Form & Fartleks....my fartleks need work!

RUN: 6.7 miles in 56.5 mins, 8:25m/m pace

The plan said a form run, but the group wanted fartleks. The group being just DC and JM. I was just there for the ride. Or run. Whatever.

It was a relatively warm morning (mid-40's) but there was a wet wind out of the west that set a chill in. So I suggested we run backwards to take advantage of the tailwind on the WU and CD. Backwards it was. That was my biggest contribution to the run.  My left hip is OK, but it hurt a little more after the run. After I'd been sitting at my desk for a few hours. (ugh, sitting....)

A few miles in, JM called the first interval. Between them, we had 4-5 intervals. None of them were mine! Don't have pace data for the intervals, but a peak at the HR showed about 170bpm at the end of some. In the 3rd or so interval, I had a laugh at myself. Lately I've been chomping at the bit wanting more and faster workouts. Well, here it is--a faster workout. And guess what?

Guess I wasn't in the mood...in fact my mood has been a bit dull the past few days. I'm tired, worn out, easily fatigued, dragging by the early afternoon. I'm sleeping 7.5-8hrs/night, going to bed around 8:30 and waking around 4:30am. I wake up around 10:30pm and maybe again at 12:30am, sometimes to use the bathroom, sometimes I just wake up. I'm relieved to see that there are a few more hours of sleep available but at the same time frustrated cuz I don't want to go back to bed.

And I'm having these crazy dreams. Crazy.

But there was a moment in today's run (a downhill, of course) in the middle of an interval along the zoo parking lot in which I felt the joy that I loved. I was flying. The ground flew by under me. I realized that no matter how tired I could still fly. These are the moments I'd like to remember when I'm old and gray, or injured. That feeling of flight. Of ease. Of struggle rewarded by wings.

I went back and looked at May 2010, which I estimate to be equivalent in training time to now for Ironman building. I was preparing for Kansas. I was still in base, doing about 12hrs/week. I was running about the same pace for the FP loop as today (!), and I was getting proud of my 1.5mi OWS at New Town.

I was relieved to see that I was still in base  at that time. I'm doing 11hrs/week now, so I guess that's comparable. My swim is so much stronger than 2010, and a swim of 1.5mi now is no biggie. (And just wait until that new wetsuit is debuted, gawd I'm gonna ROCK that swim!!) So I'm on track.

As for fatigue, I was tired then too. Worn out and looking for rest. I'm lovin it, don't take this as complaining! I love the fatigue and work and challenge.

But here it is 4:30pm and almost time to go home and I'm so tired I don't want to walk to the parking lot!!