Running Conundrum

Happy summer! Okay, I know it’s not technically summer yet, but something about June just always makes it feel like summer has officially begun. The weather has changed, we’ve had a few 90+ degree days, we’ve been grilling out every night for dinner, it stays light so late – enough so that even if I get out of work late and don’t get to run until 6:30 or 7, that’s totally fine – you know what I’m talking about.

Dinner tonight was delicious summer fare – BBQ chicken legs, corn, caesar salad, and cantaloupe. Tastes like summer to me!

Pig corn holders again – they legitimately make the corn taste better 🙂

So since I only started running about 9 months ago, I wasn’t running at this time last year. Before running, my exercise was exclusively indoors – spinning, zumba, strength training, Insanity exercise videos in my living room, etc. It mostly got the job done, but it was ALWAYS a chore. Plus, I’m not a huge fan of the gym. I never have been. I maintain a membership at 24 Hour now so that I have access to treadmills when I need one (and I’ve really been nagging myself lately to pick up some strength training again – I know I should), but I never knew how happy connecting with nature by being outdoors to exercise could make me until I started running. Not to mention how many awesome new areas and trails I have explored right in my own backyard that I never knew were there! It’s like I experienced my home town all over again through new eyes. It has really been pretty incredible.

Where was I? Oh yes – so one of the things I’ve been working through lately with the arrival of hot summer weather has been feeling the need to adjust my running schedule. I typically leave work anywhere between 4:30 and 5:30. Either way, it’s still pretty darn warm at this time of year (or it’s raining) at that time. So, I have one of two options: either run later after about 6:30 or 7 (which I’ve done a couple of times and works out pretty well except that I eat dinner way later than I like to and then bedtime comes around really quickly by the time I finally wind down. Plus, it’s more tempting to skip a run if I wait that late); or, get up early to run. It’s obviously much cooler in the morning and the 5 AM hour is quite pleasant here this time of year, but I have to be honest and admit that it’s just really sucky to get up at that time. I’m just as bad about hitting the snooze button and skipping workouts at that time of day as I am later in the evening. This is why I just need to be independently wealthy so that I can workout any time between about 8-11 AM like I prefer 🙂

The other thing causing me stress this week is my new self-imposed challenge to hit 20 miles per week. What this essentially means for me is that I need to go from running 3 days per week to 4. That in and of itself isn’t the problem – the issue is that my legs (specifically shins and knees) don’t really do well with running 2 days in a row, which would have to happen once per week to add that 4th day. The other alternative is to increase mileage for all 3 of my current runs, but that has its drawbacks too. I don’t want to get super stressed if I have to miss a run, or I have an off day and just can’t quite get the mileage in and next thing I know I’m 3-5 miles short for the week and beating myself up over it. I know myself – this will stress me out. It’s already stressing me out, ha ha!

I’m trying to keep in mind that it will likely just take a few weeks to settle into a new schedule to deal with both the weather and my desire to increase my mileage. I also have a sneaking suspicion that adding strength training back into my routine might help alleviate some of the issues I experience when I run two days in a row. I cross train by cycling once or twice a week for 15-20 miles at a time, but I have not been strength training for a while now.

So there you have it – my recent conundrums. I’m taking tomorrow off from work to deal with some things related to a bathroom renovation project we are getting started on and am going to run in the morning. I’ll let all of this knock around in my head during that run; that seems to be the most effective way of solving my problems lately: just let it rattle around the ole noodle for a few runs (or lots of runs depending on the magnitude) and an answer will eventually become clear. That’s one of the many things I love about running, the mental clarity. It’s truly invigorating and fills me with happiness, wonder, and gratitude.

How do you guys deal with the uneasiness associated with the need to adjust a training schedule?
Has anyone ever experienced issues with running two days in a row, and were you able to overcome it somehow?
What’s your favorite part about the arrival of summer?

Happy running!

Becky

Notes to Self:

New things I have learned/realized in the past couple of days:

1) Under no circumstances am I to ever again go for a long bike ride the day before a race thinking it won’t affect my performance and that in so doing, I’ve still somehow “tapered” or “taken it easy” before a race. Ha, I crack myself up.
2) I need to make time to stretch after races. They are some of the longest distances I run, and in the excitement of finishing, meeting up with family, checking out the post-race goodies, etc. I have thus far neglected to stretch after all of my races. I sure do feel it the next couple of days and certainly the first time I run again after a race.
3) I like using the RunKeeper app to track my workout and record distances, look at splits afterward, etc., but turning off the audio cues is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in a while. Previously, I had it set to notify me of time and distance every half mile and I believe now that it prevented me from settling into a natural pace and letting my mind drift off…

I went for a run tonight – 4 miles in just over 40 minutes. My legs were tight and I felt like I was plodding along the whole time, but I got it done and felt better afterward. I indulged in a solid 10 minutes of stretching afterward and felt even better. Refer to number 2 above for how I can likely alleviate this scenario in the future.

As you may have seen in the pictures, I didn’t wear my new compression sock for the race this past Sunday because they didn’t match the color scheme. I have, however, been wearing them around the house in the evenings and I wore them on the run tonight. I don’t know if it’s the placebo effect or if they really make a difference, but I do certainly like them.

The bright color makes me so happy!

Also, for some unknown reason, I have pretty much made a new goal for myself to hit a minimum of 20 miles each week. I’m currently in the 15-18 weekly range, so this isn’t a huge stretch, but it’s enough of a change that I feel like I’m challenging myself. I will be counting the mileage every Monday through Sunday, and this week is already off to a good start.

And finally, I leave you with something that always puts a smile on my face – pig corn holders!

Corn is just so much tastier with these little guys 🙂

Happy running!

Becky