Me versus Me

This was a tough week for me, mentally. We started the week with a couple of rainy days and I was nervous about the election. The results didn't surprise me, but the overwhelming victory did. I have so many thoughts about this, which I won't share here--I don't want to get into politics--but I will share that I am worried about the future. It's going to be a bumpy couple of years. 

I am grateful to have running and my other fitness activities to lean into when I'm feeling stressed. This week I really had to push myself to get out the door, but once I got moving, I did feel better. Throughout my life, it's always been me vs me. Now is a good time to remind myself that even though there will always be things outside of my control, I am always in control of how I feel and how I manage my feelings. 

Weekly Rundown;

Sunday: trail run 8 miles

Monday: CrossFit with running

Tuesday: Fluid Running

Wednesday: trail run 3 miles

Thursday: CrossFit

Friday: run 6 miles

Saturday: rest/drive up to the lake

We were home last weekend. Since no Trail Sisters run was scheduled for Sunday, I ran a solo run at my preserve. 'Tis the season for the rut, aka mating season for the deer and I was hoping to see some bucks. I was rewarded with 2 big bucks, huge antlers, in the first mile of my run. They were on the move and I couldn't get any good photos, except for the headshot below. It was cloudy and cool, and I made it my mission to look for colors. It's the brown season--even the deer have changed colors to match the trees. This was a really nice run. I was happy that even though I didn't feel well, having received my Covid vaccine the day before, I was able to push through that for a good run. 

Still feeling off from the Covid vaccine--can you even believe it?--I decided to go to CrossFit. It's a deload week from all the heavy lifting we've been doing, much like what we do as runners when we take cutback weeks while training for a big race. The WOD was a MetCon: 2-4-6-8-10-12-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 dumbbell burpee clusters. I used 10# dumbbells because there was nothing left, which probably was a good thing. In between each movement were 12 abmat situps and a 100m run. Coach set the timer for 35 minutes and shocker! I finished at 34:xx. I don't know my exact finish time because I didn't realize we didn't have to do the 12 situps and 100m run to cash out. 

Doing the MATH for this workout: 144 abmat situps, 1600m running, 98 burpees/clusters. Covid vaccine be damned.

On Wednesday, I woke up to the election results and felt like staying in bed. The weather didn't help either--it was damp and gloomy. I laced up and drove to the preserve for some nature therapy. I saw a lot of deer, including a buck and a doe that were getting acquainted in the woods. There was also a young buck, which made me wonder if he was trying to compete with the big guy for the doe. The big guy did not look happy to see me, and since I don't have antlers to tangle with, after snapping a few photos, I dashed back to the trail. I just couldn't shake off my malaise, so I called it quits at 3 miles. 

I was still feeling pretty glum when I woke up Thursday, but I dragged my sad self to the gym, hoping to lift my mood. The WOD had bench presses for the strength portion; specifically 4 sets of 3 at 70-80% 3RM. My 3 RM earlier this fall was 75#; both my partner and I think we miscalculated the weight on the bar that day. We settled on 65# for our lifts and worked on form. The MetCon was a banger: 6 rounds for time, using a plate, of 12 ground-to-overhead, 10 overhead down-ups, 8 lateral burpees over the plate, and 6 plate walks. After each round was active rest on the bike for the time it took to finish the round. I used a 15# plate for everything but for the down-ups, I used a 10# plate. After the first round, I found myself recovering sooner than the time allotted for rest, so I cut my rest short, which was allowed. I also got faster with each round as I grew more comfortable with those down-ups. I finished in 20:36 and felt much better mentally after conquering this tough workout.

Oooh I was sore on Friday after that WOD! When I started my run on Friday, I felt pretty good, but after the first mile, my legs started to protest. It didn't help matters that one of my fellow trail runners stopped me to say hi and commented that I was favoring my left leg. Yes, my knee was hurting but was it obvious? I kept going, but when I hit 2 miles, I stopped to regroup. Yes, I considered turning around and heading home. But instead, I stretched out my legs and forged on, at a slower pace. My legs loosened up and I finished this 6 miler in under an hour with a smile on my face!

Off the road...

We drove to Madison for lunch at The Great Dane, which is right off the capitol square. They are celebrating their 30th anniversary. We have been going there since they opened! It's amazing to me that they have maintained the high quality standards for food and beer since day one. Our lunch did not disappoint and the beers were incredible. I admit to feeling a little wistful-missing my boys, who we have taken there many times over the years.

How was your week? Have you gotten the Covid shot this year and if so, did you react? I felt bad for a couple of days and since then, my RA is flaring. What was your toughest workout of the week? What do you do when you're feeling bad on a run?

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown.