Saturday, March 10, 2012

Rain Delay

I signed up weeks ago for the Bayou City Classic 10K.  However once this week rolled around, I wasn't all that enthused with running it.  With my new CrossFit workouts, my running has been slacking.

Sure I am still getting 25+ miles a week done, but my body is generally beat up and I hadn't run more than 6 miles at a time in 2 weeks.

I really needed a 10 miler under my belt.  

I went and picked up my bib yesterday still not sure if I was going to do it or whether or not I would run with Kenyan Way instead and get my 10 miles.  Or run 10 miles with BCRR on Sunday and still do the 10K.  

Having to deal with the downtown parking AND the fact that it was going to be bad weather, I just didn't feel like messing with it.  So I didn't.

I made the decision last night, texted a friend that I would be at KW at 6am unless it was raining.  Then I would just sleep in, and run on the treadmill.

Yes I said 'run on the treadmill'.

The awesome thing about not having a plan, no training on the refrigerator, and just not a care in the world kind of attitude, I can do whatever I want, when I want.  All I need is to maintain 10-13 miles for long runs each weekend and I'm good for the next 2 months.  I have a race in April but really nothing I need to really train for other than just to finish.  Then I can start training again for a speedier time for the half marathons I have coming up in the 2nd half of the year (first one is at the end of June).

By the way, I took Thursday completely off and ran 6 miles yesterday.  I can't remember the last time I ran on a Friday.  Usually Fridays are my rest day.  Oh well, like I said, no plan.

So when I woke up this morning, it was indeed raining and I just went back to sleep.  It was going to be a long morning on the treadmill.  I thought the gym opened at 8, but apparently it opens at 7 on Saturdays and I was a bit irritated.  I would have been there at 7, ran, and still be able to make the 9am CrossFit session.  They only have 2 sessions on Saturdays, so I was SOL.


When I went upstairs there was another woman from KW getting on the one next to me, and we chatted for a bit.  She said she actually had done a 22 miler on the treadmill before.  Ugh.  And I thought I was going to have a rough time of it.


My plan was to play my 10K playlist twice through, which is about 2 hours worth.  The treadmills aren't calibrated worth a crap, so I set it on what felt like my normal KW long run pace (10:30) and started running.  I had my water bottle, a gel (just in case), a magazine, my phone and the big screen TV in front of me set on The Today Show that I knew would be playing for the next 2 hours.


I was golden.


I ran for 1 hour and 45 min and called it a day on the treadmill.  Honestly it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  The most I had ever done on a treadmill before was about an hour and 15min I think and that was a LONG time ago and it sucked.


Once I was done with that, hair soaked through and all, I got on the rower and did 1000m which took me only about 5 and 1/2 minutes (down from 6min just 2 days ago). I wasn't really pushing it, just kind of an easy go with the flow kind of rowing if you will.  Then I went downstairs and did ab's.  One of my friends was coming in as I was going out and she wanted me to do the 10am spin class, but I had to pass.  I don't know that I could have made it through that.


The thing about CrossFit is that now I don't feel like I've done a workout by just running.  I need to add on to work other muscles as well since really the only muscles I am using while running is my calves and my core which I have been very aware of now while running.


I felt really strong and good while running today, so I am calling it a win.


At least now I know I can do the distance/time on a treadmill if I have to again.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate next weekend because I would really like to get a long run done on the roads.

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