Disney Glass Slipper Challenge Week 2

 I know I'm a day or two off since I started week 3 today, but as part of my training I need to be better at reflecting on my training. So here it goes... 

WEEK TWO SUMMARY: 

Tuesday: 45 minute run/walk/run workout

     Today's workout was definitely challenging. I was struggling with the 2:1 run/walk ratio at 15 minutes. Knowing that I wanted to increase my stamina, I continued to push myself through. I'm glad I did because I felt so much better at the end of the workout. However, the next day I woke up with the start of a cold, so I think I found the source of my fatigue the night before! 

Thursday: 30 minute run/walk/run workout

     I had planned to do a 45 minute run/walk/run workout, but I wasn't feeling 100 percent yet. I was able to maintain the 2:1 run/walk ration for the entire workout, but at the end I felt some calf tightness. I've never had calf pain while running so I made sure I stretched a little more carefully on that side and threw on my compression sleeves. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't overdoing my workout so early in my training. 

Saturday: Long run 4 miles

      Since my daughter has swim class on Saturdays, I need to get my long runs in super early in the morning. I run by myself so I didn't think it was safe to go running at 5:00 by myself. This left me with a 4 mile treadmill run. I know that most people think 4 miles on the treadmill is nothing, but I struggle with longer than 3 miles on the treadmill. I get so bored! Luckily, I was able to catch up on my guilty pleasure shows and the time didn't seem that bad. I was able to maintain 1:1 ratio the entire run and was able to keep my pace between 12:30 - 13:00 min miles, my goal long run pace. 

Nutrition:

      I am continuing to work on finding the right pre and post run fuel. My runs aren't long enough for working on nutrition during running. I know in the next few weeks though I will need to start experimenting on long runs to see what works best for me. This week I did find that I can't eat my breakfast after a half hour before my workout. I definitely did not feel well at the end of the run and I know it isn't because I exerted myself too hard, considering I was doing an easy pace on purpose. In the future I'm definitely going to have to wake up earlier to make sure that I have a little time to digest and find the perfect pre-run meal, definitely something I'll need for my early wake-up at Disney. 

Next week (technically this week) I am hoping to increase my running intervals and maintain that for thirty minutes. From then on I will continue to increase my workout duration and intervals, hopefully arriving at a 4:1 or 5:1 ratio. I'm also looking at working in cross training and strength training on non-run days. However, I'm trying to slowly build into my routine as I know I am coming from no exercise since February of last year and minimal exercise since the twins were born.  Although I'm looking to reach a certain time goal, I am also trying to be realistic with my fitness level and avoiding injury.