Wed. - 8 + miles with Kelly at Canebrake. Nice weather, thankful to be healthy and to be a runner. weights

Thurs. - walk 30 minutes
Friday - walk 30 minutes
Sat. - total of 6.5 miles, 1.5 miles w/u, St. Thomas 5k - 23:33, 2 miles c/d This was a nice race. I am not very good at racing on the hills, but I am pleased with the time. Congrats to Charles for getting revenge this week. Come on Audrey, we have to get together and beat him. Get well, we have work to do. Lifted weights, lunges, push-ups.

Sunday- will be a walk of 30-1 hour.
Will end the week with about 19 miles of running, I wanted to stay around 15 miles this week, but 19 will work too. I will not be racing next week so I plan to work really hard this week, hoping to prepare for the ATR. I will be doing later workouts to try to acclimatize because I know the ATR will be hot, especially since it is a week later this year. Looking forward to it.

Monday -yoga with Kelly, track workout at Thames. 5.5 total miles - 14 X 200, 10 X 10 seconds fast, 1 mile w/u & c/d. My average for the 200's was 47 seconds. Weights, lunges, ab work.

Tues. - walk 30 minutes
Wed. - 6.5 miles easy jog
Thurs. - 9.5 miles with Amber at Bent Creek. tough run, so far Bent Creek is not getting easier.
Friday - walk 30 minutes, started getting sick today with a cold. I thought I was having an allergy attack from all of the pollen, but I continued to feel worse throughout the day.
Sat. - very easy stroll for 30 minutes. I doubt it even counts for exercise, but I did "the time." not any better today, but not any worse either. Hoping for a quick illness and fast recovery.
Sunday will be a 30 minute stroll again.
So instead of the 30 miles that I was aiming for, I will end the week with a total of 21.5 miles of jogging

Sunday - I was very surprised to wake up feeling much better. Still a little stuffiness in the nose but physically feeling good. I went for my 30 minute walk and was able to go about 3/4 speed. Didn't want to do too much, do not want to relapse.
Monday - orginally wanted to do speed or hills today, but do not want to push it too fast, so this morning I jogged 4 miles easy, feeling good. weights, ab work, push-ups.

Tues - 5 miles easy
Wed. - 8.5 miles with Amber at Canebrake. Was supposed to be 10, o'well.
Thurs. - walk 30 You guys, I have finally hit a lull. I am hoping to run well at the ATR and I am hoping that will jolt me back on track. This is really overdue, I am sure. For so long now, I have been just going and going with my training, loving every minute of it. Lately, it is a little bit of a struggle . Probably means I need some harder, more entertaining workouts. We will see.

If you are getting a little burnt out (after the long, hard training and racing season you have had), I would recommend changing things up for a few weeks. Maybe stick in a very hard couple of weeks of strength training (so hard that you don't have great running legs so have to take it easier) or mix up the running with some emphasis on harder biking (you can get a good workout no matter what kind of bike you have). If you back away from the running emphasis even for a short time, you may very likely find that you are quickly getting anxious to get back to it and then the motivation is back.

I used to be afraid to take 'time off' from running but I take at least a solid 2 weeks off every year. I try to look at the year as a cycle (racing season for the most part ends in late fall and training starts up again seriously in the spring) rather than a straight line punctuated by events. I start out a little slower every year than I ended the prior season, but with confidence that I'll get back on track relative to my priorities that season.
There is always some apprehension about 'losing progress,' whether in miles or speed, but I think the truth is that I am just as likely, or more so, to deteriorate if I keep training to the burn out (mental) point.

Anyway, take that for what its worth, sometimes I think everyone needs a break - mental and physical - from running (or whatever), especially after the big events you've focused on for months are over and done with.

Here is another thought - maybe a crazy one - how about trying a different type of event? The Woolmarket duathlons have a mountain bike class (assuming you have fat tires). The first one on April 12 is a 5k run and 11 mile bike - you have the fitness to get through it no problem, that is a short event compared to a marathon. The other two follow in May and June both are formatted run/bike/run. Audrey raced #2 last year on a not quite road bike and competed against the road bikers (her old bike had skinny tires) and won her age group. Being a runner can really be an edge in races like this.

sheryl c.

I really like the suggestion of doing the duathlon. After that, I would suggest that you consider taking a total break from running. You have been so consistant with your training for several years that I think you would come back even stronger, especially mentally. I know that you've had a lot stress lately with your house situation. Take a break from running and throw yourself into getting your home in order.

Me---I'm feeling good about training, but I had a forced break due to being ill. I'm looking forward to seeing Audrey get back to training. I know she will be very hungry and as long as she uses a cautious approach, I think she will be a terror (not that she isn't already).

_________________
Becky Ryder
hryder29@comcast.net
Hattiesburg, MS

Isn't it funny how we go through ups and downs? I know I am ready for a break... not from running but from marathon training. Instead of being a respite from the rigors of "life" it has become a second job, and with my real job and three young children, I don't have the energy. I feel burn-out creeping in so it is time to re-focus.

After Boston, I am going to "retire" for a little while from the marathon. My plan right now is to concentrate on running a better 5k time. I haven't run a sub-18:00 minute 5k since I was in my mid-20's, so I think that will be my next goal. I might even spend a little more time on my bicycle. Sooner or later the marathon fire will return... maybe. Especially if my old legs just can't go fast enough to run three 5:45 miles!

You have been training so hard for so long, it is normal to need a break - You've certainly earned it.

