Lessons from a renegade plan


Since I have yet to find anyone that has run a TM and a full marathon back to back, it leaves me with no choice but to create a renegade training plan on a whim, and fix/change it as I go. I learned A CRAP TON of lessons this week.

Last week, I ran my long run on Thursday with a friend. Successful. I slacked off Friday and Saturday, then ran the WWB Sunday, and I was sore. So the not smart decision, ie...what I did, was head out for my normal run on Monday, 3 or 4 miles. Didn't go so well, made it about a mile, and decided...let's run sprints. That's the obvious answer. (total sarcasm inserted here.) So I ran 12 of those. Enter more soreness. So then come around to Tuesday, cross-training day. Successfully did plenty of hamstring bridges, wall squats, burpees, etc, etc.

ENTER MORE SORENESS PLEASE.

Then that brings us around to today (had Wednesday off, thank heavens!). Today I decided, like last week, to run my long run. I behaved for dinner, went to bed early, tossed and turned thinking about the 8 miles in the morning and how sore I already (still) felt. I woke up at 0415, changed, and headed to the trail. Before I got past the monuments, I realized how dark it still was, and being the chicken that I am...deemed the trail not safe until at least the sun semi came out. So instead, I decided to park by the Capitol and wing it. BAD IDEA. What ended up happening is this: I ran up by the pool in front of the Capitol, back down Madison towards Wash Mon, past the WWII Memorial, over to the Lincoln...(UM someone failed to tell me that the reflection pool is completely jacked up...ruining my tranquil-ness!), over to the Korean Vet Memorial then back up the same route. A gnat flew in my eye TWICE by the Washington Monument, one even got stuck in there causing me to wipe my eyes, causing my mascara from previously to make me look like I've been crying...which I may as well have been. This morning sucked. Not going to lie. There was a portion of the run where I second guessed my decision to run the marathon.

I second guessed my decision to run the marathon.

Not the Tough Mudder.

The marathon.

The TM just SEEMS like so much more fun than running on the road for over 5 hours. And I already have a Tough Mudder shirt, meaning, if you have the shirt, you HAVE to do the run.

I find myself in this weird spot where I want to do so much, and still need to find the balance. I now know, hills then sprints then xt is a horrible idea. I know I prefer to do long runs with a buddy, and I know that walls are not just found in marathons, they are day to day. I'm still working on my solution to bust through the walls.



ALSO: Today I ran with my shirt tucked into my bra....veeeeery brave of me. It made me think of some etiquette/rules for going shirtless.

1. If you're a man and sexy DO IT PLEASE. It helps motivate me/It's really yummy to look at you pass by.

2. If you do not have a flat tummy, probably keep your shirt on...

3. If you are iffy about whether you have a flat enough tummy, running before the hours of 7am is acceptable with your shirt off (like I did). Consider it like vampire rules, only until the sun comes out, or after the sun goes down :)


(sidebar...the Korean Vet Memorial scared me when I was in 6th grade, and it still creeps me out today...)

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