I’ve been training for four weeks for the Virginia Beach Half-Marathon. The good news: My swimming feels fabulous, and I’m actually motivated to head to the pool for this often-dreaded form of cross-training. The bad news: I had a small setback running-wise when I re-twisted my gimpy ankle last week, so I don’t feel like I’ve made much progress as far as actual running is concerned. And I’m told I won’t be able to swim the half-marathon.
My one saving grace, running-wise: My decision to wake up early this morning and squeeze in my long run for the week, a 10-miler I decided to start slooow. See, I’ve been falling apart in the final miles of my long runs, and I needed an ego-booster this morning more than I needed to hit any certain pace. So I jogged about five miles from home, then turned around and ran back. The amazing thing: I still averaged roughly 9:30-minute miles, about the pace I’ve averaged in my other long runs.
Saturday (July 24): Lift, hard, for 30 minutes
Sunday: Long swim (sub for the long run I would have done if not for the ankle trouble): 4,500 meters, a post-wrist-surgery distance PR!
Monday: Swim 3,000 meters: 1,000 warmup, alternate 100 free, 100 back; 1X1,800 pyramid set; 4X50 butterfly, sprint
Tuesday: Run 3.7 miles in 32:09, or 8:41-minute miles. Elevation gain of about 200 feet. Felt good, but kept it short to baby my recently re-twisted ankle.
Wednesday: Randomly big cross-training day. I had an eye doctor appointment early Wednesday morning, at which the doc dilated my pupils. I felt a little too blurry to drive at the end of the appointment. My gym was within walking distance, so I just lengthened my workout: 1.5 hours of lifting, including about 30 minutes on the Dara Torres core workout in Shape magazine. Stationary bike 30 minutes later in day.
Thursday: Off. Abs, quads sore to the touch.
Friday: Run 10 miles! Ankle felt fine with the help of some KT Tape. Post-run nutrition note: I rewarded my exhausted muscles with a Starbucks Vivanno immediately post-run. It has four simple ingredients: a banana, bittersweet cocoa, skim milk and protein powder (I get a shot of espresso, too). With 270 calories, 18 grams of protein and 48 grams of carbs, it serves as a pretty decent protein recovery drink when you’re in a rush.
In other news: My “I’m a Runner” interview with outgoing OMB Director Peter Orszag went live on Runner’s World’s website today! A sneak preview: “Being in a job like this is very similar to running a marathon,” he says. “If you focused on how far you have to go, it would be so stultifying and demoralizing, you would never actually do it.”
Wow–how cool is that? Peter Orzag?
I know! Thanks for appreciating the coolness of it. He was totally delightful to talk to—funny and self-deprecating and seemingly grateful to talk about running for 30 minutes rather than, you know, the finer points of the stimulus bill.
you’re amazing, lady! your swim workouts make me feel slow and lazy.