Training Log: September 17-23, 2023
Last week (sept 10-17, 2023) was a recovery week. I cut my weekly mileage by more than half. I felt pretty exhausted and needed the week to bounce back from the previous training bloc. During the recovery week, I ran roughly 50KM or so at a relatively slow pace. I ate a lot and relaxed when I could. The heat in Phoenix took a lot of energy out of me. I needed to become acclimatized to it. It is much easier now.
This week marked a return to high volume. Although my mileage was higher than usual, I felt good. I incorporated more threshold training sessions on a treadmill, and sometimes lifted weights after the second run.
My mileage this week was 130 KM. I trained primarily in Zone 2. Roughly 85-90% of my volume was in Zone 2, meaning at 70-80% of my maximum heart rate. I completed double runs on most days. It is hot and the sun is very strong, even at 9AM. So, I completed my first run relatively early in the morning. During the afternoon, I completed my second run inside on a treadmill at a 1.5% incline. I find that running on a treadmill is boring and mentally challenging. However, I am slowly becoming more accustomed to it. Podcasts and music help. I use these treadmill runs as an opportunity to find new music or learn something new.
Increasingly, it takes me a while to get into the groove of a run. I tend to hit my stride and become more comfortable around the eighth kilometre or so. Sometimes, the first several kilometres feel horrible, and the rest of the run feels fine. Other times — more rarely — the whole run feels interminable and difficult.
But I don’t know much these feelings matter (at least to me). I run irrespective of my level of motivation. Like in other areas of life, feelings fluctuate over time. Now, when the beginning of a run feels arduous, I recognize that I’ve felt this way many times before and understand that the feeling is often temporary. Over time, I’ve become more able to embrace the mental challenge of training when I’m tired, unmotivated, bored, and so on. I try and simply understand and accept how I feel, rather than change it. Also, challenging runs allow me to build mental resiliency in ways that easier runs do not — a skill that is transferable to other areas of life.
Tomorrow is a much needed recovery day. I want to walk around, write in my journal, draw, cook, and perhaps swim. I want to take it easy because next week should be another high volume week.
All views expressed in this blog are my own and do not constitute any form of medical, physiotherapy, or other type of advice. They are not represent — and are not endorsed by — any academic institution.
