Weekly Training Recap and Monday Confessions

February 10, 2014

When you put your life out on the Internet for the world to see, you always hope to have something positive to report. I consistently want to set a good example for anyone out there who might be following my journey. But sometimes, it doesn’t always work out that way. At least once every few months, I completely come unhinged. I make bad choices. I make excuses. And then I wallow in some self-pity for a few days hours before picking myself up and putting myself back on the wagon.

Because that is reality.

We all fall down. It’s less important about how hard we fall and more important about how quickly we get back up and move forward.

Turn bad weeks into good weeks // runladylike.com

Last week was one of those weeks I’d like to forget. Let’s review the facts:

  • I’ve been making poor food choices – eating more than I should and giving into what I want now over what I want most. I feel wonderful eating those cookies and Milk Duds in the moment, and then about 5 minutes later I want to cry. More balance, more control and less binging is what the next week calls for!
  • I hit my snooze button 6 out of 7 days. I chose to keep sleeping (even when I had gotten enough sleep) over working out. As a result, I missed 2 days of cross training, and of course felt completely unhappy about it. I can’t fit everything in if I don’t get a jump-start on the day. Period.
  • Working out felt like a bit of a chore this week. I was never looking forward to hitting the pavement. Of course, when I was finished, I was pleased with my runs and felt on top of the world, but the act of making it happen this week was not full of the usual motivation and go-get-em attitude.

The moral of this story is: We are all human. We all have shitty weeks. This does not define us. Tomorrow is a new day. Goals aren’t achieved by luck or chance. Strike a balance, have a bad week, but get back on it if you want to succeed.

With just 3 weeks to go until the Albany Marathon, I’m back on track this week! Here’s how last week’s less than stellar training went. Despite some laziness here and there, the 3 runs I got in were high quality.

MONDAY
REST

TUESDAY
LAZINESS PREVAILED

WEDNESDAY
Ran 6 miles of speed work on the treadmill: 1-mile easy warm-up + 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching, 10 x 400-meter repeats at 6:27 pace with a 400-meter recovery jog between each, short cool down and static stretching

THURSDAY
LAZINESS PREVAILED (are you seeing a trend here???)

FRIDAY
8-mile race pace run: 2-mile warm up followed by 6 miles at marathon pace
I actually ran these faster than marathon pace (oops). The mile splits looked like this: 9:20, 9:06, 8:01, 8:03, 8:06, 8:06, 8:31 (uphill), 7:51.

Running in Atlanta on runladylike.com
The view from my 8-mile run on Friday

SATURDAY
18-mile hilly run at 8:46/mile average pace. I finished the last 3 miles on the treadmill after my group finished since they were running a slightly shorter route.

SUNDAY
30-minute recovery bike ride on a stationary bike (~9 miles)

I spent the rest of the day on Sunday getting my first aid, CPR and AED training at the American Red Cross (more to come on that this week!)

CPR training on runladylike.com

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How did your training go last week? When you get in a motivation funk, how do you beat the workout blahs?

Comments

elizabeth

you may have just needed that week. I sometimes find it hard to be “on” all the time…and you’ve been pushing yourself a ton! but love the attitude of move on. I’m doing the same-I ate all the crap at my meeting for work when I said I was going to (yay PMS) and i’m back on track this week. I snuck on the scale and i didn’t die, so i guess i was more balanced than I thought. 🙂

rUnladylike

LOL Elizabeth! I checked the scale this morning too and wasn’t in too bad of shape. Sometimes the mental drain of a bad week is worse than the physical side effects 🙂 We will both get back on track together this week!

Alexis @ funrunning4life

Thank you for this!! I so appreciate when bloggers admit that they aren’t always super motivated to work out or get up early. It makes me feel better about myself, but it also makes me feel more like I can do it! Like, if even all of these bloggers who I look up to as fitness and health role models have rough weeks, then I can have a good week. I love the mindset that one day or one week doesn’t define you. You can choose to make a change whenever one is needed. And sometimes you just need those shitty weeks to put everything back in perspective. Love the honesty!

rUnladylike

I’m glad it was helpful, Alexis. We are all very human and no one is perfect. If any runners or bloggers lead you to believe otherwise, they aren’t telling the truth. 🙂 Some of us may get it right 90 percent of the time, but we all crash every now and then. Keep up the great work with all you are doing, and thanks for the kind words 🙂

Abby @ BackAtSquareZero

I am in a crazy funk right now post marathon. Trying to motivate myself too. Hope you get back on track.

rUnladylike

You will get back on it, Abby! Your body is telling you it needs rest after RnR New Orleans!

Lisa @ RunWiki

For the past 8 months, every week has been like this for me! haha! I finally decided it was ok–I’m not training for a marathon tho, but have to say, it’s heaven just running for the pure pleasure of it.

Victor Mariano

Jesica, maybe it had something to do with being a week between the snowstorms!! 🙂 We are not going to get a three year break this time like in 2011. Got Ice Melt??
But hey you kick it on that long run!!! Goodness !!!

