April was April.
I didn’t plan to take an entire week off from running, but then it happened.
I’ve talked to many people about it but running this Spring didn’t come together for me. I never got anywhere close to my PRs, and my training was inconsistent. I still ran and consistently ran 1:30 half marathons from Carlsbad, to Shamrock, to Atlantic City.
I can look back and see why: I was mentally tired, plus I wasn’t doing all of the little things to gain fitness. Truthfully I felt like I didn’t have a goal except “get faster.” Well, that never happened, and when I crossed the Atlantic City finish line, I knew I needed a change. So I took a week off from running and refound the pool.
There are maybe two people that have been reading my blog since it’s birth in 2010 when I still swam. In fact, the original name for this blog was LOLZthatswim then LOLZthatswim(andrun) and now just FueledbyLOLZ.
Anyway, The later half of April was precisely what I needed: a change. I started getting into the pool and swimming. It isn’t tough to compare myself to my previous self. I used to compete in the mile for swimming, and now when I swim a mile in 28 minutes, I feel like I’m “crushing it.” The best example of that is thinking that you once ran a 5k in 18 minutes, but now you run it in 28 minutes. There is nothing wrong with either, but it’s just different from what you’re used too.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw7-6p2l6Ko/
That’s the difference. Swimming is so new again because I’ve taken a decade off. When I swim competitively, we didn’t use GPS watches to track laps; it was all in your mind!
And no, I have no interest in doing a tri. I don’t enjoy cycling.
Miles Run: 150ish
Range of Pace: 6:06-10:40-untimed
Rest Days: 10 (does not include days I “just” swam).
Swimming Days: 6 (12,000 meters total)
Next Month:
As I type this up on May 1st, I feel a strange feeling of wanting to run and train again. I haven’t felt that since NYCM. I’m putting together a racing schedule, but I want to run a lot of races and race my way back into fitness. That is what ultimately led me to my 5k PR. I just kept racing and slowly layered speed workouts on top of each other. I may not reach that fitness again, but I do want to try.
I’m also traveling a lot next month for weddings and to see my family. It’s going to be a hectic month on all fronts.
Posts from the Month:
Shoes:
Hoka One One Speedgoat Midi Shoe Review
Altra Escalante 1.5 Shoe Review
Running:
The Difference Between Runners and Non-Runners
Hiking:
Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport. There are often giveaways as well as discount codes.
Questions for you:
How was your April?
What is one goal you have for May?
It’s tough to be honest like this. Not running because you don’t feel like it and need a change is something I need to do once in a while as well. A relatable story, and more inspiring because you introduced the change and it’s working!
Thanks Gwilym. I’ve never really had issues being open on my blog because it’s just my life and if I’m not being honest, I’m just not being honest with myself.
May is always a crazy hectic month for us, so between April being a down month (marathon and recovery), taking time off for injury and then surgery, and our schedule in May, I expect two low mileage months. Maybe we’ll both have more normal Junes?
Ha that would be awesome. Best of luck with recovery Gracie!
This is such a great post. It’s made me think about what I’m doing, really been doing the same thing for too long and it not as much fun now. Plus my performance is dropping off. So it’s time to try something else even if it’s for a while. Thank you.
Trying new things is hard but worthwhile.
My april was spent with bronchitis…hope you’re able to breathe through you next hectic season in life! 🙂
No running for me until I figure out this foot pain! 🙁 But I’ve had fun finding exercises that don’t require running and jumping! haha still gotta stay active 🙂