Dead Weight Leg Runs

Since the Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday my legs are feeling dead.  Somehow in the 38 minutes it took me to run 5 miles, my legs have exhausted their energy reserves and are dragging.


It has taken a little extra motivation to push myself through my runs yesterday and today.


But these are the times that I really need to push myself.  Running on fatigued legs help me get a mental grip on pushing through fatigue when it really matters at the end of a marathon.


Yesterday was a speed run with mile repeats:

9 miles

1:11:52

2 miles easy, 4 x 1 minute at 10K pace (~7:30/mile), 2 miles easy

As soon as I turned around at the halfway point, this run started to feel like a breeze! I'm not sure what changed considering the wind was blowing from every direction the entire run (what's up with that, Chicago?).

Today was an easy run turned into a moderate run.  From the start my pace was quicker than I had planned (and anticipated since my legs were still feeling like dead weight) but I made the decision then and there to keep with the pace and to challenge myself.  Mile 6-10 were tough.  Really tough.  Like my quads felt like they were on mile 24 rather than mile 7 of a 10 mile run.

10 miles

1:22:31

8:15 average

Let's just say I'm glad that one is done and in the books.

We ended our day with our favorite froyo place.  Let's just say peanut butter froyo with coconut, granola, and cookie day made struggling through those runs worth it.