Back at it

Kicked off the first week of training this past week and it went about as good as could be expected.  My schedule includes plenty of recovery, easy runs, and off days, but the hard days are just that...hard.  Although, life did get in the way and I had to bag some of my easy runs, I did get in the key runs, although doing a track workout on a Saturday followed by a longish run on Sunday, isn't the ideal setup.  And "life" getting in the way is the way it should be and I wouldn't trade it to get back those workouts.

Last week's track workout consisted of 1,600 meter repeats where I discovered just how out of shape I am, compared to where I was just a few short years ago.  But, I can't live in the past regarding performances. Today is reality and that is the palette where the picture will be painted.  Regardless, the importance of measured, real-time track work is key and it comes at the price of legitimate physical and mental suffering.  Maybe, I'm exaggerating the suffering part, but if track workouts were easy, I suspect there would be a lot more people out there doing those type of workouts.  Heck, even Olga can't summon people to join her on her Tuesday morning track sessions.  Maybe, it's because people are scared to do that type of work since it isn't in any way enjoyable.  It provides immediate feedback into our fitness levels and, most likely, the stark reality of our lack of speed.  The enjoyment at the track, however, is immediately after the workout when the satisfaction sets in of completing something that is undeniably tough, not only on the body, but the mind.

My "long" run of 16 miles on flat trails Sunday morning, consisting of an out-and-back, was enjoyable until the onset of carbohydrate depletion, which was intentional.  And, forgetting my heart rate monitor was probably for the best since I couldn't monitor splits and effort.  Instead, I used a tried and true barometer of effort using a combination of stride and breathing rate.  I felt like a beginner throughout the run, but considering my lack of training since late September, that is to be expected.  My body has to be put through the adjustment of training, again, and the adaptations will eventually occur.  Probably, the best part of the run was immediately after I finished and Olga saw me smiling, although she knew it couldn't have gone well considering how long it took. But, it was the best I could do on that day.

I spent the majority of the day recovering from the run with the key takeaway being that I need to incorporate a daily stretching routine.  That isn't a new revelation, but a very old one. I could barely walk for several hours after the run and it took an hour strength training session this morning to get back to semi normal.  But, I'm not discouraged--far from it!  Looking forward to this week!