Marathon Plan - Regressive Countdown - Week Eight
03/08/10 - 03/14/10 - Week Total: 26 miles
To say that I am over-trained could be over the top, but if my logic works, and I am not strong enough, I could be over-trained even if I only run between 30-40 mpw. Or, I am just and simply tired.
At week 8 of my training I am completely fatigued. After reading some scientific studies I diagnosed myself with a state of staleness, mentally and physically. For that, I decided to rest Mon and Tue, to see how I felt on Wed. Plan called for intervals, but I broke up with my plans, my discipline, and my routine, and I went, in a windy but sunny day, for a 6-mile run trying to hit a good pace. I managed the run at my easy pace, but felt like a hard run.
After much thought on Wed night, I decided to take the rest of the week off. No runs whatsoever. Log my already 6 miles and so be it. The mandate was not to feel guilty about it. The long run for the week was a 20 miler and I was ready to ditch it. On Thursday night I was happy with my decision, to the point that I started to feel more mentally relaxed. It was like if I had removed a heavy burden from my shoulders. My night's thoughts started to evaluate the possibility of running "free" the days left in the week. Free meaning without following the plan but to still log some mileage. Maybe 6 miles each day (Fri/Sat/Sun)?
I woke up on Friday enthusiastic for work and with the open possibility of a run afterward. Back home, I thought about the 20-miler... nah... I put my jammies on (2 pm), and went to the kitchen to prepare a chicken for Saturday. Garlic, onion, red pepper, green pepper, lime juice, Marsala wine, cilantro, salt and pepper. Blender. I could drink that thing. While rubbing the chicken, it started to rain heavily with 20mph wind. Then, it was sleeting at 45 degrees, and with a smile in my face I looked through the window and felt good!.
After washing my hands I laid down in front of the fireplace and in a peaceful state of independence I fell asleep. State of life, may I live, may I love...This sense of freedom derives from a meditative state... Jon & Vangelis. I've made peace with myself. No plan dictating me what to do, relaxing on a Fri afternoon in a gray, rainy and cold day, feeling the warmth of my home.
A crispy Sat morning at 45F/7C, and partly sunny, called for a run. Whatever the distance, whatever the pace.
13.7 miles at a recovery pace. Stopped (possible DNF in Eugene?) and laid down on the grass of a beautiful home with the gorgeous blue sound in front of me. My legs? Dead on the sidewalk. My ceiling? The sky. The clouds? Moving fast. The sun? Warming up. The Quest? Through my senses. The message? To reach the unreachable star. The tears? In my eyes.
April's RW Mind+Body talked about this. "Stretch, take a drink, and start again", but I hadn't yet read it and went back home. Walked/jogged for 0.7 miles, and called hubby to pick me up. Sunday another easy yet hard 5.4-mile run.
The week ended with 26 miles. Things continued to be stalled and not looking good for Eugene, but I ran a peaceful road, the road From State Of Staleness To State Of Independence.
BTW, the chicken came out delish!
4 comments:
I think it's entirely possible to be overtrained running less than 40MPW. It's sometimes hard to tell the difference between overtraining and normal fatigue that is to be expected from hard training. But I think you are probably overtrained if you are still feeling tired even after your rest & recovery days/weeks. And it's often as much mental as it is physical.
There's wise saying that it's better to go into a marathon 10% undertrained than 10% overtrained. Trust your instincts. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is back off and find the fire again.
I agree with Shirley about trusting your instincts. Isn't it one of the cardinal rules of running, listen to your body? You know what's best for you and when you need a rest. Sometimes it just helps to take a week to refocus and run just to run. I feel like I'm reading a lot of people feeling a bit burnt out by training (I myself burnt out late last year) and sometimes just a bit of down time is enough. I wouldn't necessarily count your marathon out, but really listen and do what you need to do to be healthy and injury-free.
Sounds like that laying-on-the-grass run was a perfect, mental reset. :)
These ladies know what they are talking about. In fact, my half marathon PR came after my lightest training schedule ever! Keep listening to your body.
Hang in there!
Hi- Sorry for not answering I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I had to work the Eugene weekend but got it off and then it was questionable, so I let my training slip and had lost the mental desire anyway. Now I have it off for sure, but have decided to enjoy myself doing the half. Wimpy, but right for where I'm at. My longest run so far has only been 14 miles. Haven't looked into how to change down to the half yet. Still hope to see you there and I'll be done and able to cheer you in.
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