T96 - Listeneing to my Body, For Once - Run

Gainesville

So I am officially sick. I'm admitting it. Something is definitely wrong here as I've started to feel myself getting winded going from my bedroom into the kitchen. Not exactly what one should feel like 4 weeks before an Ironman, yeah? And while I'm definitely not one to puss out on a workout, I have also been asking a lot from my body these past 4 months. And for the most part it's given it to me. So now I feel like my body is asking something of me: Some significant rest time before the final three weeks. So I am giving that to it in exchange for an all out effort for the rest of this cycle.

I came to this realization during my run on Tuesday. Was supposed to be a nice little 90-minute trot to keep myself in shape. But it was not what I had hoped.

Run: 90 minutes. Remember when 90 minutes was the hard long run?!

2 Lipodrene
This was the quote from the training card. And yes, I do remember that. Sadly, Tuesday's run felt more like some shit from before I ever ran more than three miles. I did the usual Campus Loop Plus Stadium trip for this, and during the loop, I just felt like I was plodding the whole time. Like I was able to go, but my body just wouldn't respond to do anything faster than what felt like a slow plod. Judging by where I was in the music on the iPod, I was only about 45 second to a minute slower by the time I got to the turn up the hill on 2nd Ave., and only about 2 minutes slower for the whole loop. Not a good sign, but not as awful as I'd thought. But the whole loop I just would try and go a little faster, and my body wouldn't respond. It just didn't have the energy.

The stadium trip wasn't a whole lop better, as the trip out felt labored until I got to the flat ground in front of campus. By the end I was chopping steps and begging for the end. I was just dizzy and tired the whole time, and every time I had to stop for a light or whatever I seriously considered just stopping altogether. I did not, but this lack of energy is very concerning.

As I struggled upstairs, feeling just tired and sluggish after the run, I realized I need some rest. Like this is recovery week, and while I'm a fan of active recovery, my body needs more rest than that right now. I'm going to use my last 2 extra days this week, and skip a workout or two to get myself beck to where I need to be. Saddle sores gone. Energy back. I think continuing to push it during a week with no significant workouts will be counter productive in this state. My immune system can handle it. I may opt to do one or two workouts this weekend, depending on how I'm feeling. But if I feel dizzy or overheated during the day, I'm taking the day off.

Next Monday it's back to training with a 2x2000 swim. From there it's balls out to a century ride on Saturday, then another week of maintenance until tapering on race week. I just hope I haven't peaked too early, and this illness, or whatever it is, has subsided by race day.