Lots to talk about this Monday so let’s get started… On Tuesday, I traveled to the States, Houston to be exact and going in that direction is always hard for me because its during the day. I much prefer to travel at night en route back to London. Anyways, I made sure to stay hydrated but I got off the plane and felt blah, really blah. What I’m noticing lately is that traveling home is a lot different than it was when we lived in Trinidad. Trinidad wasn’t nearly as difficult because we were in the same time zone or plus or minus an hour at the most, now we’re anywhere from 5 to 7 hrs difference and it makes traveling tough.
One reason it’s so hard is because my insulin is on a time schedule, so adding hours to my day or removing them, takes a good deal of work to stay on track. And when my blood sugar goes outta wack, I’m tired, cranky, snail-like, add to that a sleep pattern that’s off and my immune system has to try and fight off any possible germ that comes with airplanes and airports and I’m a hot mess! Plus, I’m not a spring chicken anymore…my 37th birthday is quickly approaching (gulp).
I also hate admitting that I’m tired so I kinda ignore it and then BAM it hits me all at once. I was feeling really exhausted but figured I would bounce out of it by Thursday (my 13 miler day) but I didn’t and that is when my body and mind were seriously tested. (read about it down below on Thursday). Then, just as I was getting used to the Houston heat and humidity, I was back on the plane to London Saturday morning (with a connection thru D.C.) where I was finally greeted on Sunday morning by freezing cold temperatures.
Let’s just say, for once I’m looking forward to staying put this month and seriously focus on my training. The area that requires my immediate attention? SLEEP. My 6.5 hrs/night is not cutting it and after 7 weeks I’m starting to feel the effects and I hate it. So, my new goal is 8 hrs (at least) and hopefully my energy rebounds ASAP.
Monday – 8 miles Endurance HR run and Strength Training – I started with a morning run session at The Altitude Centre, I ran 7k and later in the afternoon ran the rest to equal 8 miles for the day. It was a bit crazy since I was leaving early Tuesday morning an had a blog event at 6:30pm. I squeezed in my Strength training once I got home before hitting the shower! Daily Step Total: 18,563
Tuesday – Rest and Travel Day. Traveled from London to Houston (11 hr flight) As soon as I got off the plane I headed straight to my favorite running store to buy some new shoes (trainers are SO expensive in the UK) and ended up with a pair of NB Men’s trail (love) and some Brooks Mens Trail (haven’t used yet) Daily Step Total: 9,540
Wednesday – Strength Training and 5 mile Endurance HR run – I started my day with a PT session with my amazing Houston trainer Eric. He put me thru a whole bunch of core and leg exercises and even had me on the ropes (hard). Later in the afternoon, I ran my 5 mile HR run and enjoyed the 75F temperature. Daily Step Total: 23,820
Thursday – 13 mile Endurance run – While I was a tiny bit tired, I was very excited to complete my longest run in months on the fancy new running path in town. When I had started my run, it was cloudy and a bit humid but otherwise I was ready to go. I figured it was like the day before around 75F. After about 3 miles, the clouds parted and the sun was beating down on me, it was hot. Initially I thought I was being a baby and I played the mental game with myself convincing myself I was overreacting and it wasn’t that hot. I had only ran 4.5 miles at this point. As the miles increased, my energy and exhaustion increased as well and I decided not to give into my negative thoughts. By the time I got to 9 miles, I was dying. I felt defeated and sad but mad at the same time. I simply couldn’t understand what was wrong. I made it to 12 miles and I could not possibly have ran 1 more mile. I’m not sure Ive ever felt like that before…all I needed was 1 more mile and I simply couldn’t do it. As I sat in my ice bath, the news interrupted the broadcast to announce that Houston had just broken a heat record – 87F. 12 degrees hotter than the day before… As soon I heard that news, I immediately felt over the moon. It was almost 90F, no wonder I couldn’t breathe/run/find any energy. Lesson Learned: I have to give myself a break and be proud of what I do accomplish. Daily Step Total: 32,199
Friday – Daily Step Total: 13,855
Saturday – Travel Day – A long, long day of airports and flights. Daily Step Total: 14,550
Sunday – Rest and Sleep Day – I arrived home at 9am and slept from 9:30 till 2:30pm. I drank some water and ate a snack and slept from 2:45 till 7:30pm. I ate some dinner and slept from 11pm – 6:30am. Think I was tired?? lol Daily Step Total: 4,494
How Many Hours of Sleep DO You Aim For While Training?
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