In terms of pros and cons, "exhaustion" is most definitely a con of training for a long-distance race of any kind. In fact, let's review some of the pros and cons of the workouts for the past few days, shall we? Because that's really all I have time for before I pass out again from today's workout, which was a 13 mile run if you really must know. And I guess you do need to know, since this is a fitness blog and all.
Anyway, to the pros and cons!
Pros:
- Temperatures were very, very nice (60s and 70s with low-ish humidity) considering it's July in northern Illinois. That meant I didn't have to go out as early in the day to get the workouts done.
- It stayed cloudy for both workouts. It's always nice not being fried by the sun when you're trying to get some distance in.
- I am really enjoying the bike riding - way more than I thought I would
- I spent a total of 4-ish hours working out this weekend and that makes me feel like a badass.
- I actually met other cyclists on the ride on Saturday, who all gave me weird looks as they passed me and realized I was blasting music from seemingly nowhere on my bike. Nowhere, by the way, is from the little pouch on the front of my bike where I stow my bike speaker.
- I did not crash on my bike and did not get hit by any cars on the run. Always a plus.
- I took some pretty awesome selfies with my bike.
- I got to wear my Partridge Family shoes on the run I did off the bike on Saturday.
Cons:
- Doing a long bike ride and a long run in the same weekend makes your legs, you know....tired. I'm realizing I will need to take it easier on the bike to get the run done on Sunday.
- I'm also realizing that the long runs are not going to be at the pace I would normally run them at--I'm going to have to slow them down too. I'm still in the process of convincing myself that training low to race high will actually work.
- Large dog went with me for the first 7 miles of the run because he begged me to go...and then he kept trying to lay down every half mile. BUH.
- I sure do know how to make a mess of my transition area.
- I made and ate the BEST japaneno popper tater tot casserole on Saturday night which caused me to spend a lot of time looking at the inside of a corn field on the run today. In case you don't know what that looks like, here you go:
So what can we learn from the random lists above?
- Don't eat japaneno-baked goodness the night before a long run (this is a lesson I'll have to re-learn because I freaking love jalapenos)
- Always bring toilet paper with you on a run
- Large dog is getting lazier and lazier during the run
- I have too much crap in my dresser drawers
- I am a masochist because, you know, two huge workouts every weekend for me!
- A blog post can never, ever have too many bullet points. Ever.
Tomorrow's workout: Upper body weights because I'm freaking tired.
