If you follow me on twitter, you saw that last week, I guess, I hit the wall on my morning training run. I have never really experienced the wall so I am not entirely sure that is what occurred.
So you are saying to yourself, “She’s never hit the wall? But she has run all those long distance races, what gives?”
Well, I think I never hit the wall because I have never been pushing myself to my limit of what I am able to accomplish until now. Why now and not before? I guess I was too sacred and thought I wasn’t at the level of fitness that it took to push out of my box and into that, ‘what if I throw up’ zone.
That being said and you all knowing that last week was my down week, I am not sure if it was the fuel I was wasn’t taking in, the heat/humidity (though it felt cool to me), hydration or just fatigue.
What did it feel like? It felt like what everyone else describes, legs felt like they were running through mud, head fuzzy and a little dizzy, my mind telling me to stop and walk, stop and walk! BUT, how do you know when this is a ‘break through’ moment, or the moment where you need to stop?
(Here is a little insight about me but don’t spread it around…)I am obsessive, not to a mental state, but I get obsessed – there I said it! My obsessing takes me many places, one normal stop on the train ‘obsessions’ is Overtrainingsville. My friends and family can tell you I visit here at least once a year knowingly, probably more unknowingly.(Now back to your normally scheduled blog post whining session (sorry) …)
What did I do on the day I seemingly hit the wall? I got up as normal at 4:10am, drank some Amino Energy (grape) and headed out the door to swim. This morning was my sprint drills. I felt pretty good. After the drills I felt like I just wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep. I drank my Nuun Hydration and then headed out to my run at the trail. I had 5 miles to run. It was around 78 degrees, humidity was at around 88%. (Yes, I am acclimatized for this type of running.)
I took more swigs of Nuun and some swigs of my Mike’s recovery drink for calories and I stepped out of the car to stretch. I still felt like I could lay on the parking lot pavement and fall right to sleep. I told myself to suck it up and get going, and going I did. I was clocking 11 min pace, FAIL, I felt like I was walking. 2 miles later I couldn’t take it anymore but said (to myself) I would walk the rest and I did. I did finish walking the 5 miles but didn’t feel good at all, I had stopped at my car and grabbed my Mikes recovery drink and took it with me and drank it as I went.
The night before I rode my bike on the trail at 6pm for about 13 miles and then had a training session with Katie my Personal Trainer at 7pm. I may not have eaten enough afterwards…?
What happened? What was the problem? I am still trying to figure it out.
Thoughts? Comments? Have you ever felt this way? Help!
erintris 