Sluggish start to February

So February 1st ended up being a rest day. Just feeling a bit sluggish and not ready to hit the ground running.

But, Saturday, the 2nd, I managed a 5K.

3.19 miles. 40:25. Average pace 12:41. Slow, steady but solid. However, I felt awful. I used 3:30/1 run/walk intervals. It was manageable. My legs were heavy & tired, my whole body ached, and headache was constant. But I am glad I did it. I guess if I can manage a 40 minute 5K when I feel awful, I'm doing better than I thought.

And this was somewhat entertaining - I just wanted to finish - so mile 3 was faster than mile 2.

1 - 12:21 (and I said "oops" out loud - didn't think I was going that pace)
2 - 13:13 (had 2 extra walk intervals in there - just wasn't feeling great)
3 - 12:38 (skipped one walk interval because I missed the beep)

Sunday, February 3rd, I ended up going to the gym against everyone's protests. I cut back on my rowing, and only did 1/2 a mile instead of a mile. I also cut back on the weights, using less weight, doing less reps, and doing fewer rounds. I was glad I went. I felt way better afterwards. On top of that, I ran into my coach and we had a great conversation about where we are, where I want to be, how we're going to get there and what we can adjust. He also took me through some stretches and I left feeling immensely better.

Monday. I felt really out of sorts at work. I wasn't 100% by far. It ended up being a highly charged day. At the end of the school day I had a phone conversation with a 9/11 attorney. By the end of that conversation I was an emotional wreck. I had a lot of mixed emotions but the one thing I was convinced of was "I do not want to run today." I just wanted to go sit in a corner and cry. But, I laced up and went out to run anyway. I forgot how wonderful it is to be able to pound out the emotions and frustrations onto the pavement. I didn't even notice the extra half a mile. It felt awesome... like an "I want to go again - right now" kind of awesome. I knew I was not going to run again until Thursday, but I was ready to go, and that feeling was encouraging. Running is the best therapy ever.

On Monday's run I hit 2.52 miles, with a 12:07 average pace and a 30:32 run time. Mile 1 - 11:58, mile 2 - 12:20, 2-2.52 at a 12:02 pace. Sometimes emotions make us faster.

Tuesday is volleyball day. Today it's double day too. My girls had swim at Fort Sanders from 4:15-5, so I headed there directly from school to do some weight training and stretching while the girls were swimming. I got there in a rush, rushed through some quick sets with the weights, felt the muscles screaming about the intensity, grabbed the girls after practice, and headed home. I had an hour at home and then had to rush out to get to volleyball. Since it was so nice out, we decided to play outside on the sand courts. No one prepared us for how cold the sand was though. BRR!!! Definitely not summer yet. But we had a great practice, including some skill drills from one of our teammates who used to coach. By the end of the hour and 15 minutes, I was wiped out. I think I found a way to burn off all of the excess energy I was feeling all day. Maybe having a rest day tomorrow isn't a bad idea after all.

Pretty sure I'm going to sleep great tonight.