Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day. My weekends are pretty much the same from one week to the next and, naturally, they revolve around running. Eat, sleep, run…repeat.
Friday night
Going out on a Friday night is definitely not happening since an early morning long run beckons. Ever do a long run with little sleep or a hangover? It’s not fun. So my Friday nights go a little something like this: pizza for dinner if I’m running around 18-22 miles the next day, getting everything ready for my long run (clothes, fuel, etc.), watching House Hunters International with Matt, and a 9:00-9:30 bedtime. Whoa, that’s living life in the fast lane, folks.
Saturday morning
I generally get up around 7:00 (sadly, this is sleeping in). I get dressed and get on my way. I don’t eat before any of my runs, so I don’t have to worry about factoring time in for digestion and what not. Then I drive to my hilly long run route and hope for the best! I’m going to have to alter my routine in the next few weeks to prepare for Boston’s late start (closer to 11AM for me – eek!).
I always have chocolate milk waiting for me in the car so I can drink it while I stretch. I drive home, stretch some more, do my PT exercises, foam roll, take the longest, hottest shower, and the finally eat breakfast. By this time it’s usually 11AM. Phew!
If I am planning to go out, Saturday night is usually the night to get wild and crazy since my Sunday run is easy. If I can stay awake until 11PM, it must have been a really fun night.
Sunday morning
I “sleep in” (i.e., don’t set an alarm) and bang out an easy run just to give the old legs a good shake after Saturday’s long run. I also figure out my training schedule for the week ahead so I can do this all over again!
It’s funny how drastically different my weekends are now as compared to my 20s!
My long run this weekend was interesting. We had a wind advisory so, instead of killing myself by adhering to a certain pace, I made it a LSD run. No lie, the wind was intense.
It was nice out though – about 40 degrees and sunny. Around mile 15 the sky got dark and the temps started dropping. By mile 16 I was running in a full-on snowstorm. I couldn’t believe it. As soon as I finished running, the sun came back out and the snow stopped. Those last 2 miles were not fun.
I finished 18 miles in 2:44 – 9:07 average pace. Not bad considering the crazy wind.
Do you fall into a routine when training? Kudos to you if you can manage to have a social life too. Training and going out were much easier…when I was younger!
Did you run in the crazy wind on Saturday?
HOLY WINDGUSTS and awesome picture.
We played soccer in the windwind here.
Hard as heck but funfun.
Running in high wind is hard!
How do you NOT eat before running for 3 hours? Even if I eat a huge meal before I go, my stomach will start growling by the end of hour 2 and I want to stop for a sandwich break. 🙂
Nice long run considering the conditions…I also ran Sat morning and at times when I was running against the wind I felt like I was not moving at all! It was crazy!!!
FYI: my avg pace Sat. was 9:08 so if we ever meet IRL we could totally run together! Also, and I know you will appreciate this, I had 25 miles on my training schedule (training for an ultra!) but I couldn’t bring myself to stop at that number so went an extra 1.2. 🙂
i have to eat before long runs. i can’t believe you can wait so long to eat. i know everyone is different though. do you take in any calories on the run? gels or sports drink?
nice job on the LR! weekend routines are nice 🙂
wow to the wind… no winds here thankfully 🙂
How does that go with not eating before a long run? I mean obviously it works well for you! How much GU or jellies do you take on a longer run if you take them?!?
I have to say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE BILL MURRAY!!! All time fave movies, “The Man that Knew Too Little”. My BIL’s wife’s family met him once and they say he’s really nice and great!!! The only person I met that went to our high school was Ray Liotta (oh wait, I lie, and Arliss). Ray Liotta is an ass though. Sad but true…
We had a 10-mile run and it was windy at the worst possible moment — THE HILL… Of course that’s when the winds would blow hard…
Since training, I’ve found that I”m super tired post run. I don’t remember being this tired in the past, but then I didn’t have a baby. So I’m thinking that’s why I’m so tired? I’m always praying on my drive home that Lili will be ready for a nap after I shower. So far, she’s been on point. HA.
Great job running in that wind, I heard it was bad! I let myself be lazy and often start my long runs later in the morning than I should- it would be better if I got into a routine. But half marathon training (me) is not as intense and demanding of your time as marathon training (you). I should also note that my husband and I don’t stay out late very often- we’re pretty boring. 🙂
My social life is really dull – even if I’m not training 🙂 But there’s no way I can manage going out or being up late if I have a long run or any kind of hard workout the next day!
Wow, what an intense training schedule! It’s inspiring how committed you are. For me, some weekends I prefer to stay in, rest up, and pump out a great workout the next day. My body just feels better when I don’t push it to go out, so I ennjoy those weekends where I take it easy. It’s YOUR weekend; do what makes you happy 🙂
The wind was a bit intense, but running it can only make one stronger. At least that was my mentality. I tend to leave going out for Saturday nights too. I don’t really like to drink before my long run. The problem comes if I drink too much on Saturday then I don’t sleep well and I am so not rested come Monday morning. Then it starts of the week on a bad note.
Totally on the same kind of routine–Sat. morning is my long run. I live like a monk on Fri. nights so that I don’t feel like crap during the run. Then if we’re going to go out, it’s Sat. night b/c I too do an easy recovery run on Sundays. It’s all worth the sacrifices!
My Friday nights sound very similar to yours… but I’m not waking up to run 20 miles the next day. Nope. Just going to bed early because my 9-month-pregnant-self can hardly keep my eyes open past 8:30PM. party animals, over here!
And I can’t WAIT to start long runs again. Can’t wait. 🙂
Sounds like my weekend! I was in bed by 11 on Friday and up at 7 on Saturday for my 17 mile run.
Good job running in the wind!
I did run Sat, but when I ran it wasn’t too windy. However, I babysat on the 31st floor of a building on Sat night and the lights hanging from the ceiling were swinging (bc the building was swaying) – CRAZY!
We had some crazy wind here too. I opted for the treadmill. Yeah, I’m a wimp sometimes. Lately our weekends are totally unpredictable and it’s driving me crazy…
Nice job on your long run.
Haha, all so true. I totally get in a routine, too. My husband is planning on training for his first Ultra 50-Miler this fall and we keep talking about how even more of a routine/schedule we (as a family) are going to have to create to fit in his training runs.
Do you eat during your long runs, since you don’t eat before? I’m always starving when I wake up, so I always have to eat esp if I’m running long.
How weird was the weather on Sat? I was walking home from Bikram when the random “snow storm” (??) hit! Strange!
Nice run!
Holy smokes on your windy run! Nice work. 🙂 I ran on Saturday (8 miles) & it was cold, windy, & snow/raining. It was all manners of good times. 🙂 And yes, my life is infinitely boring on weekends when I’m training.
Running in the wind is hard work. One time the wind was blowing sideways as I was running along a path by the river and it almost tripped me! Good job for finishing despite the snow storm and all.
The wind on Saturday was nuts! We went for a long bike ride that night and I almost got blown over in some of the gusts! Sounds like this week’s weather might be similarly rough.
I feel you on the groundhog day thing! I think we have similar weekend routines, although lately my saturday nights have been more studying and no going out. And it’s amazing if I am awake until 11 pm. living on the edge. 🙂