{"id":5363,"date":"2015-11-05T17:36:13","date_gmt":"2015-11-05T23:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/?p=5363"},"modified":"2016-04-12T18:41:25","modified_gmt":"2016-04-13T00:41:25","slug":"suffer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/05\/suffer\/","title":{"rendered":"Suffer"},"content":{"rendered":"

I haven’t been very 2015 goal oriented this year.\u00a0 I mean, I’m always goal oriented, but I haven’t been doing the monthly wrap ups and incremental goals and such.\u00a0 I tried and got really frustrated and hated it and threw it to the ground like an adult<\/a> and just did my thing.\u00a0 I mean, looking at it, I did a lot of the stuff I wanted to<\/a> (e.g. scuba dive in lake travis to keep skills up), or at least the spirit of the thing I wanted to do (get rid of one thing per day kinda = have a giant garage sale in July and not do anything since, right?), but I haven’t made a thing of it.<\/p>\n

The one thing I have kept my eye on is my goal of 1000 running miles in 2015.\u00a0 Last winter started strong, and I was on target for wayyyy more than 1k.\u00a0 Then in Spring, I went for shorter and speedier stuff, which meant less miles and more intensity. Summer is always lower because of… hot (and hiatus), and then it picks up in the Fall for marathon season.\u00a0 Now, early November, I’m at just a little over 200 miles to go.<\/p>\n

It sounds like a lot, but unless the unthinkable happens, I’m for it.\u00a0 My planned miles in November will take me to about 85 left for December.\u00a0 Last December I ran 91 and I don’t see any reason why I’ll be running any less this year.\u00a0 Either way, I’m only working about 9 days in December and I have no races to worry about, so I’m game to get this done even if I have to cram a little at the end.<\/p>\n

I’m way off on my bike and swim volume goals (made when I thought I would have a slightly different focus this year), but I’m going to hold onto this running one.<\/p>\n

\"Nov4-3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Marathon Training:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m just settling in for the season.\u00a0 Riding through the highs and lows.\u00a0 Last week was a little more of the latter, but ‘sok.\u00a0 Happens.\u00a0 Hanging on until the upswing.<\/p>\n

Training becomes standard after a while.\u00a0 Generally, I vary the miles a bit but each month is a pretty standard template of miles, more miles, even more miles, and then a stepback week.\u00a0 This was the first *even more miles* week, and as such, it was rough.\u00a0 8.5 hours of running is no joke (at least the first time), especially on the third week of a build and when you’re still ramping up.<\/p>\n

Most of my mid-week runs this week can be characterized with “meh, I did some miles and it was ok”, but I got my 5, 5, 8, and 5 faster done.\u00a0 I did one dozen set on Monday morning and felt great about it, but the rest of the week, I couldn’t find a time where I was not just too tired or sore to get the second set done.\u00a0 Baby steps.<\/p>\n

The weekend run really flattened me.\u00a0 We decided because… schedules and stuff, we were going to do back to back 20 mile runs.\u00a0 Usually I have at least one week of recovery between.\u00a0 Highest mileage week in a LONG time + 4 hour run fatigue from last week = not the best run in the world.<\/p>\n

First, let’s talk about the bad.\u00a0 At first it was really hot and humid (then THANKFULLY a cold front came through but it was looking dicey).\u00a0 My stomach wasn’t 100% thrilled with me at points.\u00a0 Around mile 5 the miles started to be the longest miles ever.\u00a0 I almost started crying when we started the 4 mile uphill charge around mile 11.\u00a0 The back of my legs started cramping trying to hold onto the meager 11:30\/mile pace I wanted.\u00a0 At mile 15 we had to stop at home for liquid and I literally laid on the floor for 5 minutes willing myself to get up and run AT LEAST ONE MORE MILE.<\/p>\n

\"Nov4-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Had to summon my inner badass…<\/em><\/p>\n

The positives are two.\u00a0 But two pretty big deals.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I did actually got up off the floor, ripped off the top of a salted caramel caffeinated GU, and went out and did not one, but 5.25 more miles to round out my 20 (my garmin took a nap for a bit, I mapped it out and I ran that much or maybe even more).<\/li>\n
  2. It was my fastest 20 mile training run yet, it was a negative split even though the second half included the 4 mile uphill, and the last 5 miles collectively were the fastest.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    When I was running up that long hill, Zliten tried to talk to me and cheer me up since I was grumpy.\u00a0 I told him I didn’t need cheering up.\u00a0 I just needed to suffer over here, within my self, and I could be done suffering once my run was over.\u00a0 That’s where I was.\u00a0 That’s ok.\u00a0 That’s what got me through.\u00a0 Sometimes you have to pitch a tent in the pain cave, and you don’t need anything but that and to know that it will end.<\/p>\n

    My rose-colored glasses made me remember beautiful chilly-but-not-too-chilly sunset runs, the moment when you finish a long run and drink a coconut water, running in the rain, cold and sunny days where you play the jacket zipper game, and the awesomeness where a 40 mile week is kinda no big deal by February.<\/p>\n

    I forgot about that other aspect of marathon training.\u00a0 You can’t get ready for 26.2 miles (especially as quickly as I’m ramping up) without a little bit (lot) of suffering. Days like Saturday where your brain is like “PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MAKE IT STOP” but you do it anyway.\u00a0 Days like yesterday where I’m in the midst of a recovery week but not recovered yet, and I’d much rather crawl into my PJs and sleep for 24 hours but instead I had a 5 mile headlamp run on the plan, so out I went.<\/p>\n

