Say goodbye, say goodbye to Monday as a rest day... 😅 I like rest days, mainly because of the mental break, I don't have to think about what and when... running is planned 100%, but strength I have to build for myself and that's usually an issue cause I just end up doing the same exercises over and over again. Lately I've been trying to do mostly abs&core ans arms, some single leg exercises and for ABS/core I follow videos from Fitness Blender. That helps! The rest I just put together, sometimes on the go. Today wasn't different. I was thinking about moving till tomorrow morning cause I had lots of other things to do - or wanted to do. But I just went for it and got it done.
First morning run of the season. And I definitely forgot how much it sucks. But I needed to go for groceries after work and I'd just not have time to do it all so morning run it was. It was supposed to be 5min WU with 45mins of active and 5x30sec strides at the end with CD. I definitely did more than just 5mins WU. I needed that. And even then it was hard to run any faster - I was going super slow. One thing I noticed when I've tried to run first thing in the morning is that my paces are way slower and everything feels much harder than if I go in the afternoon. I kinda warmed up and was able to do some faster strides at the end, but still, not very good haha. But enjoyed the empty streets and cooler weather for sure.
I was hoping to do it in the morning again but after waking up at 3am, I decided that after work is just fine too and it was supposed to be quite cold. I felt pretty tired all day. I wasn't excited about this workout at all even tho I usually don't mind hill repeats and I haven't done them in ages. Just the warm up felt hard. After the first hill I knew this is gonna hurt. But luckily I only had 6 of them. 3 down and I was already half way. And also half dead 😅. But at least it seemed like I was running them all pretty evenly. 5mins of recovery shuffle and then 10mins of active felt terrible haha. And after doing mtn legs right after, I hated everything and everyone, especially my coach 🤣. Yeah, running is hard.
Thursday supposed to be my rest day. But I wasn't really sure what I'm gonna do on Friday yet so I decided to do some strength. Just a core with some leg exercises with a band. Nothing too crazy but I thought better than nothing. And coach to this day (Sunday) haven't even said anything about it 😅.
I had 2 choices for Friday - either go hiking or do an interval workout. After some planning and some plan changing, we ended going hiking. It was supposed to be the only nice day out of this long weekend. I didn't choose the easiest hike but thought we wouldn't make it that far anyways so whatever. I was regretting those choices pretty fast tho. It wasn't nice when we arrived. In fact, it was cold AF and the wind was really blowing. I wasn't really prepared for it, just standing outside for few mins getting things ready and my legs were frozen. I got back in the car and was considering going somewhere else cause I was worried Lucy wouldn't go in this wind. But decided not to and give it a go. Luckily Wasootch Ridge starts with a punchy climb from the getgo so you warm up FAST. The wind wasn't terrible either. My legs tho, they felt bad. Like sore, I was out of breath, like wtf 🤣. It was not fun. Lucy on the other hand was having fun and kept climbing like a champ. About 3K in she started to stop, we walked to the next bump and I called it there. I knew we still have to come back and it's gonna be up&down. We had a break, took some Easter pics and went back. It was a good call cause Lucy was able to walk back down with no issues, no stopping. I was already thinking about my run tomorrow and about fueling and how much carbs I'm gonna have. And there I was, eating one banana through the whole, 3.5hrs hike :D. Basically starving myself.
