I read an article this week about the importance of knowing the training level at which one's body begins to break down. I had never pushed this far but I have finally learned what that is for me. From Friday to Wednesday I ran a total of 56 miles with no rest days in between. By Wednesday my body felt broken down, achy, and lethargic. A level beyond 50 miles a week will likely put me in injury prone territory so I need to beware. I can of course push little by little to increase this threshold, the same way one would increase weekly mileage, but I need to do it with great caution, especially a month before my race.
Another realization I made this week is that my blood sugar is still sensitive to what I eat as my first meal. Protein is essential for my body in the mornings as well as limiting my carb intake. This is tricky when I'm needing the extra fuel for my runs. I've observed that my body has become more efficient burning stored calories (ie, glycogen and fat) so I don't really need a huge meal in the mornings. When I begin my day with protein and little to no carbs my blood sugar is stable all throughout the day. Otherwise I get hypoglycemia and mood swings as well as higher levels of cortisol, since insulin drives this hormone. Cortisol is no good for this mama :/
This week's stats (planned and actual)
Monday: 6 miles/10 miles (too much cortisol!)
Tuesday: 5 miles/6.5 miles (3 running and 3 on stair master) plus lunges and weights.
Wednesday: 45 minute tempo run
Thursday: off
Friday: 6 mile run
Saturday: 12 miles /10 miles (ran at gym, it was a sauna in there, I overheated and quit too soon.
Sunday: 5 miles
Miles planned: 37
Actual miles: 42.5
This coming week will be my last and most intensive training week before my taper. I'm running a 20 mile trail run on Saturday with lots of hills. I'm also doing a 10 mile pace run on Friday and speed work during the week. I pray that my body holds up well.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
No comments:
Post a Comment