August 09, 2021

Return to Running Recap : Week 11


Another week in the books! Eleven weeks ago, I honestly didn't believe I'd ever get back to running three miles--it felt SO HARD to just run for 60 seconds at a time. For the past three weeks, though, I've run three miles, three times per week.

This week, I noticed that it's actually starting to feel easier. And that the speed I've been running on the treadmill (5.0 mph) is starting to feel too slow. I'm going to continue to run this pace until I can keep my heart rate in Zone 2, though--if I increase the speed now, it'll only increase my heart rate.

Anyway, I ran on the days I said I was going to: Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. I have such a hard time with that--I procrastinate and then have to fit them all in toward the end of the week. So my plan is to continue with Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday being my running days.

Just like the last couple of weeks, each workout was three miles at 5.0 mph on the treadmill, with my main goal being to keep my heart rate as low as possible. My MAF zone is 131-141 bpm (Zone 2 on my Garmin).

Wednesday

There is really nothing notable about this run. It didn't feel abnormally hard or easy. My average heart rate for each of the miles was 131, 147, and 149 bpm.

Friday

I almost didn't run on Friday. I knew I said I was going to, but I was really tired and decided to put it off until Saturday. However, at 9:44 PM, I had the urge to do my run. No idea where that came from! But I figured I'd better take advantage of it. I changed out of my pajamas and into running clothes, then hopped on the treadmill.

I didn't think it felt very hard, but my heart rate was pretty high (mile splits were 145, 150, and 152 bpm). I felt like I had a lot of adrenaline, so maybe that's what made it feel easier. Afterward, I felt so good! I laid back on the treadmill (while the cats all walked around, sniffing me curiously) and just enjoyed that good feeling--it was a feeling that I missed a lot since I stopped running. (That's when I took the photo at the beginning of the post)


Sunday

I actually wasn't sure if I was going to fit in my run yesterday. I've been working in the garage a lot the past few days (I painted some chairs and I have been working on the table that Noah and I are making--adding coats of polyurethane and now working on the legs). It's been super humid outside and it makes me sweat like crazy, even if I don't feel hot.

When I came inside last night, it was almost 7:00 PM, and I could tell I was dehydrated. I was breathing heavier than normal and my heart rate was up, so I felt like it would be a bad time to run. But I felt like I had the energy to, and I was already sweaty and in need of a shower, so I went ahead and did it anyways.

I challenged myself not to look at the treadmill display AT ALL during the whole run (my Garmin beeps every 12 minutes so that I know I've run a mile). I knew I had to be getting close to the end and then I got a text message--I tried to glance down at my phone and I unintentionally saw the treadmill display showing 2.64 miles. I swear, the next 0.36 miles felt like it took forever! Once I saw the number, that's all I could think about. I'm going to start covering the display from now on.

I actually expected my heart rate to be much higher, considering I already felt like I'd been working out before I even started. My heart rate for each split was 144, 149, and 149 bpm.


Overall, the week went well! I quit drinking coffee, like I mentioned last week. I switched over to tea, but the tea has less caffeine than the half-caffeinated coffee I was drinking before. Since the time of day that I ran varied greatly this week, it's hard to tell whether or not the caffeine had any effect on my heart rate. (I ran at 10:00 AM, 9:45 PM, and 7:00 PM).

I'd like to run at a consistent time of day, but I really just wait until I feel good enough to do it--if I have anxiety or I'm in pain or something else that might have a negative effect on my run, then I wait. I do find that I feel much better running in the evenings than I do in the mornings, though.

This coming week, I just hope to have another run that makes me feel as good as I did on Friday night--that's what I miss most about running!

No comments:

Post a Comment

I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

Featured Posts

Blog Archive