Well, it seems that I got a little too excited about training and bit off more than I could chew this week. (I blame Mick Jagger and his sweet dance moves.) Let’s just say intense running + Christmas overindulgence = BAD idea. Read on to see what I mean…
Mon: Yoga.
I was so excited about returning to an actual studio, but this class was a big let down. It was too gentle and full of stretches that I already do on my own. Luckily, I have a 30-day unlimited pass so it wasn’t a waste of money.
Tues: Speed-endurance run + stairs.
Planned: 4 x 1 mile at 8:40-8:50 with 60 second rest intervals. 1 mile warm-up and 1 mile cool-down on either side.
Actual: 8:38, 8:39, 8:37, 8:43
This was a tough workout, mostly because I’m used to longer rest intervals during mile repeats. I did my best to stay focused and used my new mantra (“Be Present”), which helped a lot. I finished out the workout with 3 x Cleveland Cascade (stairs).
6.2 miles @ 9:23/mile
Thurs: Threshold run.
Planned: 4 miles at half marathon goal pace (9:00-9:09). 1 mile warm-up and 1 mile cool-down on either side.
Actual: 9:05, 9:08, 9:00, 8:53
I thought this workout would be much easier than Tuesday’s, but I underestimated how 2 days of holiday overindulgence would affect me. My stomach was not happy at all. Somehow I managed to pull through, but it was not pretty.
6.2 miles @ 9:30/mile
Fri: Yoga.
Much, much better than Monday’s class. It was a great workout… perhaps too much of a workout before a long trail run on Saturday morning? At one point, the instructor noted so many problems with one of my poses that I just had to laugh. I’m clearly very rusty, but also happy to be back at it.
There was a really spectacular sunset on Friday.
Sat: Trail run with Cathryn!
For installment #4 of our trail exploration series, I invited Cathryn over to the East Bay to run the Briones Reservoir. Bear Creek Trail at Briones is one of my favorite East Bay trails, so I was excited to explore the rest of the reservoir with Cathryn. However, for all of my enthusiasm, there were a few problems. First, I completely underestimated this run. Looking at the elevation profile I found online, I thought we’d encounter 2 big hills with flat in between instead of the numerous steep rollers throughout. As a result, I didn’t bring enough fuel, especially considering how tired I was. Fortunately, Cathryn gave me her spare gel, which enabled me to power through (probably more mentally than physically, but who knows). Second, I was unusually worn out and my stomach was quite disagreeable. I think the combination of Friday night yoga, 2 speedy-ish workouts Tues + Thurs, plus holiday gluttony contributed to my feeling of being totally wrecked. Third, poor Cathryn caught her foot on the trail (ironically, the paved, crumbling part) and re-injured her bad ankle. She gutted it out through 9 more miles — hopefully she won’t be suffering any serious damage from that. Despite all of our problems, it was a beautiful day and I really can’t complain about ending 2013 with such a gorgeous trail run/hike (thanks for the reminder, Cathryn!).
Peeking through the trees for a glimpse of Briones Reservoir (photo credit: Cathryn)
Through the rolling hills we go… (photo courtesy of Cathryn)
Smiling because we’re less than a mile from the finish (I was really suffering) photo credit: Cathryn
13 miles @ 12:27/mile, ~1800′ elevation gain
Total mileage for the week: 25.4
After yesterday’s trail run, I continued to feel pretty weak. I took a 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon and then slept 11 hours last night! Also, my left hip began to act up this week, which isn’t surprising since it usually does after some speedwork. I’ll have to be careful and keep my eye on that… if rest, stretching, and rolling doesn’t do the trick, I may end up making an appointment for an ART session. So, the lesson for this week is: everything in moderation. Time for less indulgence and more mellow workouts.
Plan for the coming week:
Mon: Yoga
Tues: Threshold run + stairs.
Wed: Easy run.
Thurs: Rest.
Fri: Short speed workout? (i.e., 6-8 x 400m)
Sat: Rest.
Sun: Long run.
Howdy! My name is Jen and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I like to eat, run, and blog, but not usually at the same time.
Running Tangents 
That trail looks gorgeous! Congrats on a great week of running. I have only done yoga a couple of times. Does it really help with running?
Thank you, Janelle!
I think yoga *can* help with running, but its efficacy may vary depending on the individual. For me, I think it helps with some trouble spots — tight hamstrings, weak glutes, and tight hips/hip flexors, not to mention my weak upper body and core. Also, I’ve learned to speak up during yoga classes and request specific things – most yoga teachers are happy to customize the practice to student requests.
Everything in moderation is a great way to live, in training, in food, in spending, everything!
Definitely!
Christmas is a good time to get a bit wild and eat all the cakes and rich food, no guilt there. You did really well to plough round that trail when you were feeling rough – I think the huckleberry gel is magical 🙂 Thanks again for organising, it was so much fun.
I don’t regret the indulging very much, but I did learn some lessons in terms of timing the indulgence appropriately. 😉 Thanks for the supplying the magical huckleberry gel and the positive energy!
I’m stocking up on huckleberry for my next race…it’s clearly the dog’s doo-dahs!
I’ve realized that attempting to train for anything during Christmas because I don’t handle moderation very well! But it looks like you didn’t do too badly the day after all things considering!
Ha, thanks. Yeah, I probably wouldn’t have trained through Christmas except that I had come off of an extended rest/break over Thanksgiving. Plus I wasn’t traveling, so that helps.
[…] around the Bay Area, especially my runs with Cathryn at Lake Chabot, Huddart/Wunderlich, Marin, and Briones. – Pushing my limits at the Skirt n Dirt 25K – probably my toughest race yet. – Completing a […]
I can’t even ponder 13 miles with 1800′ of elevation gain! Holy hell woman. I think everyone that has read this knows overindulgence during the holiday, mine was in the form of pastries, breads and alcohol and it made running interesting. Great week especially with the holidays.
PS – Cathryn gutted through 9 miles of elevation with a bum ankle! Does she eat nails for breakfast?
I hate to say this because it’s so cliche, but as I’ve gotten older, my body is getting markedly worse at handling indulgences of any sort. I was slightly better this week but still not saintly (tough with NYE), and my body responded in kind. As long as there’s a bathroom around… (sorry if TMI!)
Cathryn is a studette. It made me feel worse, actually, to know that she was dealing with an actual injury, while I was just plagued with a case of “boo hoo, I’m low on energy and my tummy feels bad.” Cathryn is also a mom, and I suspect most mothers have higher pain tolerances compared to the average person.