Training Update

I have been stuck in the struggle of trying to find a balance with training and rest post-injury. Trying to find that threshold of pain and where the point of no return is has not been easy, and I worry I’ve been under-training. In the past I’ve pushed too hard through/after injuries, so now I’m worried I’m just doing the exact opposite. I’ll find out soon, since my first 50k in on September 12th whether or not I’m ready!

The past few weeks I’ve been hovering my mileage from 9 miles – 20 miles, depending on how my knee has been feeling. My training plan for my marathon has my mileage at 44 for this week, so you can see why I’ve been so stressed about under-training. I’ve also been struggling with chronic tension headaches for about a month and a half, which has made finding the motivation to run, even when my head feels okay, very difficult. Last week I did two “longer” runs (one 9-miler on the road and one 10-miler on the trails) and every time I get excited by a longer run, I look at my training plan and realize I’m supposed to do 15+ miles on Sunday alone and I get terribly discouraged.

I went for a few very hot runs in Rhode Island for a work trip, and they went surprisingly well. Rhode Island was completely beautiful, and I went for a beautiful 2 miler on a cliff walk in Newport. It was easier to enjoy shorter, more scenic runs while traveling than it is at home, where I’m usually trapped on a familiar route on Comm Ave or down Beacon.

I am hoping to push my limits a bit more these next two weeks before my race. The 10-miler I did last weekend helped boost my confidence. Though it was only 1/3rd of what I have to run for the 50k, I felt strong, confident, and my pace was faster than what I plan on taking for the race.  The best thing about the 50k is that it’s a 10m loop, so if I finish 20m and feel spent, I can still be proud that I tried my best and overcame an injury as best I could. I still have the Marine Corps Marathon in October so I have a long way to go!