Coach said it would be cool to do something on the BVU course. So I decided to do a lap or two on Yates/Prairie View. The weather didn't look very good and I checked the radar first thing after waking up. I even had some backup plans as I didn't want to run for hours in rain. Luckily it didn't look as bad so I stuck to the original idea. And that was to run up Yates through Jewell Pass, come back the same way, refill bottles and stuff and go back up the front Prairie View side and back. Even tho I really tried to eat the same breakfast and everything (not dinner) to have the same amazing time like I had last weekend, it did not work out (maybe because of the dinner). My stomach didn't feel great even before I started the run. It wasn't terrible but I knew it's gonna make some problems. Oh well. Nothing new. I felt kinda meh the first km or so, not very fresh. Then I realized my left knee kinda hurts, still, my right hamstring and glute both very tight, then my right knee also started to hurt....everything sucked. Then I started to think about something else and completely forgot about those issues, haha. It went away. My stomach showed up tho. Thought I would just push through it as usual, it would get better...but then I said no, let's take care of the business early and maybe there won't be any issues after. So I did. Also popped in one Pepto again. I didn't feel terrible, I still could fuel pretty much the same and I had no real discomfort. Up we go. The only thing I could think of tho was how slow I am and how everything feels so hard even tho I am not going any fast. Like I should be going faster and feel better. I am on the BVU course. I'm gonna have to do this route, twice (I mean there and back). And I can't climb for shit. I will never make the cut offs. And if I do, I'd be pushing too hard and I'd die very fast. I couldn't stop thinking about that...the trails weren't in the best shape. At first it was all dry, too dry and very bumpy, then it got icy. So I put my spikes on, only to be taking those off just few mins later cause I thought that's it.... and putting them back on about 5mins later haha. It was very icy, then soft snow, dirt and mud, just about everything. Weather was still holding on tho. It was actually pretty warm. Checked out both summits, refilled my bottles and I was on my way down. I have never run down to Jewell pass. I always just go up that way. It was nice and flowy and all I was thinking was how cool of a trail it is and when, what time would I run this in the race. If I even get to run that. I think the 2 sections before this are gonna be the crux. Going back over Cox Hill and Jumpingpoud, getting to Barrier lake with enough time to climb up and make the next cutoff time and then send it home. Well anyway...I'll get there when I get there. I was taking it kinda easy on the way back. But I ran my fastest K at the end, over the dam, at 19K in hah. Refilled bottles, got more gels, went to the bathroom, took another Pepto, I think that was the third one already, got the second half of my PB&J sandwich and I was on my way back up. I walked most of the way tho. I was still eating my sandwich when I walked over the dam. And then I was like, powerhiking is cool anyways. It was getting bit colder and about 1K from the first lookout, it started to pour - well it wasn't a rain actually, it was these little kinda hails or whatever you would call it. So...I put on my rain poncho from Dollarama that I randomly found in the car and put it in my pack. I've used it before and it really works great cause it goes over my pack, my jacket does not. Maybe I looked funny, I didn't care. It was serving the purpose. Off I went. Soon at the first lookout, then at the second one. I stopped there for a bit and noticed that the couple who just arrived there few steps ahead of me were speaking in Czech. So we had a short conversation and then I kept going all the way to Yates again. I wasn't really planning that but I wanted to at least try and see how I feel. I managed. The clouds were so cool tho. It was snowing when I started the climb but then in opened up again and it was sunny for a bit. Windy as heck on the other side but again, those clouds! I spent some time at the top, taking pics and videos, refilled my bottles and off I went, to enjoy the downhill. Only few K's in and I again met with my new Czech friends. We started to talk, stood there for a bit, then started to walk. I thought I'd just keep going after few meters but I did not. I walked all the way back down with them, having a conversation. I thought about this being an important training run, but you know what... there will be many more. And I will probably never see these people again, I don't get to speak in Czech very often so I said F that run today, it's still time on feet no matter what the pace is. It was great.
Sunday and the infamous recovery shuffle. Just before that we went for a walk with the Piglet. I felt fine, knee didn't hurt so that was great (it did hurt tho walking up stairs - but that also depended how I placed my foot or how I put my weight on that foot). I thought I'd feel fine, it would be easy. Well first K in and I was like Ok, this is not gonna be easy and not fun. I went really slow, still not slow enough I guess, but I tried. It felt terrible but I did all 45mins I had to do.
Another week done. We are 1/3 in and I don't feel like 22 weeks are gonna be enough to get ready for this. But it will be. Right? Right!
56.7K run + 7.1K hike / 12:58 time on feet
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