    October’s training made me what I called “shallow tired”.\u00a0 My muscles were a little tense after runs and it was a little creaky to get going some days, but I felt fairly fresh underneath it all.<\/p>\n

    November is starting in the realm of “deep tired”.\u00a0 My legs are actually pretty conditioned – but I’m just exhausted.\u00a0 My bones feel tired.\u00a0 Nothing is really wrong, but there’s a really low level dull ache going on all over and it just feels like each limb weighs a little more than it normally does.<\/p>\n

    Soon comes the period where I’ll feel the adaption.\u00a0 I know.\u00a0 It happens every time.\u00a0 It’s just hard to be in the hole going “what if it doesn’t this time and I feel this way forever?” because that’s what happens every time too.<\/p>\n

    The good news is that I’ve done some good work in my cave of tireds.\u00a0 If I could maintain the speed I ran my awful, cranky, tired 20 miler at, I’ll PR by 5 minutes, and more importantly, come in under 5 hours and get that 5:00:xx off the PR charts. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

    But, if it’s not my day, it’s not my day.\u00a0 This is still a training run, I just have hopes it will be a good one!\u00a0 I’ll have another crack at the distance after a LOT more training, likely on a day with weather more suited to me.<\/p>\n

    \"Nov4-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Food:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    I’ll sum this area up in one French phrase: Comme ci, comme ca.<\/p>\n

    The good:<\/p>\n

    Adjusting to less calories hasn’t been too hard.\u00a0 I feel like if it was hard, I’d probably be doing myself harm, but it’s been no big deal.\u00a0 Predictably, the only day of the week I’m wanting to fall face down in an extra large pizza is Saturday, when I’m running for 3-4 hours.\u00a0 Which is actually pretty justified and I’m indulging that.<\/p>\n

    I’m getting pretty good at fueling directly after workouts.\u00a0 Run in the morning?\u00a0 Drink my smoothie on the way to work.\u00a0 Run at lunch?\u00a0 Eat lunch right after (or at least shove part of it in my face on the way to a meeting).\u00a0 Run at night?\u00a0 End it at the house where I snack or warm up a batch cooked meal.\u00a0 I feel MUCH better than when I’d run in the morning and accidentally not eat until 11.\u00a0 Or long run and forget to eat for hours and get lightheaded and crashy.<\/p>\n

    Long run fueling has gone well.\u00a0 Giant bowl of cereal before.\u00a0 One gel per hour and a gatorade, gu, or heed bottle per hour.\u00a0 Immediately after, GU chocolate recovery drink.\u00a0 Then beer and snacks.\u00a0 Then with two hours, a real meal.<\/p>\n

    The bad:<\/p>\n

    I have gotten to the point where I am having to limit myself to one treat per day starting this week.\u00a0 I’m running enough to support not being PERFECT with my diet, but I’ve given up treats for a MONTH before.\u00a0 Once a day should be an indulgence, not tightening the belt.<\/p>\n

    My weight is stabilizing a little bit, but I’m still about 10 lbs up from August 1st.\u00a0 Hoping to shed some of those before the end of the year.<\/p>\n

    Still kind of coming to grips with what I’m eating being “healthy”.\u00a0 I am getting plenty of fiber (for example, I was at 26g fiber yesterday BEFORE dinner), but I’m eating a lot of stuff like non-whole wheat things and white rice and stuff.\u00a0 I can’t find any real reasons to eat whole grains vs other grains besides “it has more fiber”, which I don’t need.\u00a0 I run a lot so I’m supposed to carbs and I run so I don’t need to explode my colon with fiber.\u00a0 So… yeah.<\/p>\n

    The ugly:<\/p>\n

    A 20 mile run gives you a lot of calories to play with.\u00a0 I out ate my run and daily burn by about 500 calories on Saturday (about 4000 burned + 4500 eaten\/drank).\u00a0 Halloween.\u00a0 Oops.<\/p>\n

    \"Nov4-4\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Life Stuff:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    I got a new commuter bike (Fuji Boulevard – we think she’s an ’84) for 40 bucks at the pawn shop.\u00a0 I have ridden… around the block twice.\u00a0 Stupid time change (and… marathon training).\u00a0 Looking forward to playing more.\u00a0 It’s a very comfortable ride!<\/p>\n

    I love halloween. I dressed up my bard (D&D character) on Thursday, Gwenevere (with my Lancelot and brought my iguana dragon to prentend to slay) on Friday, and then a vegetarian zombie (graaaaaaaains) on Saturday.\u00a0 I also randomly picked up a pink wig that was on sale because… wigs!<\/p>\n

    I have always <3 ed REI, but I love them so much more because they are closing on Black Friday<\/a> and telling their employees to go play outside (with pay).<\/p>\n

    Lots of sleep lately.\u00a0 I slept 12 hours Friday night, and I have barely been able to haul my ass out of bed to run in the morning.\u00a0 I spent Sunday entirely cooking food, doing laundry, watching TV, and playing video games.\u00a0 I guess I’m going into hibernation early?<\/p>\n

    And with that, I’m off to conquer the world, or at least stay awake. \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 Happy November!<\/p>\n

    <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/div>
    <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/div>
    <\/fb:like><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I haven’t been very 2015 goal oriented this year.\u00a0 I mean, I’m always goal oriented, but I haven’t been doing the monthly wrap ups and incremental goals and such.\u00a0 I tried and got really frustrated and hated it and threw it to the ground like an adult and just did my thing.\u00a0 I mean, looking […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[39,29],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/saUhDu-suffer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5363"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5363"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5370,"href":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5363\/revisions\/5370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}