Spartan Shape-Up, Day 134 & 135:
Dear BlogLand... I totally passed out early last night, so no blog. My Bad, I'm sorry. I DID however get my run in and everything, so now to make up for the missing post!
Day 134: Run Day!
So, I got up yesterday, feeling a wee bit stiff from the previous day's CrossFit session. I'm going to blame it on the series of "Good Mornings" that I did... My hamstrings were stiff and NOT all amount moving. However, I was a run morning, and I figured that it'd be good to move them around a bit and warm them up.
I decided to go a route that I haven't gone in a while... It's my dreaded "hill" route, which involves a pretty substantial uphill in the first 5 minutes.
I started out okay, deciding to take a slightly slower pace to begin, knowing that I'd have to get that hill. I did plow right up the hill, non-stop; I was pretty proud of that. My legs were still feeling kind of tight... but, if I stopped every time I was stiff, sore or tight, I'd never get anything done. hehe
On I trucked. Not exactly feeling like a graceful gazelle. I pushed and pushed, because the goal I'm working toward is to be able to run 5K without any walking... so far, I've not been able to do this. I was really hoping today was going to be the day. I pushed and push, and felt a little nauseous, but I kept running. However, I still had to walk, here and there. I found that really disappointing. My legs just didn't have it. They felt so freakin' heavy. I tried all the mental tricks I've learned, all the techniques, but I still had to walk - there was no way around that. The stats for the run, overall, were pretty BLEH too:
Time: 38:50 minutes
Distance: 3.26 miles
Pace: 11:55 min/mi
I'm not happy with this. Particularly since the goal was no walking. I would like to babble the excuse about sore hamstrings, or something like that... but. There really isn't an excuse. It just wasn't awesome. HOWEVER. I DID get out there and run.
I had a tough couple of hours after that, when I got home and looked at the stats, knowing I hadn't run the whole thing, etc. I've been working really hard and just want to RUN and ENTIRE 5K. At this point, I feel like that shouldn't be that hard to do. Physically I MUST be capable (My all-knowing GT assures me that I *am*). For whatever reason, I just can't seem to find the groove, or push past whatever mental hurdle is blocking me from getting there. I was feeling extremely Un-Spartan after that run. I tried to rally a bit, reminding myself that it was VERY Spartan of me to get out there and run, despite the fact that it was cold (at first), and it was early, etc.
However, I may have opened a can of worms. My GT and Guest GT (Sergeant Sedlak!) are both off in Texas this weekend at the Spartan Race Super... but both have it in for me when they get back. Sergeant Sedlak has informed me that he and his giant leap-tall-buildings-in-a-single-bound legs ARE running 5 non-stop miles, shortly after he gets back. He's going to chase me. (!!!).
Next weekend, I'm headed down to Massachusetts for Walter's Run where I'm meeting up with my GT, and Ms. Colleen Fit Bee. I'm anticipating a mental flogging by my GT to minimize/eliminate any walking moments I may think that I need, in that race, if he doesn't virtually coach (live mapping on iMapMyRun + texting!) me before then.
I will get over this weird hurdle. I think I may just have to accept that I need some help to do that. Not something that I naturally accept all that easily. I'm not sure why I'm having such difficulty, but I'm calling in the reinforcements now. I expressed to Todd and my GT how at a loss I was with this, and how I was doing all the "right" things, and I didn't know what to do... and it seems like they've both got a plan.
ANYWAY. That day did pick up just a little bit, as I got in the mail my new Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves. And yes. I bought them in HOT PINK. Why? Because I felt that if I was going to be wearing them around, looking ridiculous, I might as well fully commit to the ridiculousness!
I tried them on and wore them around the house for an hour or so, and they feel pretty promising. I may try racing in them this weekend, and see if that helps with the calf cramping, etc. A full review to come, after I've more fully tried them out...
Today, Day 135, was supposed to be a run day. But I'm hurting. Totally had to Tiger Balm my hamstrings last night, and swallow a few more Ibuprofen. I'm feeling a bit insecure about this weekends race (particularly after that last run I had), and really need to get my legs in shape. I'm thinking of picking up some Epsom Salts tomorrow, so I can have a nice, hot bath tomorrow, too. I think tomorrow I may go for a little run (1-2 miles) just to warm up the legs and move the blood around a little. But pretty much, it looks like I'm going to take a couple of rest days, until Sunday's race. Must. Get. My Hamstrings. back. GRR.
So, That's where I am right now, BlogLand. Sore and a little disheartened with the running... BUT, not to worry. I'm rallying the help around me, and I WILL push through to run a full 5K before the new year. I promise. That's my Goal for myself.
Stay Tuned!
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