Since you asked here is my week recap – I had a freaking awesome week. Monday was rest day. Tuesday morning at 5:30 am HIIT interval training class, Tuesday evening 4×400 and 4×800 on the treadmill with warm up and cool down. Wednesday 6:15 PM 50 minutes kickboxing. Thursday morning 5:30 AM Metcon interval / strength class
Thursday evening 5 miles on the treadmill with pickup’s
Friday evening stretching and trigger point
Saturday – 2.5 mile warm up. then 5k — Hearts and Soles in Decatur. First 5K since 11/2012. Coach Sandy told me to run strong and steady. My splits 8:53, 8:53 8:54.. finish 27:42. I felt good in zone 3 HR. After the 5K I went to the gym and completed another kickboxing class and HIIT interval class. Sunday morning — 7.17 easy miles on the greenway, finished it off with 45 minutes upper body and core at the gym with my son in the afternoon.
Slept wonderfully. Stuck to Racing Weight Nutrition all week…Cooked balanced meal every night, clean breakfast every morning, brought healthy lunch to work — ate no junk or boxed foods. Healthy snacks in between.
8.2 hours of training, 6500 Kcal burned and 25.1 miles of running.
And I still feel good today :))
Wishing you a better week this week!!

rUnladylike

Congrats on a super awesome week! You killed it! I’m going to channel your great week this week 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!!

Lacy @ Running Limitless

This happens to the best of us. I firmly believe that if you feel “lazy” and truly need the break your body will let you know. I have had weeks like this before and I usually just take them for what they are and move forward. Hopefully this crazy Ice Storm coming won’t hurt this week’s workouts.

BillB

KlHappens to all of us and even a bad week or day only makes the really great ones that much better. I raced a 15k this past weekend after managing a bad back & ridiculous scheduled/sick kids & us for a month…I had an awful race, wheels came if the bus at mile 6 & buddies past me for the first time in years and you know what, I still finished, my back is OK, I may not be happy with my time but I had fun, saw great people & fellow runners and that is what really matters not the time on the clock but the experience inside the heart:)

rUnladylike

Thanks for your very insightful thoughts and comments, Bill. So, so true. Congrats on finishing a tough race and having fun along the way.

Phaedra @ Blisters and Black Toenails

I go through waves of low motivation for sure and this lousy weather doesn’t help. Last week I skipped two swims because I was tired and didn’t feel like going. I had to drag my ass out for my long run and it sucked too. But I got it done and ultimately I guess that’s what matters.

rUnladylike

We will get back on it this week together, Phaedra. Let’s do it!

Sarah @RunFarGirl

I am totally in the same funk!! I made very poor food choices yesterday, half assed my crosstraining which resulted in me tweaking my back and not being able to run today so now I feel extra shitty. But you’re right its not about the fall, it’s about getting back up. So I’m trying to get into the chiro and in the mean time doing some of PT…and staying away from the cookies.

rUnladylike

Staying away from the cookies is the hardest part sometimes 🙂 LOL! You are one of the strongest ladies I know and will be back on the wagon asap. Let’s get on it together!

Lindsay @ Lindsay Weighs In

I know that cross training and rest are important parts of training, but I just can’t get myself excited about them! Maybe I need to come up with new and different ways to cross training that don’t make me want to die of boredom. I love, and look forward, to my runs, but the cross training? Not so much!

rUnladylike

Lindsay, Do you ever ride the bike or swim? You can put your book or kindle on the aerobars and read while you ride. That is my time to read and disconnect and the time passes quickly. Swimming can be boring, but it is a great change. You may also want to try a group class to keep the boredom low, like yoga, Pilates, body pump, etc. Good luck with your cross training!!!

Amanda @runtothefinish

You know what…THANK you for admitting to not always eating like a saint!! Lately I’ve been having too many sweets and I just kept doing it over and over knowing I shouldn’t. This week I finally sat down and took stock of what needed to change, but it’s nice to know it happens to others

Janelle @ Run With No Regrets

Thanks for being honest. Sometimes we have bad days or weeks, you just have to note it, correct it and move forward!

Allie

You are soooo my type of woman.

Everytime you make a strong decision this week, you’ll rejoice!

Honesty rules!

Leslie @ Triathlete Treats

You are human! You will still have a great marathon! It happens to the best of us! Looks like your runs were great and that is what you are focused on right now!!
Last week’s training was good with the relay to top it off!! I had some good running too. It was far more sweaty than it usually is in winter! 🙂

Laura @losingrace

as you said we are all human and we all have off weeks. It happens, even to the best. It isn’t going to be a huge setback, maybe it was even a good thing to give you a little more downtime (sometimes we need it but wont admit it). Head up lady, you rock.

Angie

Thanks for the reminder that we are all human! The crappy weather is not helping my training motivation here in Philly, I am soooo sick of logging cycling miles on the trainer, but I manage it. You are so right in saying that whomever claims they never have bad weeks is not being honest. You will still kick it in three weeks at your race!

Five Things Friday | Run Your Mutt Off

[…] had some great Monday Confessions we’ve all had those days when the train is derailed and we have to wake up the next day and […]

Kristen L @ DYL

I’m so behind on blog reading — but anyway — we all have not so great weeks sometimes. I know you are going to do great at your marathon. next week now, right?! You just have to shake off the bad weeks and get back on track as soon as you can