out where I am, and more importantly, how to get back on track. Unfortunately I didn't get to focus as much on my running as much as I would have liked due to my getting home from work, eating dinner and then going to bed immediately...and I call that my "rest" days, but let's not talk about that.

Let's begin with my first run back in Canada, on Friday of last week. I've been really slow but I guess that's expected since I haven't really been running much this past month, and my mental game has been pretty weak due to post-vacation blah's and trying to get back into my "regular life routine". Regular life is so much more real when there's work and other responsibilities to get back to. Quick aside, during our trek we made a new friend, someone also doing the Salkantay Trek, who quit his job and is travelling for a year. I was really inspired by his actions, it takes a lot of guts to just go for it and try to figure things out. Kudos to him.

Friday Aug 11 -  6.2 km, average pace 7:06/km
My first day back at work after vacation I decided to do a quick run after work to the lake. I ran from the financial district to Cherry Beach and it was mildly disappointing due to the fact that Cherry Beach is not the most beautiful beach. The route was also a bit industrial, but it was nice to run through the Esplanade and the Distillery. Running downtown is definitely a different experience - I've been so spoiled in the suburbs with forests, dirt paths and not many obstacles (i.e. pedestrians, bikes, etc). But it was nice when I got to the beach, hung out a bit - there's something very calming about bodies of water...though it was nothing like the view of the Pacific Ocean from Lima's malecón (I think about the view and see it in my mind's eye as I write this, it was truly breathtaking). Yeah, I've been really spoiled. Really lucky to have been able to experience such views.

Sunday Aug 13 - 7.6 km, average pace 7:50/km
It took a lot for me to get out the door today. It was really hot and I planned on doing a longer run but my mind really just wasn't into it and neither was my body. However, I increased my mileage from Friday and covered the distance. Despite the slow pace, it was still better than not going out at all.

Monday Aug 14 - Wednesday Aug 16 - "rest"

Thursday - cross (bouldering)
I missed bouldering so much! Pulling plastic and catching up with a friend is always a good time.

Friday - 8.7 km, average pace 6:52/km
So sore from bouldering yesterday but I had to take advantage of my day off and run in the morning. I went out around 10am but it was later than I had initially planned. It was really humid. Again, it was rough...I don't know what's going on with my mental state, maybe I'll blame it on the heat or maybe it's just hard to get back to "life as usual". Heading out later when it's hotter, but not being able to wake up early because I'm just so tired...yeah it's probably a bit of both. I know that the hardest step is the first step and eventually I can pull myself out the door, but it's taking a lot more than it usually does to get me outside this week.

Saturday - cross (some light tennis)
I'm really bad at tennis. Lucy and Nate, help?

Sunday - 11.8 km, average pace 7:27/km
Finally getting the long run in. I left my house around noon because I slept in. This was a mistake. The first 45 minutes were fine because there was a slight breeze and I was listening to a really interesting podcast about sounds, but as soon as the breeze disappeared and the sun went higher in the sky, I knew I was in trouble. It was scorching and I'm pretty sure I got sunburned because I sweat off all the sunblock I put on. If I could describe how I felt, I'd say it was comparable to how a pig being roasted on a spit would feel. The last two kilometers included a lot of walking breaks because I felt like I was going to melt, and I was getting hungry and thirsty. But I survived. When I got home, I stretched, foam rolled the heck out of everything, all the while simultaneously downing a liter of ice water, followed by a cold shower. Roasting metaphors aside, at the end of it, I covered the distance. Speed will return. So here's to my first "over 10k run" of my training plan!

Comments