Welp. Last week hit a great deal harder than I expected. The meaning of time passing and acknowledging events that mold our mental state (or lack thereof?) is still something I don’t quite understand how to unfold as it wrinkles inside. It feels unfair to point towards that which happened in the past and say “this drains my energy now!” …and yet. Such is a life inside a tomb.
From a positive perspective, I got in (save one) all of my miles for the week. I abandoned efforts of intensity beyond a hybridized fartlek and race pace effort. A few runs too many were snowy and slick; I should have opted for a treadmill run or two even if I hate them so. Sunday’s long run was tricky due to icy stretches throughout, but got it in. Would have been nice to have had a bit quicker average pace (close to 10 minute miles for 11m) yet the slowness was on account of lots of little walking steplets while not eating it on the paved roads. Still amazed I did not fall!
I am feeling intensely misaligned and tight in my hips. Hips, plural. Used to merely be my left side, and now my right side joins the party. Woot. Something has to change in my routine, and I hope I have found something that may fit the bill. At the very least, I got myself a proper pair of shoes and have little to complain about on my feet for the first time in a few weeks.
I guess I didn’t really give myself the slack I potentially deserved when I looked at my calendar at a glance to notice I basically took four weeks off, give or take. Weeks 1-2 were minimal running miles on account of a hiking-heavy week-long vacation, and feeling slightly exhausted upon my return from said adventures. Weeks 3-4 were thrown off track by a cold that lingered long enough to require antibiotics. So, this is to say I’m not feeling pleased with where I am at, and there’s a reason I am where I am. Takes a while to bounce back, so attempting to be nicer to myself and battle the self-doubt creep as best I can. Week two was my longest long run and highest milage week since the end of November. Nothing good happens overnight, takes time. Just need to remind myself of that on occasion.
Week Three asks for miles at race pace, a progression run, hill repeats and a steady-state 13 miler. Jumping back up over 30 miles for the week usually is a good place for me to start feeling fit, so we shall see if that long-standing trend continues. Focused and ready to go.