Running Man

Yesterday I did the running man. No, not that terrible dance from the 90's, or the Stallone movie either. It was more like Forrest Gump... all day long " I was RUNNING"!
It started with an easy 30 minutes in the morning. While the pace was easy, it certainly didn't feel easy. Whenever I run first thing in the morning I always feel stiff and labored. This run was no different, but I expected that and just kept putting 1 foot in front of the other. I kept thinking about the big breakfast that awaited me at home.
Back home I fixed up my favorite meal of the day, a big breakfast. It consisted of what I call a hybrid cereal, some cut up fruit, a hard boiled egg and some tea. Hybrid cereal is basically when I take 2,3 or 4 cereals, put them all in the same bowl and chow down. This time I mixed it up a bit even more, I made some oatmeal, added some muesli, some dried fruit and honey. It was fantastic. As I let that digest I got ready for the next run. Some drinks, some food, multiple pairs of shoes and plenty of sunscreen.
I drove out to the only real flat trail in the area. The Highline Canal runs forever, is basically flat and has a nice soft surface. Perfect training for the flat IM Louisville course. I planned on going out and back twice so I could reload my FuelBelt. I cruised out easy for the first 30 minutes. The legs were good and the stiffness from the morning was well gone. After the warm up I picked up the pace and ran hard for 30. I kept the pace at 6:10-6:30 pace during this block. My legs were really turning over well and I found a good rhythm. Then I cruised for another 20, went hard for 20, cruised for 10, went hard for 10 and cooled down easy for 15. All in all it was 2:15 with 1 hour of that at sub 6:30 pace. The best part was that I didn't feel totally wasted afterwards. I probably could have gone longer, but the quality would not have been there. I chose to shut it down while I still felt good. Some stretching and re-hydration was in order. I always bring a recovery shake with me when I know I won't be finishing at home. It's an absolute rule for me to have a recovery drink within 15 minutes of ending a hard workout. I tend to lose a lot of weight on hard days, espcecially runs. I have lost upwards of 2 lbs. in an hour run, even when I take close to 40 oz. of liquid during the run! So it is imperative for me to replace those liquids as quickly and effectively as possible.
On the drive home I decided to stop and do some grocery shopping. In general I detest shopping, but for certain items I don't mind it. Put me in a bike shop, running store or nice grocery store and I am a happy man. The place I stopped was The Sunflower Market. It is knew to Highlands Ranch, but I have shopped there in Arizona and California. It is an awesome place to shop. It's mostly organic food, fresh veggies and fruits and a great bulk foods selection. It's like Whole Foods, but much cheaper and without some of the uppityness you may find. It's even cheaper than the big chain stores. As I shopped I chugged down a chocolate milk, wonderful stuff for recovery. I went a bit nuts and bought all sorts of stuff. From veggies and turkey to some great wheat crackers and spelt muffins. I expected the total to top the 100 dollar mark, but to my surpries I was well under that. I love that place!
Back home I put away the groceries, had some fruit and more liquids. The weather was looking a bit cloudy, so I decided to get out for my 3rd run of the day before the weather went bad. It was just a steady run with plenty of rolling hills. Since I didn't have a long lay off from my long run, my legs were still feeling good. Settling into my rhythm I focused on my form and using my core to generate a smooth gait. Just over an hour passed and I was back home. Time for some tire pulls! Tire pulls are where I use some MTN bike tubes as a harness and pull a small car tire behind me. It helps with form and power, plus the neighbors give me great looks when they see me go past. Taking off the harness it was more recovery fluids, some fruit and time to go to the pool. I love to hit the pool after a long day, especially a long run. It really helps me the next day. So I covered 2k in the pool. The first 1k was just a straight steady swim. The 2nd k was a mix of pulling with and without a bouy and paddles.
I was finally home for some dinner that Court and nicely picked up. It was the Chicken dinner you get the grocery store. Every once in awhile I crave that, as does Court. It tasted so good. I finished the evening with some cookies and milk.
I woke up today expecting to be very sore, but surprisingly I felt ok. I was up at 4:45 so I could make the morning Master's swim practice. Friday is speed day and it's a day I need to be there for. I gingerly went downstairs, had my espresso and went out the door. My swim went very well even though I didn't have that "top end" speed. I hung tough and drilled out 4500 yds. Overall it was great swim and I was happy with my effort. On my drive home I thought briefly about heading out for an easy 2-3 hour ride and maybe a run. After breakfast (more Hybrid cereal, fruit and eggs) I realized that was not going to happen. I went upstairs, read for a bit, and took a nice 90 minute nap.
At 12:30 I decided to head out for an easy 1 hour spin. It was good to get the legs moving, but the rain wasn't too appreciated. It was mostly sprinkling, which felt nice after the heat we've had lately. Then it really started pour and I got soaked. Thankfully I only had 10 minutes left so I just put my head down and got home.
A hot shower, turkey sandwich, some crackers and hummus and some hot chocolate really hit the spot. The rain was still pouring down. Lightning was all around and one bolt hit so close it set off the smoke detector in the house. I sat on the couch, read the rest of my book and enjoyed a nice day off. Rarely can I say that a rainy day, when I didn't feel too great was really a good day. Recovery days allow an athlete to make that next jump in fitness. So the next time you feel like you need a rest, trust your body and find a good book.