another week in the life of an average runner
an overview of how the second phase of half-marathon training is going
Mother Earth
She was my escape as a kid
She held my hair back and understood
the disasters I carried in my pockets
With no one else to turn to
she saw right through the swirls
of chaos circling the drains in my pupils
and accepted the cyclone for what it was
She let me find solace
My feet blossomed with each stride
Our cells burst, a symphony
a kaleidoscope of the warmest
yellows, the coldest greens
that reverberated against my ribcage
With each breath I drew
her spores turned these lungs
into an organ of branches that ached to grow
Her trunk became my bones
Her swelling sigh
that trembled the leaves became
the voice I sang
and I didn’t stop
knowing in this lovestruck body
that the disasters would never catch up
if I only kept running
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Base building phase is over!
As a treat to myself for getting through the first chunk of my training plan for the September trail half marathon I’ve signed up for, I celebrated with a slow and easy recovery week. There were lots of dog walks in the neighborhood and sleepy moments on the couch while I watched murder mystery shows. I finally finished a crochet blanket that I started almost two years ago! I barbecued some carrot dogs for the fourth and enjoyed a nice bike ride to see the local firework display. Overall, a much needed rest and reset week before I tackle the next phase of my training.
The nice thing about base building is that I’ve stacked enough bricks to make a solid foundation, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Without this base, training for the trail half would feel sloppy and more difficult than it needs to be. Since I’ve put in the consistent work to get myself ready for harder training, I can now enjoy new challenges. This looks like more speed workouts, hill repeat days, and an overall focus on increasing the elevation on trail runs. For this post, I’ll dive into detail about my most recent week and reflect on how the start of this next phase is going!
Tuesday
Throughout much of the base building phase, I did a lot of easy runs to establish a good endurance capacity so that I can handle harder training later. This day looked pretty similar to how most of my Tuesdays usually go: a 30 minute easy run with conditioning exercises afterwards. I remember wanting to spice things up some, so I took Honey with me for a chill jog in the neighborhood. I actually managed to get out the door around 8 am which is a massive improvement from previous weeks. I figured if I had any chance of enjoying the run, I needed to beat the heat.
The sun was still violently shinning on us the entire way, but overall, it was a nice run. Honey trotted next to me, her leash loose and flopping against her chest as we bounced along the sidewalks. We encountered a few other dogs and she handled each situation really well. I’m proud of how far she has come with improving her reactivity. By the time we got back, Honey’s tongue was flopping low out of her mouth and she slumped onto the carpet of our living room while I did my conditioning exercises. Like during base building, I did a short core and leg strength training routine.
Wednesday
Following the same pattern as my last several weeks, Wednesdays are harder workout days. This week I had a fartlick speed session scheduled with an easy 20 minute warm up and cool down as well. The purpose of this type of workout is to hold a sustained medium-hard effort for the entire duration of the session. In this case, I did 2 minuets 7/10 effort followed by 2 minuets of 5/10 effort five times. For the whole 20 minuets, I was a sweaty hot mess and my high heart rate reflected the harder effort.
For this run, because I did not get up early enough and the temperatures were insanely hot, I did this workout on the treadmill in our basement. This proved to be a good call since I have a difficult time sustaining hard efforts by myself. It helps to have a machine do it for you and then you adapt to how hard it feels. To make things a little more comfortable, I put on Law and Order SVU to get mentally engrossed in something while I held on for dear life to each pace. When I finished my cool down, I remember sitting with my back against the couch just heaving, Honey licking the buckets of sweat from my legs.
You are capable of much more than you think. Doing hard things helps you get to where you want to be.
Rest days: Monday, Thursday, and Saturday
Written in my training plan are encouraging messages for rest days. It’s not uncommon for these little notes to say something like “rest days are often some of the hardest parts of the week for a trail runner.” I understand why this can be this way for people. People who like to run want to keep running and moving. While rest days are incredibly important for recovery, for active people, they also take away an outlet for enjoying, processing, or coping. Some people may not have other hobbies or interests that feel fulfilling in the same way running does.
