I began week 7 of Couch to 5K this morning. All three runs in week 7 are 25 minutes of continuous running. Next week, all 3 runs are 28 minutes of continuous running. The following weekend is the Parkinson’s Power 5K in Shreveport.
Last week’s long run was a little tough but this morning’s run just about killed me. That’s when I realized…
All of the problems or times when I’ve had difficulty training are caused by 1 of 3 things.
I started to think of them as their own “triathlon” of training and recovery:
- Sleep/Rest – Muscles need rest from hard workouts so they don’t break down. I also need to remember to get good sleep to be at my best during training. I only slept for 6 hours last night and I need at least 8. Ironically, on the nights before a tri, I can’t sleep but I run on adrenaline the next day for sure!
- Stretching/Yoga – Since my yoga routine has been slacking lately, I’ve noticed my muscles feeling tired and sore long after a run. If I incorporate a few yoga poses or some stretching both before and after a run or workout, I feel great and recover faster. I’ve made it part of my training from here out to make sure I stretch and take at least 2 yoga classes a week.
- Nutrition – As Tammy mentioned in her last post, nutrition and healthier eating habits DEFINITELY contribute to a quicker pace and more alert athlete. I have suffered from eating too many carbohydrates and not enough protein and vice versa. I try to keep in mind what makes me stronger and helps my body to maintain that strength during these endurance exercises. I’d definitely suggest a food diary to monitor what you ate and how it made you feel.
I think during training and during races we have good days and bad days. But I like to know what I can do to have fewer bad days and make my good days rock even more!
On another note, I joined a gym again to begin my swim training. I’ve also hired a coach for 3 weeks to ramp up my swimming efficiency/technique. Yikes. I haven’t been in the pool since last summer. I hope to get to the pool sometime this week to assess the damage.
Good luck ya’ll!