Here’s how my running has gone recently. In my mind anyway.
Last February to May: “I’m unemployed, I’ll run as much as I want – wheee!”
May to July: “I’m working part-time, I’ll run as much as I want – wheee!”
August to October: Begin real full-time job, loosely follow Run Less Run Faster (3 quality runs a week)
November to April: I started taking classes. Work got busy and I often worked 10-11 hour days. I either couldn’t make it to track on time or by the time I got home I would be too tired to run fast. So of my 3 runs, track day became an easy day.
After running my most recent half PR in December, tempo days became easy runs too. So then I was running 3ish days a week, maintaining a long run base of at least 10 miles, but mostly all at an easy pace.
At the end of April I decided I was going to add more days of running, even if they were short or easy runs. Also, after an irrationally semi-disappointing Fastest Mile in late April, I vowed to return to track.
Week of April 29— Lame, but I got in 5 runs.
Monday- 2.3 mi easy run
Tuesday- 3.13 mi at Track: 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m, 100m
Thursday- 3.4 mi on hills
Friday- 2.58 mi
Sunday- 8.22 mi mountain trail run
Week of May 6— Only 3 runs but +a bike ride. Cross-training is another goal, especially if I’m hoping to up my mileage.
Tuesday- 1.8 mi easy run
Wednesday- 10.10 mi bike ride
Thursday- 8 mi run
Saturday- 10.25 mi run
Week of May 13- Less running miles than I wanted, but 5 days of moving and my longest bike ride since last July.
Monday- 5.18 mi with a good climb
Tuesday- 4.8 mi at Track. 3x300m; 4x400m; 2x800m.
Wednesday- 9 mi bike ride
Friday- 6.1 mi run
Saturday – 17.4 mi bike
Alright, your eyes should be sufficiently glazed over by now.
Since October, about 2/3 of my work has been where I live, and the rest is 40 miles away. Last week, a magical thing happened. I was able to transfer that other 1/3 to a new hire that lives in that area…and what I’m left with is considered a full caseload. In other words, I’ve been working at 150% capacity for the last several months. This week it was glorious not to fall asleep and wake up thinking about work.
TL;DR version:
- I was working too much
- I will be working less
- I will now resume my efforts to run fast
- I may write about it occasionally