I used to experience this about hiking, backpacking, and trail running. To a certain extent, nothing can ever replace the thrill and excitement I feel when I’m doing what I love in the outdoors. But I have also come to cherish my down days and moments where I allow my body to stop over-exerting itself. Being around dogs (especially Honey) and taking care of a being that’s so full of unconditional love helps me have a purpose. Sitting at my laptop with a glass of iced coffee and my favorite songs on repeat is a way for me to explore my creative side. Binge watching shows, while some may think is mindless and unproductive, helps me totally relax after a long day. Rest days can be and should be a fun way to discover aspects of yourself outside of movement.
Friday
A 45 minute easy run on trails or road was on the docket this day, but unbeknownst to me, it would turn out to be one of the worst runs of the summer. As usual, I procrastinated and missed my window of opportunity to do the run before the heat got crazy. I would have waited until close to dusk, but I had a few dog walks scheduled then. My only option was to just tough it out in the early evening. I remember jogging slowly in the neighborhood at the start and just trying to take it easy. However, it was over 90 degrees with 70% humidity. There’s only so much you can do at that point.
My heart rate immediately skyrocketed and no matter how many short walking breaks I took, I felt absolutely miserable the entire time. Things would have been a little tolerable if it weren’t for the fact that my entire route was in direct sunlight at that time of day. By the time I got to the last ten minutes, I was struggling hardcore. Goosebumps formed up and down my arms, a strong sign that my body was having an incredibly hard time cooling itself off. With 0.4 to go until I got back to the house, I slowed to a pitiful walk and called my partner for help. It took no time for him to drive and pick me up. When I got back, I immediately submerged myself in our pool. While sipping ice water, I held a gushing garden hose over my head and felt myself finally start to cool down.
My advice: don’t be a hero and just run on the treadmill if you have to. It’s not worth dying over.
Sunday
My favorite day of the week has arrived: long run day! Because I’m training for a trail race, I try my best always to make sure my long run takes place on the trails. However, as a pet sitter and dog walker, some of my busiest times are during the weekends when people go out of town for trips. This logistically makes getting in my long run more complicated because I normally have most of my drop-ins and walks scheduled in the early morning, in the middle of the day, and then again in the evening. So far, I’ve been making things work, but today was definitely tough. I had a stacked morning and afternoon, so by the time I had a few hours to myself, I was thoroughly exhausted. Nevertheless, I threw on my running clothes and drove out to a nearby trailhead.
There were inconsistent rain showers throughout the entire day, so I figured this would be an enjoyable run. I’d much rather be out on the trail when it’s storming than when it’s oppressively hot. For the first two miles, I was pelted with rain, which created a weird mixture of salty sweat and crisp water drops on my skin. With the humidity, my glasses fogged up every few steps, and the terrain resembled a slip-n-slide as mud accumulated beneath my feet. This all sounds horrible, but I promise I was having a fun time!
Then the struggle bus pulled into the station. After power hiking up a few hills, my legs got trashed a lot quicker than I thought they would. With my backpacking background, I pride myself on how hard I can push through tough inclines. However, my problems usually arise when I need to transition to running again once I hit flat ground. By the time I reach the top, my heart rate is high and my breathing is labored. Sometimes I’m able to jog through these feelings. And sometimes it just takes longer for my body to settle.
It was a battle, but I eventually made it back to the parking lot mostly intact. I may have tripped on an exposed root and fallen flat on my face during the last half mile. With my ego shaken and a cut-up knee, I immediately collapsed into the front seat of my truck and took a deep breath. I made it through the week. Even though things got difficult at times, I made it through and stuck to the plan.
Cheers to doing hard things and getting out of your comfort zone. Cheers to stacking bricks and hoping it will pay off one day. Cheers to being alive and taking things one step at a time. Literally.
See you out on the trail!