ran / rested / ran / rested / recovered

So last week's big deal was the 16K trail race with over 1000 feet of elevation gain. And > 1000 feet loss. All in one course! This produced SORE QUADS and a lingering fatigue even after the soreness was gone. But then . . . some thing cool happened ~~~~~~~

Day after the race – MONDAY the 14th of April 2014 – I did a 4.5 mile easy (and very, very slow) run through my neighborhood – MISSION HILLS – and tried to avoid those HILLS! But really, you can’t. It's hilly EVERYWHERE. Then I hopped on a plane to NYC. 6 hours later, I emerged an angry (temporary) New Yorker.

TUESDAY (4/15) – I had a quick workout at the hotel gym (Affinia 50, pretty nice). 20 minutes elliptical (very easy) and some yoga. LEGS SORE. Especially the LEFT Quad.

Noted, NYC just isn't as fun without Penny. :-(

WEDNESDAY (April 16) – complete rest. And another 6 hour flight back to SD. Ah, the joys of work travel. LEGS still SORE.

THURSDAY (the 17th!) – Soreness almost gone, but I underestimated the LINGERING FATIGUE in my attempt at a THRESHOLD RUN OF 6 MILES AT GOAL HALF MARATHON PACE (6:50!!) = 9 miles total. I didn’t hit G-HM-P at all! Not a single mile:  1 - 6:54, 2 - 7:08, 3 - 7:11, 4 - 7:04, 5 - 7:18, 6 - 7:03.

Reasons?

• Well, I was not well fueled (ran at 2:30 p.m., supposed to run at 1 p.m. but CONFERENCE CALLS interfered!!!). 
• And I was tired from my quick, 36 hours trip to NYC. 
• Legs were still wrecked from Sunday’s trail race. 
• It was also windy, and I ran in Balboa Park – which is quite hilly . . . 
• and I afterwards, I felt that I was not fit enough for this tough workout, given my low mileage in February, March, and April (only 20 miles most weeks). 

The thought went through my HEAD: the 1:30:xx may not be in my FUTURE just yet . . .

FRIDAY, April 18 – core/legs/whatever weights workout at THE GYM.

By Saturday (19), I felt awesome! Easy run along Ocean Beach bike PATH. 7.5 miles at an effortless 8:10ish pace.

Sunday 4/20 – LONG RUN of 13 miles on Ocean Beach bike path to the Ocean Beach Pier and back. Did most miles at 8:15ish and last 2 miles MODERATE at 7:30 + slightly uphill. I was floating through this run. Legs felt strong again!!

Is this CrAZZzzzY? I think that 16K trail race that I ran 8 days ago made a noticeable improvement in my fitness . . . could those hills (up and down!) have really made an impact already??? ? ??

Perhaps the 1:30:xx at SD RnR Half (jUne 1) is STILL possible ? ? ? ?

Two Little Runners ~ Kristen

PS - it's boring without a picture. The HILLS of MissIOn hIlLS