running week review

My coach has me on a new training plan.  My feet are happy once again.  After my last blog, my coach and I met for coffee.  Much to my surprise he handed me a shoe box with my new, obnoxious purple running shoes.  They’re the new Nike lunar trainers.  With only a few ounces to carry, they’re lighter than my Mizunos, and feel almost like a racing flat with a little more bulk on the sides for support.  Love ‘em!  My feet and I have rekindled our affection and are working together on our new training plan.

Previously, I quit racing for awhile.  The goal was to build a base of mileage.  Problem was, I wasn’t paying much attention to my heart rate.  I often fall prey to “racing” against my ironman wristwatch.  No matter how fast or slow, I, like many other runners, fell into the rut of comparing my old times and performances to current conditions, both physical and weather.  It’s freakin hot this summer and I ain’t 22 anymore!  So my coach finally convinced to find my “zen” with running once again.  The goal:  get rid of the aches and pains and find my mental place once again for some fast times.  The mileage will come down a bit from 55-60 miles per week down to 40 or so for the next few weeks.  We’ll continue to modify each week with distance and speed till racing season this fall.

Here’s my first week in review:

Monday: 6 easy pace.  Weather:  hot and humid

Tuesday: Tempo run!  2 miles all out.  Resting heart rate before the run:  54.  Weather:  hot and humid.  Coach’s instruction:  Haskell was to ride next to me on his bike.  Makes me run faster and there’s Gatorade next to me.  2 mile warm up under 18 min.  1 mile worth of strides.  2 miles all out:  12:45!!! Almost fainted but all was well!  1 mile cool down.  Max heart rate:  181.  Recovery heart rate:  84

Wednesday: 3 miles easy!  No more, no less!  Now that’s trust to only run 3.  Something good better come from this!  Weather:  hot as Hades like always, but it’s a recovery run.  No matter what, keep the heart rate under 120.  It’s easier said than done!  It’s amazing how slow one has to go for this, but I felt great.  Refreshed.

Thursday:  5 mile tempo run. Keep the heart rate between 160-170.  Don’t know the pace, but it doesn’t matter.

Friday: another EASY RUN.  Only 3.  Heart rate under 130.

Saturday: long run of 2 hours.  Early start to beat the heat.  First hour, heart rate was 135.  Second hour between 135-145.  Felt FANTASTIC!  Felt like I went for a ride on my legs.  Later that day, Haskell and I attended our wedding party thrown by my best girl friend and maid of honor.  It was a Hawaiian luau.  Lots of food, drinks and fellowship with friends completed the first week of my new training plan.

Sunday:  Rest.  Completely off.

happy feet, happy running.

My coach tells me to “listen” to my body.  Well, I do.  I know her really well.  Yesterday amidst my pain during and after my long run,  I was reminded that for some reason  I’ve learned quite well how to ignore her.  But this week I can’t.  My feet and ankles have been screaming four letter curse words at me for 2 weeks.  It’s a new soreness that I’m annoyingly unfamiliar with.  For years I’ve run hard, trained hard, and raced hard.  I know those aches and pains.  My feet have always been fine and dandy until the last 2 weeks.  Even with my mileage decrease, my feet and I have been at odds.  I became acutely aware of how much I rely on them AND how much I’ve ignored them!  My poor ‘ol feet work HARD, and well, I think they’re feeling unappreciated.  They ache in the mornings, it takes me a few miles for the cramping to subside, and they HURT after my runs.  No sh__ Sherlock!  Should I have expected anything else?  How could I have let something so small, yet crucial escape me?

I’ve also noticed they don’t look as good.  Pretty feet have always been a must for me no matter the mileage.  Usual pedicures and weekly massages were my gift to them for giving me thousands of running miles.  Thanks to the recession,  I can’t remember the last pedicure I’ve had!  Well something has gotta give.  First things first:  rekindle our long term relationship.  Normally my rest day is on Sunday.  A rest day consists of 2-3 miles easy, or completely off.  I woke up this morning feeling no guilt for my decision to not pound the pavement.  Nope, I won’t even run a mile.  This week, they’ll have their wish for a pedicure and a massage from my therapist.  I’m determined to make them happy once again.

My discovery?  If my feet ain’t happy, I’m not either.