Thursday, January 29, 2009

What this feels like...

What does it feel like to run higher mileage? These weeks that I'm on track for 80+ miles are somewhat surreal. My legs feel tired, but not painful. I have that 'brick' feeling in my legs at the start of every run, but once I get going I can usually finish at a good pace.

Am I losing weight? Yes, thankfully. I started the season a bit heavy. At some point this spring, I'd like to be under 137, with my ultimate goal for race day at 130 or below. Now that the cedar pollen has been down in the Austin area, my body is no longer swollen and heavy at 150 pounds. I am back down below 145 like I should be and have been at 142-143 for a few days. If it takes running 80 miles a week to lose weight, life is definitely unfair, but I'll take it with minimal complaints.

Am I eating enough? You bet, but it is a challenge to keep a balance eating enough and the right kinds of food! It is nice to watch my nutrition, but also not to fret about every single morsel that goes into my mouth. I can definitely tell when I am on the edge of being too hungry.

I've been doing two-a-days running to help manage my fatigue. My body bounces back from a workout relatively quickly, so I'm able to sneak in some extra mileage at the end of the day. What this means is that I go through lots of workout clothes each week. I've already done two loads of workout clothes laundry this week with our family workout clothes.

Am I tired? Usually by Friday, I feel like I need extra sleep. I also sleep a lot on the weekends. But in general, no, I'm not so tired. I think my thyroid medication is helping with my general fatigue. I've been used to a much higher level of exhaustion before I began my thyroid treatment, so these days seem like a breeze. Woohoo!

2 comments:

Kevin said...

The dead leg thing - i get that too, but im only at 55 miles a week. As soon as I get used to that (and run Cowtown) Im going to up the mileage and its good to know what to expect. Good post.

kirsten said...

It is a constant challenge for me to eat not too much and the right stuff. Sounds like you are doing great Sadie. You looked really skinny before St George!! Can't imagine you too heavy!