I'd just realised that my 32k run marked the exact half way point of my whole training program. Anyway, this week has been a bit up and down. I have been fighting the cold for quite a few weeks now, and had been quite successful in holding it off. However, my body was clearly weakened by the 32k run as my body finally succumbed to the full fury of the flu right after my speed session on Friday.
Bearing in mind that I only completed my 20 miler (32k run) 10 days ago. I was expecting my body to take a lot longer to recover, but it didn't. By Monday, I felt good to start running again even though I was starting to feel the onset of a cold getting worse. Mistake #1 - Ignoring the flu and thinking I was invincible. So I stuck to my training schedule last week. Mistake #2 - Not listening to my body. By Friday, I was feeling so good during my 10k tempo that I picked up the intensity a notch and in the process, set a 10k PB of 45"55. This was despite my body clearing telling me that I was coming down with a bad flu. Right after that run, my body had it. I felt so fatigued but tried to go for recovery run on Sat. Not surprisingly, I lasted 5k and really struggled even at 5"20k pace. Mistake #3 - Trying to run when my body is not ready. After not running since last Saturday, I decided to go for a run on Tuesday morning even though I kind of knew my body was still a bit weak. It was 5 degrees and freezing, and trying to climb the hills round the tan when I am still recovering from the flu is arguably the most stupid mistake of them all. Breathing in the freezing cold air simply irritated my throat and lungs, and running with a runny nose and phlegmy throat is just not condusive to good, comfortable running.
I must also admit that as the month of May drew to a close, the fact that I had such a great month meant that I really wanted to finish off in style, but hitting the 200km mark for the month. I was only 55km away at the start of last week. So I ran as many times as possible despite knowing my body was still recovering from the long run as well as fighting the cold. As Adrian said to me so correctly, it is good to track mileage as it shows improvement in fitness as well as endurance. However, it is important to not become a slave to it. I don't think I was, or am, that obsessed with mileage. I'd just wanted to finish May off with a bang, but in trying to do so, I'd ended in with a whimper instead. Lesson learnt, or am I just saying that?
For all you runners out there, I'm sure most of you would agree that we are our worst enemy in that we set an expected goal/s within ourselves, and we often try to push the boundaries/limitations of our body to achieve that goal. The temptation to push that little further is always there, but it's truly a fine line between pushing it and over-pushing it. As a runner, we are always one stride away from a season-ending injury, such as a torn Achilles tendon. It's especially so for unseasoned runner like myself who doesn't have sufficient experience to know when to pull back. I'm still learning. I think I will take it easy this week to ensure my body is fit and rejuvenated by the start of next week. Most importantly, I need to make sure I am primed to take on the Warburton Rail Trail on Saturday week. It is a 40km trail that runs from Lilydale to Warburton, through some of the most scenic terrains along the Yarra Valley. However, since I am only planning to run 34km, with the goal to finish at Warburton to have lunch there with my boss - Matthew O'Donohue - and to hopefully cross path with him on the trail even though he's riding to Warburton from a different starting point. So we decided on a suitable route, which is for me to start running from Woori Yallock to Seville (5 mile/8km, climb of 45m), turning around at Seville and head to Warburton (16 mile/26km, drop of 45m followed by climb of 75m). Not-overly hilly, but distance will test as I go past 20 mile that often marks "the wall" for first time marathoners.
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