Some runs ain’t fun!

It’s Saturday. I just finished chanting “some runs ain’t fun” in my head for 8+ miles amid today’s long run. Rob is currently in bed after his (much-needed) shower. I’m thinking about today’s run. My hair is still damp from my own refreshing shower and I might as well put my thoughts on paper (or blog).

Today’s run was not our best.

Rob and I have been running religiously for the last 6 weeks in preparation for the Athens Marathon. The training habit is forming but it is still taking effort. We are coming back after a long running hiatus with added age and extra weight. We are not the runners we once were! I miss that Rob and Laura: we were buckets of energy! Influential! Motivating! Young!

The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.  ~ Aldous Huxley

Time moves on and the body is evidence. Rob reminded me of this today, as he sat at the kitchen table after an arduous 8-mile run, his head cupped in his hands forcing the creases around his eyes to deepen. A few grey hairs have seeded their way into his dark brown hair, and he said, “We need to remember, nearly a decade has passed since we did this.” My heart hurt because Rob was right. We are getting older. I can see the Rob and Laura I remember and I miss them very much. I hold them in my heart and it’s funny to say, but back then, I was trying to always get ahead and be better… now, I am just trying to return to that Laura.

Happy Birthday Rob

Rob celebrated his birthday on Monday! Here’s a funny picture we snapped. On Rob’s birthday we had to attend our condo association meeting so I made a cake. There was 1 piece left so, after returning home, we decided to share a wee bit with Peanut & take some funny pictures.

 

Current Training

Our weekly training regimen currently consists of various short run regimens, 1 long endurance run and strength training. I love strength training, whereas Rob is not such a fan. A strength training day for Rob generally involves sleeping in. Sleep brings him strength. However, I know Rob could benefit from some real strength training: a strong core supports running. Personally, I’ve never mastered pull-ups, pushups are a challenge but I crave the challenge. Strength training humbles me. I used to have beautiful muscles because I focused my fitness time on strength. I am ramping up to return to my beloved muscle work this winter, after Athens. This is where I thrive.

Why some runs ain’t fun

Today’s run was not great. It’s ok. I am not defeated. Instead, I am analyzing why. Rob and I ran for 1 hour and 35 minutes today.

We’ve done this before. But, today was different.

Rob and I were both extremely stiff and Rob was seriously lacking energy. Tonight, as I think through the last couple days, I believe there are several factors that contributed to our difficult run today, including:

• Sleep
  Last night we achieved 4 hours of sleep, if that. It was Friday night and Rob and I were both suffering from our active subconscious minds. Sometimes we work, even when we sleep and we find it hard to shut down.
• Nutrition
  After work last night, Rob joined some colleagues at the Anchor while I wrapped up my day. Of course, I got hungry and had an dinner early: chicken and broccoli. When Rob came home, he enjoyed the same. That was dinner. This morning, Rob and I enjoyed low carb toast and peanut butter – we need groceries. Our lunch was a salad. In the last 24 hours, there has been very little carbohydrate energy provided from our nutrition – and we felt it during our run today. We do not fear carbohydrates; we’ve simply adjusted to lower carb and lower glycemic options to benefit our blood sugar control. This eating style helps us feel good on a day to day basis.
• Training
  On Thursday, Rob and I did a fairly vigorous run. It was a 39 minute tempo style run meaning we enjoyed a 6 minute warmup, followed by a few quick interval dashes, and two fast segments with recovery. We were coming back from an easy recovery week of training (every 4 weeks we reduce our activity for recovery). On Thursday, we felt like rockstars. We ran fast, we ran strong, we broke every record we had set. Friday was recovery day… and then, today arrived: our long run day of the week!
• Life
  Rob and I are both tired. I have been in my current role for roughly 6 months. The last 6 months have not been easy for me because I have been learning various business and communication skills. I may be skilled with rodent colony management and various research procedures but, I am learning many skills to ensure that my consultations are effective and my clients know I am there for them. This contribution to science is my passion! I love it! However, I am also balancing many roles. I am a student, trying to earn a degree while working in excess of full time, while training for a marathon and doing my best to communicate regularly with my family and friends back home, while doing my darnedest to be a good wife. I also do all the cooking; it is my stress reliever. Rob offers to assist, but cooking is the one thing in my day that I can personally control. I thrive on that. The laundry is another story. Therefore, I am finding balance at this time, and I am tired.

In summary, today was rough.

Realizations

Part of training for a marathon is coming face to face with oneself. The raw image of yourself in the mirror shares insights that most choose to ignore. When training for a marathon, these insights are critical.

We had to stop several times to stretch today. Our calves and ankles were so sore! I believe we were feeling the results from our Thursday run: some runs ain’t fun!

14 weeks to go!

Rob and I are currently 14 weeks away from the Athens Marathon. In this time we will visit Miami, Las Vegas, and Denver.

We know that we need to listen to our bodies to ensure we are strong for each and every run. Sleep is critical, proper nutrition is critical, and our emotional state will make or break us. As researchers, we have enough data to accurately predict how we will perform. However, even if everything is perfection, our blood sugars are always the final straw. We know we cannot perform if our blood sugars are angry. That’s the cold hard fact of running with type 1 diabetes.

OK, long day, long run, short night. Time to unwind and spend some time with Rob (and make a grocery list). Some runs ain’t fun but there are reasons. Taking the time to acknowledge reality and prepare for the road ahead will set us up for the journey.

Cheers!