Running Out Of Steam (ATM Training)

I think I jinxed myself by writing about waking up early to exercise. This week I really stuggled with getting out of bed. Monday was the worst–I slept until 8:00 am! Yes, it was a holiday, but my office was open and I had to go to work. Oops! I can’t say that I followed my training plan this week, but I did get in a few runs to stay on track for the Army Ten Miler next weekend.

Monday (Neighborhood Run)
After dragging myself out of bed, I decided to be even later for work so I could squeeze in a short run. I took my dog and my Garmin, but they both fizzled out.  My dog ran well for the first 2 miles, but then need lots of walk breaks for the next mile, before she perked up for the last (almost) mile home. My Garmin never got a signal, and I didn’t have time to mess with with it. I’m sure I covered close to 3.75 miles.  

Tuesday (Strength Routine)
Elliptical: 10 min warm-up
Strength: I did my full strength routine with three sets of 12-15 reps of different moves.

Wednesday (Treadmill Tempo Run)
After warming up for about 10 minutes I did a tempo run at mostly 3.5 mph, for 30 minutes. For some reason, this workout was really hard. I seriously debated switching to the elliptical several times, but felt like that would be a cop-out on my training, especially after Monday’s easy run. I talked myself into finishing the workout one freaking minute at a time.

Thursday (Mid-Day Walk)
I had an early morning flight for a day trip out of town, and didn’t get home until late. I am giving myself credit for a mid-day brisk walk that was close to 1 mile.

Friday (AM Dog Walk)
I was out cold when my alarm went off, even though I had set it a bit later than usual (5:30). I hit the snooze button until 6:00, and then took my dog for our usual 1 mile walk. I had to get to the office early, so that’s all I had time for.

Saturday (Long Run)
I am meeting my friend for a 7-ish mile run at o’dark-thirty. Knowing that she will be waiting for me should help me heed the alarm clock.

Have you had weeks where you just feel exhausted?

How do you know when to push through and when to give in?