Wow, yet another week!
So, as I sit here on a Sunday evening, my typically tired self, I'm reflecting on the week that was. I'm amazed as to just how much has happened in the past 7 days. Work has been a constant grind, day and night and as much as I love my job (and I really do), the demand is tough sometimes. My children are rightly making their own demands on me, as children do. Not forgetting the birthday celebrations which, whilst fun, cut further into some well needed sleep... I think I may sleep tonight!
To add to this - this is the first week where I've really had to respond to my training by considering my diet. I love food - always have, always will! Food and I are friends, fact. I eat well: a varied diet with lots of vegetables. That said, in the midst of my working life, as the title of this post suggests, my belly rules my mind. I eat because I'm hungry and I eat because I like it but I don't necessarily eat the right things at the right times. More usually, I eat on the go because I need to and I eat what's accessible to me as it's easier. Consequently, I've really begun noticing how my leg muscles just don't seem to be recovering between runs. No wonder my times aren't improving when each run is begun with tired muscles. I know I'm perfectly able to cope with the miles I've been running and I know (know) that I'm able to cope with the demands of the training and improve... and yet, the legs remain tired! So, a brief conversation with my dietitian sister-in-law (It's not what you know.) and one long-and-blinding-by-science email later, I've made a concerted effort to up the protein, control WHEN I eat (as in recovery food) and avoid the craving for sugar fixes to fill gaps that exist through my poor eating habits/lack of sleep. The first two are manageable with a bit of careful planning (this is ok, I thrive when I have a plan) but the sugar fixes are less easy to manage: I also need more sleep. My current routine of a maximum of 5/6 hours per night just isn't working, hence the continued bouts of sugar to help keep me going.
It's only been a few days of careful eating - in particular the protein/carb intake soon after running, especially after the longer runs but already I feel some of the benefits.
My week that was, absolutely on target in terms of the mileage and training.
Monday - rest day (I had no choice about this)
Tuesday - 8 treadmill miles, fartlekking although my legs were still incredibly tired from the 20 miler just a couple of days previously ALONG with a dreadful night's sleep (1hour 15 mins max) that the fartlekking was more a case of trying to get faster but really just a matter of survival.
Wednesday - 5.45am run with my friend Charlotte. 5 miles. Fortunately, the mornings aren't quite as dark as they were a few weeks back.
Thursday saw a Parents Evening so I swapped nights in terms of the children so had a late night and SLOW 4 miler session on the treadmill.
Friday - rest day but FAR too late a night (silly Sarah)
Saturday - My birthday (37!!!!) but also a timed half-marathon at 9am with Tara on her bike, 1 hour 47. This is OK but would really have liked sub 1hr 44. That said, it was a really enjoyable run and a nice way to start the birthday celebrations. I'm hopeful that more sleep and a slightly more focused diet will help the times.
Sunday - Not exactly hungover (I hardly drank being the lightweight that I am) but yet another late night and early morning so there was suffering-a-plenty! I did however manage to survive (pure survival) some interval training at the gym. 5 miles on the treadmill mixed with 20 minutes on the step-machine. I did NOT enjoy today's session AT ALL! (Although I did enjoy reading the joys and delights of various people who competed in today's Cambridge Half-Marathon with some fantastic results.)
A grand total of 35 miles this week... How, HOW do people find the time to squeeze in any more miles than this?
This coming week is going to be a real challenge for me. A challenge to find opportunities to run for there will be few.
I may be able to squeeze a 30 minute session on the school field before collecting the children on Monday. Working and then meetings on Tuesday plus playing mum so no training.
Working all day and then driving straight to Birmingham for a meeting on Wednesday evening - no training again.
I'm hoping to get an early morning run in Birmingham before the world wakes and the working day commences. Driving home thereafter and playing mum again!
Friday, working all day but hoping to get 10km in before I collect the girls for the weekend. We're with friends on Sat night/Sunday so I'm also hoping that I may be able to esape for 30 minutes on Sunday morning but I'll play that by ear. In total, at best (!) I MAY be able to get 15-18 miles in this week. Hardly equipping me for the long distance training runs I need but also, perhaps, proving to be a week of recovery in preparation for a tougher week thereafter.
A positive note, at this moment in time, I'm not in the least bit nervous of running a Marathon within my own busy world and am willing Milan on with each passing day. Today, despite the tiredness and aching-legs, I'm really enjoying the training schedule and remain excited about the weeks/months ahead. I'm also extremely grateful to the friends who are keeping me company on the basis that I've been unable to make any of the scheduled Pacers' meetings. Hopefully this will be rectified at some point soon!
One last thought for the week, in the words of the Scientist, Martin H. Fischer, "Life goes faster on protein". (Although, I'm rather hoping that races will go faster as opposed to life going faster!)
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