Terry

Thanks Guys! Believe me, I am taking all of the suggestions, plus others into consideration. Yes, Becky, this house thing is really effecting me, but the problem, at this point, is that I am waiting on other people so it's not as fast as I would like. (one is a volunteer, my brother, who is building kitchen cabinets so it will be a while yet, because he has a full time job too. ) (they will be worth the wait, they are beautiful already.)

First, I am hoping this is a quick little lull and that I will quickly bounce back. I was hoping that the ATR would help. Not sure about that yet, but I did run well, especially considering that I was asking myself why are you doing this, at about 2.5 miles. I can look to, and be proud that I managed to fight that little voice back and stay, pretty much, on pace the whole race, even with that evil little voice creeping in. Also, I was only 11 seconds off of my PR, I ran 49:18 by my Garmin. Just checked the PCP website and they had me at 49:08. (Not sure what happened there.) Anyway, I am trying to look at the positives. I had wanted to average around 30 miles per week all through the spring and summer, take about a 2 week break late summer, and then kick into marathon training late summer or fall. Now I am reconsidering. First, I am going to train, almost normally again this week, and see what happens. If my mood continues for 2 weeks, then I will need to do something, what?, not sure yet.

Maybe one or more of the following:
go back to 3-4 days per week running instead of 5-6 days
cut back my mileage from 30 - around 20 miles per week.
take a total running break for a couple of weeks
amp it up to a new level with the track workouts (a jolt to new motivation)
find some track workout buddies (I am missing the group track workouts)
do the tough strength workouts that Sheryl recommended
not really considering the biking and racing thing, I am scared of too much speed on the bike, literally, I am a chicken when I go too fast, especially down hills, nope, can't do it.
etc., etc., etc. still thinking about the possibilities

Friday - walk 30 minutes
Sat - ATR, 49:18, total of 7.5 miles running today
Sun - walk 30 minutes
Ended the week with 25 miles of running

ginny, great race! you are still running very well despite your slump. i think i go through these sleeps twice as many times as anyone else. i normally just let it run its course, then find myself easing back into normal. i had one, a major one, during christmas, and kind of experienced one recently.

my advice is just keep on keeping on and you'll figure out what you need to do. you are too smart of a runner to let this get you.

_________________
Run! For your life.
Dawn

Ok, so 3 weeks ago, I walked off the track, during the middle of a workout. I decided that day that I was on a self-imposed running ban for at least 2 weeks, but decided during the second week that it would be 3 weeks. During the past 3 weeks, I continued with a few yoga classes and walked at least 30 minutes each day.

Today was the day to start back. I wanted to start back easy so my run was a 2 mile run. With the run being so short, I decided to do the run at 1:00 to help me acclimatize again (most of you know I am not a hot weather runner, and for me today was hot). I did learn last summer that you can get accustomed to the heat and learn to run in high temps. I hope to do the same this summer.

This evening I went to Dawn's spin class and needed an oxygen mask by the end of class. Good workout, good start back, jiggly legs at the end.

Glad to be back. Now I just need to figure out a plan for the summer and the fall.

Starting my 3rd week since my little break from running. Today, I started the day with some hill repeats. First slightly hard workout since starting back. I did a 1 mile w/u and then did 6 hill repeats, 5 X 10 seconds, and then a 1 mile cool down. I decided to start back with low volume and medium effort. I probably average around 1:17 for the 6 hills. I looked back and the last time that I did this hill was March 2nd and I averaged 1:12. I have definitely lost some ground, but today I intentionally ran the hills at slower pace to ease back into the hard workouts. Overall, I feel good about the workout and hope that I will continue on the road back to racing. I also went to Holly's yoga class at The Yoga Room. Need to get back to the weights, maybe, hopefully, later this evening. (not sure, very busy)

Never got to the weights Monday but I have done a lot of yoga this week so that will have to do.

Tues. - walk 30 minutes, yoga class pm, free class at West Lake Methodist.
Wed. - Jog 3 miles easy, yoga class at The Yoga Room
Thurs. - jogged 8 miles with Amber in Bent Creek, as usual, a tough one. Yoga at Spiers Fitness - good class.

Fri - walk 30 minutes
Sat. - 5 miles total -3 miles tempo, 1 mile w/u / 1 mile c/d
Sunday - walk 30 minutes at Gulf Shores with my sister, Linde
Monday - jog 4 miles am
Tues - Thames track with Chad. We did 1 mile warm up - 4 X 800, 1 mile cool down, with 2:30-3:00 minute rest between 800s. This was the first time that I have done 800s since the first part of Jan. It felt good to do a different type of workout. Only attempted 4 because it has been a while. Good workout, liking getting back to the track.
Wed. - yoga class at The Yoga Room am, walk 30 minutes pm. Lots of yard work/ planting flowers. I am tired this evening, but will be up early to run 8-10 miles with Amber on Thurs. am, if it is not raining.

Thur. - Amber and I managed to get real close to 9 miles (8.7 to be exact) Thankfully, we managed to NOT get struck by lightning. This was another tough run for me. I hope I get back in distance shape soon. Went to Kelly's yoga class Thurs. evening.

Had a great weekend off from the house project. Nice and relaxing!
Friday - very easy bike / walk with Chad and Scott. I rode, they ran.
Sat. - 5 miles total - 1 mile w/u, 3 miles tempo, and 1 mile c/d. I waited until 11:00 to run so that I can get accustomed to the hot weather, just in case I decide to run the 1/2 in Ridgeland, at the end of June. It's looking like I will run it. The tempo miles were as follows: 8:13, 8:08, 8:09

Sunday - yoga class www.yogatoday.com Still can't believe the quality of these free online classes. Check it out if you have high speed internet. You can choose, beginner, all levels, or advanced classes. Road the bike today for 30 minutes with Chad and Scott.