Date: 2/13/21
Training Day: 22
Miles: 6 (long run)
Time: 59 min
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21
Weather: N/A (indoors on a treadmill)
Strength Training: Back

How It Felt: The run felt great until the last quarter mile. Then my stupid right knee started hurting – bad. Once I stopped running it stopped hurting. I’m a wee worried. The back workout was alright. Nothing to write home about, just write here about.

Commentary: Lately I’ve been feeling like a slug. Not like I’m-just-tired-and-need-more-sleep slug. More like I-just-don’t-want-to-fucking-do-anything slug.

Yesterday was a “rest” day, and my hike with a friend got cancelled because of weather. It was a perfect day to knock stuff out, like yoga, grocery shopping, meal prep, etc. But what did I do instead? I sat on the couch like a fucking slug. I could have done other fun stuff, like start a new jigsaw puzzle, read a book, or listen to a podcast. But no. I slugged all day. And I ate at least a dozen Mega Stuf Oreos.

Why? Where did my motivation and drive go? Not that long ago I cringed at the thought of spending a whole day on the couch. Instead I’d get my butt in gear and do something. Where did that Christina go? Who am I and what have I done with myself?!

Is it because I’ve jacked up my sleeping schedule? I used to go to bed and get up at nearly the same time everyday, even days off. The weekend in the cabin threw me off, and Thursday night I stayed out late playing trivia. Because of both events, I’ve also drank more alcohol than I usually do. My usual being next to none. Could it be the beer? So far these are the only two things I can think of.

Whichever one it is, shit needs to change. This week I’m going back to a normal sleep schedule and cutting back on the beer. As much as I like to be a flexible human and stay up late when the occasion calls for it or enjoy a couple of cold ones with friends, I don’t think it’s working for me right now.

This is the part of training I can’t say I’m a fan of. The running is fine, and it’ll be even more enjoyable once I can get outside for all my runs. Being vegan is going great, and I don’t miss animal products or the gut wrenching they gave. I don’t even mind not having a lot of free time on training days. But having to stick to a super regular sleep schedule and drink waaaaay less?

You know what, that’s bullshit.

Months before I started training I was already on a super regular sleep schedule. I generally fell asleep around 9pm and woke up around 5am. I also barely drank, maybe a wee splash of wine here and there. I was already setup for success, and I did fine for the first two weeks of training. What the fuck happened?

Has a part of me found that kind of life too rigid? Like it doesn’t allow for doing fun things like hanging out with people and going to trivia? But why do I have to drink just because I’m hanging out with folks? And why is it I can refuse smoked brisket chili but not a beer with friends?

I guess what it boils down to is sacrifice. How important to me is running a 100-miler? Very. Therefore, I must sacrifice some of the medium-sized things in life to achieve my goal. I can still hang out with folks, just more during the day on my days off. I can still have a tasty beverage, just maybe not a whole pint and not more than one. Then maybe I can get myself back on track and get back to doing what I need to do.

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