From Blogger L

The Great Revolt

November 14, 2011 By Lauren and Tom

Remember last week how I was completely on a running high?

I felt great, PRd and couldn’t be more happy with my current running state?

Yea, that all changed when my legs decided to revolt against me on my last long run on Sunday.  And I’m not talking one part of my leg hurt or my legs weren’t used to the distance, I’m talking every inch of my body from my lower back down was just screaming. 
I woke up Sunday to gloomy skies and 45 mph winds; ugh did I just want to stay in bed! But I dragged myself up saying it was my last long run, get it over with and then the couch is all mine the rest of the day. Luckily I have my fantastic running group because they really make it much easier to get out of bed knowing they are waiting for me.
Then I get to the park and notice my Garmin is on low battery. Fuck! I’m not a fan of racing knowing my pace and time but I need it in training. I need to see the numbers and I need to accomplish the distance I set out to do.  It mentally helps push me when I would rather just be done. Note to self, when you take it off the charger, make sure it actually worked. DUH, Lauren!
I met LG and we set off for our 6 mile loop before the rest of the group shows up at 9. About mile 3, I knew I should have stayed in bed. My right hip has been a little sore since the half marathon last Saturday but I thought I’d given it enough rest this past week, but I was quickly reminded I hadn’t. If only my body would keep up with my mind!! I just felt sluggish from the beginning, I started to open up a little bit around mile 5 and I saw a glimmer of hope for completely the full 20 miles today.
I grabbed some food and water then joined the rest of the group and we set off for our standard 6.7 mile loop. My legs felt okay until about mile 9, I feel my left knee start to tingle and sort of go numb, luckily that went away quickly, and then around mile 10 I actually started craving an ice bath. My legs hurt so bad that I was actually wishing I could sit in a tub of ice; this is very uncharacteristic of me. I have nightmares from all the times I had to sit in an ice bath during high school and college track.

I know we have 2 miles back and SA starts asking me if I’m going to run more once we hit the parking lot because she’s willing to run extra with me. So this is the point that I have to ponder, do I push on even though my legs hurt or do I listen to my body and let it rest? Of course, I feel like a slacker if I don’t complete my full mileage (that’s my type A personality coming out) but I’ve also learned that my body handles rest much better than it handles pushing through.

I texted Tom after my first 6 miles because he is always willing to tell me if I’m being an idiot or a wimp and he respond with this “Realize there is no going back if you take it too far. Your body is telling you something”.  Geez, why does he always have to be so smart?! So I listened to my body and stopped after 13 miles. Did I want to hit that 20, of course! But I knew when we stopped and I bent down to stretch and my legs screamed I had made the right choice.

I went home, showered, grabbed my compression socks, hit the couch and literally didn’t move a muscle for 2 hours.  My body was spent. Of course thinking back I haven’t been below 13 mile long runs for the last 2 months besides once.  I ran hard last Saturday in the half marathon. Guess, this is why people rest after PR races.  I’ve done hard runs during the week of 7-8 miles. I’ve logged a ton of miles this year and my body needs a break, hence the great revolt of my legs.

I pretty much looked just like this cute puppy….

I have less than 3 weeks until the marathon and my body has logged all the long miles it’s going to get. I need my legs to rest and feel fresh when I toe the line December 3rd. Not because I’m going to set some blazing marathon time but because I can’t feel like I did today on race day.  I didn’t hit exactly every long training run that my schedule said but I’ve logged more miles this year, than I have in all my years of running so I’ll have to trust that training. Who knew I’d go from an 800m runner to marathoner?! I’m sure it would give all my old coaches a laugh.