Week 6

Total distance run this week: 34.25 km
Number of runs: 4
Tempo runs: 1 (4.25 km)
Longest run: 18 km
Other activities: 21 km cycling, yoga
Total training time: 7:20

A bit of a tough week. About Wednesday, I started to feel really tired and listless -- like maybe I'd overdone it in the preceding couple of weeks. After consulting with my TNT coaches, and reading up a bit on the symptoms of overtraining, I decided I'd better bring the intensity down a notch and give my body a chance to catch up. To that end, I ran a really easy 7k on Friday, rather than my scheduled 6k tempo run, and cycled half the distance I planned. It must have paid off because my long run today felt great -- well, mostly great anyway.

I headed out earlier than usual (just after 7:00 am) when the temperature was still only 20 degrees and ran the first 12k under overcast skies. A light breeze kept me cool as I ran along the canal and through the Central Experimental Farm. Unfortunately, as the morning wore on, the sun broke through the clouds and the temperature rose significantly, so the last few kilometres were a bit tougher, though I still managed to maintain almost the same pace throughout.

I've gotta say, I'm loving my Garmin (see last week's post on my new training tool). It has a heart rate monitor, as well as a GPS mapping system, which I finally figured out how to use today. It was great to be able to keep an eye on how my body was reacting to changing conditions. And the handy-dandy little chart the Garmin software produced when I got home shows my speed and heartrate throughout. Looks like I maintained a slow enough pace to get the most out of my run, while still saving enough energy to hit the jazz festival tonight -- right after I take a nap! :-)