Week 6: Good Timing for a Step Back Week

Last week was a stellar training week! I ended up doing all my runs in a row due to how our home life schedule fell, which was actually really great practice for running on tired legs. I even did my cross training walk on Saturday with K, which really helped give my tired legs a boost. Despite the fact that my shoes are screaming at me that they are way over mileage, I felt like week 5 was a success! Total RUN ALL THE MILES feeling going on. Add to that the cooler temps coming in, and you have one happy mother runner.



 Monday was a rest day, which was good, because I woke up with a bad one sided headache and slight stuffiness on that side. When it happened again yesterday, I started fearing I was heading into another cluster headache, which can last several weeks, and last time ended up with a bad migraine that put me in the hospital for a day being pumped full of a med cocktail that made me want to rip my own skin off (I don't do medication well at all). The difference is this time I was not feeling any face tingling or weirdness. It felt like sinus pressure and a sinus headache. Sure enough, last night it hit me full blown, and though I did not wake up with another sinus headache, I definitely feel like I have a sinus infection going on. I guess I should have listened to the doctor and took the allergy medication RX'd, but yuck. Pills. Bleh. Stupid ragweed. Anyway, yesterday I managed to get 3 miles in on the mill, and then felt super light headed after. See, this is why you don't always need to push through. Runner logic says, "Oh hey, at least I got my run in before I completely collapsed! yay!" In reality, I should have taken those headaches as a warning that I needed to rest. Which brings us to today... rest day number 1.



I could possibly have to skip a couple of short runs for the first time this training plan. The good news is it is a step back week. Marathon plans have these so you don't kill yourself. Your body can rebuild and replenish, while still keeping yourself in "the groove" of running. My runs this week are supposed to go 3 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles, and then 7 miles. So no long run this week. I have decided to take today and possibly tomorrow off. If I can run my 7 miler Saturday, I'll call it a win. Since a sinus infection is above the neck, it technically falls into that rule that says I can run (though once I ran 12 miles with bronchitis, because runner logic. I wouldn't recommend it unless you like coughing up gross things along your run and making your recovery about 193847x worse than it has to be.) However the floaty pressure feeling in my head tells me it is not a good idea until I can at least breath a little easier.

So basically my house will be clean this week.

"Mom, how come I can see myself in the bathroom mirror now?"

Jumping topics here, I have decided when I replace my shoes in a couple of weeks that I am going to get a pair of compression socks. I feel like they would really help aid in recovery. I want to try them out on some long runs, and maybe wear them for the Monte Sano 15k coming up next month. I have been talking to some run buddies about their favorite brands and how they wear them, so I will ask here for variety : What is your favorite compression sock brand? Do you wear them during the race, after for recovery, or both? 

-Teacup Runner

"Whoever sows to please their flesh  from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life." -Galations 6:8 NIV