Last night, I made up for the Speed Work that was originally intended for last Thursday. Given this recent development, I think Tempo Runs are now permanently slated for Thursday evenings.
The Speed Work was a challenge, but I stuck it out.
Fellow gym members probably think I’m a bit quirky in the least. Since I had my IPOD cranking to Power Metal, my self talk was bit loud. I noticed the walker on the treadmill next to me jolt every now and then. I’ve been feeling a bit self conscious because a few pairs of my running shorts are a bit on the short side, and I have noticed some people looking at me with a somewhat scandalized expression. These shorty shorts are normally reserved for speed and tempo days. This is on account of the phenomenon that occurs when my legs rotate at a slightly accelerated pace - the interior of the shorts tend to rise. Hence, the shorty shorts are a good option because there’s not much rising going on to begin with, which also means no more tugging. By the end of these sessions, the shorts get a bit longer because they are dripping with sweat, so really the net amount of time that I’m somewhat indecent is while I’m stretching before I start the run. Despite my rational ... I don't think I can dodge the judgemental looks tossed my way.
On a more positive note, I’m also proud to report that I did my first 5 AM run this morning! Thanks to the motivation by example from GottaRun, I finally got myself up and logged 4 miles at approximately 10 minutes per mile. Yes, I was doing my happy running pace, and my heart rate was around 75 and did not exceed 80%. Maybe I can crank out a faster pace when I’m adjusted to this early morning routing.
I also attribute this little accomplishment to my revamped diet plan. Prior to this week, my average daily caloric in take during the work week was around 850, but definitely under 1,000. My carb count was around 60 grams, so I was perpetually tired. Even after 10 hours of sleep, I still felt exhausted, and my work outs were excessively draining. My nutritionist increased my calories to around 1,110 total per day, and my carbs are around 120 grams. In addition to the added calories and carbs, I’m also using supplemental drinks to aid in muscle recovery and to alleviate the feeling of fatigue that I’ve been dealing with. I’m using Size On for recovery, and Pure Vitargo for carb loading / replenishment either before or right after my work out. Judging by my energy level this morning after last night’s speed work and this morning’s light run, I think the combination of all those things are working pretty well for me.
The biggest indicator that the supplements are not a joke is in my calves. This past weekend, I spent a lot of time walking. Since Sunday, it felt like the skin on my calves were being stretched in attempt to creat space for the newly expanded calves. The calves weren’t sore, but it felt like the skin running three inches deep were tightened for the past three days, and it was particularly uncomfortable yesterday morning. This morning, when I got out of bed, that uncomfortable feeling was entirely gone.
So if nothing else, I highly recommend the combination of Size On and Pure Vitargo.
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