Uncomfortable Zone Part 3 and a 5k

me running run the runway 5

I guess for the next few weeks, nothing should feel comfortable.  I’m at the point in my running where nothing feels terrible but I don’t feel great running either.

This is the part of running that you want to push, and get fast and stronger.  You can push the envelope a bit, but push too far and you are most susceptible to an injury. I’ve learned that lesson the hard time (more than once).  This week instead of increasing distance, I included a race.

Monday: Easy 45 minutes+ core
Tuesday: Easy 45 minutes
Wednesday: Easy 45 minutes+ core
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Easy 45 minutes
Saturday: 40 minutes with a personal friend (8:30 pace)
Sunday: 5k (6:33 pace)

Progression:

Week 1: 31-33 miles

Week 2: 33-35 miles

Week 3: 33-35 miles + a speed workout 5k

Monday-Friday were easy, breezy, beautiful, CoverGirl runs…or just boring runs.  For a while, my runs will remain easy.   I don’t time them but my realistic guess is between 9-10 minute miles.

On Saturday I ran with a personal friend who is currently much faster than I am.  She had an easy run on Saturday, which was a little bit out of my comfort zone but we were able to meet about halfway and run about 8:30 pace.  It’s definitely much faster than I’ve running but it felt good and it was great to catch up. I didn’t feel bad and the run flew by.

On Sunday, I ran a 5k at a local airport with my husband.  I had found the race earlier in the week but my husband and I wanted to play it by ear and not commit (we are chronic race day signupers anyways).

I thought because the race finished on a runway, it must be flat.  Spoiler: I thought wrong. While it started and ended on the runway, there was actually a large climb during the middle mile.  My splits were 6:25, 6:36, and 6:33 which I’m happy with.   It was a great rust buster.

Unfortunately, I am a little jaded because, after the race, I tripped and fell and bruised up my knee, elbow, and shoulder.  Not the end of the world and I am more annoyed than anything.  So now I’ve cut multiple cuts, and road rash down my right side.

This week was great and I have no complaints.  I added 1 speed workout but kept mileage about the same.  Next week, I’ll probably do something similar.  I haven’t found any 5ks but if one peaks my interest I might run another.  I’m just continuing to trek along.  Although, now I have a nice knee scab to trek with.

Posts from the week:

Why Building a Base is So Important for Running

Brooks Glycerin 15 Shoe Review

Questions for you:

How was your week of running?

Have you ever fallen while running?

Ha…I’ve fallen so many times.  From the time I was hit by a cyclist, to the time I tripped and fell in my neighborhood.  My knees make me look more badass than I actually am.

10 Comments

  1. Oh my gosh…so I fell one time when I was walking back up towards my house after a run ON MY DRIVEWAY! Lol…the driveway has a bit of a slant, and somehow I managed to catch my foot on a crack in the sidewalk and then fall. Luckily I mostly caught myself and was fine but cut my right knee up pretty bad. Such an idiot!

  2. Aw girl, I’ve taken my fair share of falls. Last year I had just finished a run and went to just jog over to a porta potty and basically tripped on air and totally wiped out on a road where there was glass, my knee was a bloody mess and I bruised my hip bone, couldn’t run for a few days. All because I just had to add that little extra jog when I totally could have just walked lol And then this summer I got tripped at the start of a 5k and busted my chin pretty bad. And to think I used to be a gymnast…….haha no gracefulness here.

  3. Congrats on your 5K! Even if it was not a fast time for you, that’s still very good splits for a 5K without a lot of speedwork, and you had the guts to get out there and run a 5K in August which is pretty hardcore.

    I have only fallen once, and it was during a 10 mile trail run. It was a rough trail (and the 10 mile trail run was slower than most of my half marathons), so quite a few people fell. The girl behind me helped me up, she is such a nice person but doesn’t run much anymore. I’ll always remember how she helped me up and said I was doing a good job though! I am so sorry you fell and hope you have a good recovery from both the race and the fall.

  4. Hey fellow NJ runner! You’ve been hit by a cyclist while running? That’s crazy, those guys are maniacs lol. Congrats on the solid race last week.

    I’ve never fallen while running, though I’ve had a couple close calls where I saved myself at the last second and felt like a badass with lightning fast reflexes. But in reality I’m sure I looked more like a stumbling fool.

    1. Where in NJ are you from?

      I wouldn’t say every cyclist are maniacs but I did get hit, fell and broke my arm. I believe it was in 2013.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      1. I’m up north, right by Hackensack. And I try to get out to Ramapo and Fort Lee for some trail running. Do you have any good running trails or parks you can recommend?

      2. Oh nice. I’ve been to the area a few times but I’m not too familiar with it so I don’t know a lot of parks up that way. I live right outside of Philadelphia.

  5. I tripped on the uneven sidewalk while running and ended up with 5 stitches on my left eyebrow and a bad black eye. I live right by a university so no one batted an eye at a girl with blood running down her face- it was pretty comical.

  6. I usually wipe out once or twice in the winter when it’s icy in spots I don’t think it is. Luckily I’ve never been seriously hurt (maybe all the years of figure skating taught me to fall gracefully on ice LOL!).

    Congrats on the 1st place!!

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