Day 6 - July 8

Image courtesy of
http://www.fauxrunner.com/motivational-quotes

Ugh....I'm not even sure where to start.  Day 6 was not a great training day.  After a mess up on my part on Day 5 (not running on the actual road) I was still feeling the effect this morning.  As the alarm went off, I opted to stay in bed and let my hip rest a little long.  BAD CALL!

I knew I had to run, for fear that skipping one day "just because" would lead to the slippery slope that is my pattern of starting something and not finishing.  So after work I came home and quickly got my running gear that I had laid out the night before. This is where things went all wrong.  My normal {did you catch that - normal - like I've been doing this for year instead of days HAHA} running gear consists of running/compression leggings and a tank top.  Well on this particular day I had laid out a lovely black ensemble - in hindsight not the smartest move for running in the hottest part of the day. After a quick stretch, I took off on a different route than I normally take. One that includes a large hill.  Thankfully I had planned to tackle the hill on the downside. At first I was pretty pumped up.  Things seemed to be going good. Breathing was steady and my legs were feeling pretty good.  So where's this story go wrong? Well after I sailed down that big hill, I turned the corner to head up a street that I usually run the opposite direction. About 500 feet in, I realized that street was really just an elongated hill and with each step I could feel the heat blazing down on me and my ankles began to burn like I've never felt before. I kept pushing, but eventually the heat got to me and I started to loose my concentration and breathing. At that point I figured I'd just walk it off and then pick up again.  WRONG! That hill that I usually run down, proved to do me in. I tried, but every step felt like white-hot shackles where tightening around my ankles. I managed to make it home {although there was a point where I wasn't sure I could}, exhausted and limping.

When I mapped my run, I only managed to actually run 1/2 mile, less than the day before. That hit me hard. I thought I was doing so well. I thought I was making progress, and then BOOM, backtrack. But after cooling down and thinking it through, I noted my lessons learned {most of these are probably super obvious to anyone who has ever run, but remember I'm a newb at this}:

1. While 5 - 6 PM may be cooler that 2-4 PM, it's still considered the heat of the day, and it's HOT! Trying running early in the morning or later when the sun is setting.
2. Really think through clothing, especially in really hot conditions.  I would have been much better off in a looser top and shorts.
3. Drink a big glass of cold water before leaving to cool down your core. 
4. Extra stretching is a must!

Again, obvious to veterans, but not so much to me.  

Daily Breakdown

Physically: It was hard. The heat, combined with my ankles hurting, made it a really difficult run/walk. However, I am starting to notice my lungs are hurting less and I don't have to think about my breathing as much. That's something.

Emotionally: I'm honestly pretty down about the run. I know I probably contributed by not preparing, and that those factors can have a huge difference, but it was still incredibly frustrating.  I'm trying not to focus on the negative. To remind myself that I can't expect gains every day, and that I'm consistently able to run for 1/2 mile fairly easily now, which is more than I could say a week ago.  And yeah, it's only be 6 days. I'm still my worst critic.

Distance: Only a total of 1.14 miles. Ran .5 mile and walked the rest. Definitely not my best performance. 

So what are your tips for keeping motivated when training doesn't exactly as you planned? I'd love to hear!