Tired

I'm in my final week of big training, following two weeks with mileage PRs, serious workouts and even races. There's no doubt that I'm tired at this point, but in a way I feel like it's a reward for all the hard work. I'm getting the results I want and with each tough workout that I push through, I can feel myself getting closer to that finish line.

And it's not only the training - it sometimes feels like all I do is eat, sleep, work, run, repeat. While I love running and everything that goes along with it, it can get exhausting. Staying on top of the nutrition, keeping up with the laundry, updating training logs and communicating with my pseudo-coaches... I love all of these things (except maybe the laundry), but it's tiring.

But don't you worry, I realize there's a bit more work to be done and I know I can do it. I still have to finish off this last big week, and then two weeks of taper in which I will be slacking off much less than I have in the past. We're into the home stretch, but we're not quite there yet.

Speaking of tiring... yesterday I had a double workout for "Twosday". And not just any double, but two of the same workout. At first I worried it might be a little boring - silly me, I should know by now that hubs' workouts are anything but boring!

AM: 12K with 10K [faster than] MRP
PM: 12K with 10K [faster than] MRP

I was up at 4:30 for the first run and it was a mild but rainy morning. I had a hard time forcing myself out the door, but it was pretty nice once I got going - except for the puddles and snails everywhere (which I could not see in the dark). *splash* *crunch*

My legs always feel heavy and slow at that hour and it took a long time to get going. The warm-up was extremely slow, which is fine, but my legs would not wake-up until about half way through the workout portion. Normally on these MRP workouts I find my pace slipping into the "too fast" zone when I don't pay attention and I have to reel it in; this time it would creep slower and slower and I had to focus on keeping the pace and momentum. I had to work for it; this is the kind of experience I need for race day, right?

Goal: 5:00-5:10/KM (MRP is 5:13)

5:07 - 5:08 - 5:07 - 5:07 - 5:07
5:05 - 5:05 - 5:04 - 5:03 - 5:01
avg: 5:04/KM (8:09/mi)

After work I was having some deja vu as I headed out to repeat the workout. This time hubs joined me for the first half as he wrapped up his miles for the day. I felt extremely sluggish starting out, but settled into the pace a little more easily this time.

5:06 - 5:05 - 5:09 - 5:04 - 5:01
5:02 - 5:00 - 5:01 - 5:00 - 4:56
avg: 5:02/KM (8:06/mi)

If there's one thing I am getting a good handle on, it's pushing that [faster than] MRP when tired... and I can't think of a better way to prepare for a marathon.

So the moral of the story is: I'm tired, but that's okay!