Two Opposite Weeks

March 31, 2014 By meghan 11 Comments

How different two weeks can be. For the last few months I’ve been explaining that I needed a break and was sorry that I hadn’t taken one. I’d felt burnt out, and I didn’t know how I was going to keep going and going at the rate I was without burning out completely. Maybe you all saw it coming, or maybe you didn’t, but eventually, that shut me down. I finally took that time off that I so desperately needed, and then I spent this week returning full force and happy to the sports that I’ve really grown to love.

I mentioned in Friday’s recap of the last two weeks that I went to Connecticut for most of the first week of spring break. Between the burnt out feeling, the software training, and the really terrible cold that I caught, I snapped. And this is how that week went:

That’s not a mistake. I worked out twice. Neither were long runs or long rides. That 6 was a tempo run, and it was a pretty good one, but when I got up the next morning it was when the cold had set in. I had no voice. So I took off Wednesday and Thursday and Friday. Then I woke up Saturday and thought, “Nope! I’m not going to long run.” I was at 80% as far as being back to normal, and I could have laced up and gotten it in, but I didn’t. I took a Saturday off. It was beautiful. And on Sunday after I got home from Tori’s wedding I lounged all afternoon and didn’t long ride. That night I setup the trainer and got in 1:15 of riding, but that was more just to make up for my weekend calorie consumption.

And here’s the thing. I didn’t feel bad about it. I still don’t. It rejuvinated me in every way necessary and possible. I felt better! And it paid off this past week. Even with a friend in town visiting Monday through Thursday, here’s what I accomplished the second week of my spring break.

I’ll break it down like normal now.

Monday: Not the normal rest day. After 5 of those the week prior I decided I probably didn’t need another…I ran 5 miles with my friend at an easy pace. Laura ran 4 of those, and it was nice to run in the sprinkling rain and enjoy the coming of warmer weather.

Tuesday: I woke up early before we were to head to the beach and rode an hour on the trainer. Then when we were lounging I jumped in the pool and swam 2000 yards. Double day! Go me!

Wednesday: I tracked it as a cross training day, because I walked around Disney from 9:15 am to 8:30 pm. I counted it as an hour of cross training, but it’s obviously much more than that!

Thursday: After Laura left I ran my tempo. We upped the mileage this week and I ran 7 miles with 5 at tempo. My miles were 8:18, 8:00, 7:55, 7:55, and 8:01.

Friday: I ran 5 easy miles. Any miles the day after a tempo run are hard. This one felt terrible, and I wanted to stop, but I kept repeating to myself for the last 2 miles, “An Ironman wouldn’t stop.” So I didn’t stop. I’m not going to be able to stop on September 28th.

Saturday: Long run of 10 miles at 9:26/mile.

Sunday: Long-ish ride of 42 miles at 18.7 mph then a 5 mile post-ride run at 8:37/mile. I rode in my new Rev3 cycling kit with Stephanie, Jamie, Chris, and one of Chris’s friends!