First – huge sigh of relief for me as this site was down earlier (universal problem with all WPEngine-hosted sites I think) and it was really scary! I hope anyone who got an error message earlier if now seeing this with no issues.
Second – I have to say my workouts were a huge source of comfort for me on this call week. I really do find them calming. I definitely sacrifice some sleep but for me the endorphins ARE worth it, especially short term. I did get over 9 hours last night (today is my rest day AND no one called overnight!) and I needed it, but I feel great today.
Workouts: 12 weeks to go!
M: 9 with group, 9:34/mi average. Felt super dehydrated! Whenever I have that feeling, my heart rate goes up in a diagonal line and I get a panicky “WATEERRRR” feeling. Need to avoid.
T: 9 mi @ 10:11/mi, felt a lot better. 20 min strength for runners (Becs Gentry / Peloton) and 10 min hip mobility (Hannah Corbin / Peloton)
W: 9.1 mi @ ~8:59/mi ave (pace ave not including cooldown) – speed workout day! 3 mi warmup @ 9:15/mi, then 12 x 2 minutes at 10K pace. My paces ranged from 7:15 – 7:39. I’m not sure I could do a 10K at that pace, but maybe? (I’ll have to attempt a 10K someday I guess!). Quick cooldown @ 10:06/mi. As usual, I wore AlphaFlys for this run; all others are in my Asics Gel Nimbus which are about to be retired, I think. They seem to stop feeling good at 300 miles.
R: Square run – another dehydration-feeling one! 8.09 mi @ 10:24/mi, taking things super gentle after the speed workout.
F: 7 mi easy @ 10:10/mi, felt better hydration-wise.
S: 15 mi long @ 9:36/mi average (started closer to 10 min miles and ended closer to 9 min miles). Felt great on this. I took FOUR gels, one every 30 min, at the instruction of my coach; two I took without water without stopping, which is something I needed to practice. I did stop quickly to chug water at miles 6 + 12. NOTE: I use Gu Liquid Energy gels which are . . . well, liquid. I really like them – I tolerate them well and they definitely provide nice steady energy. I usually alternate caffeinated / non-caf. I would not recommend trying a traditional gel without water!
S: yoga / barre – my hips/glutes really love the barre workouts!
Weather was blah this week – almost every run was 78-80+ temps and very humid. HIGHLY ENVIOUS of anyone experiencing ‘crisp fall mornings.’ (Though I will get a tiny taste of that in Boston next week – cannot wait).
Migraine Note
On call. Bad sleep. High mileage. High temperatures. Dehydration. You would think I would have gotten multiple migraines . . . BUT I HAD ZERO. Unfortunately I did 2 things at once, though I think #2 probably has the most impact:
#1 – I started taking LMNT after most runs (I drink it half a packet at a time in a ~18 oz bottle and drink 2 bottles post run, one immediately and one more gradually)
#2 – I stopped taking hormonal birth control pills (using non-hormonal method my OB recommended) – I had been on these for ~4 years to treat PMDD. One brand exacerbated dehydration so I switched ~3 months ago to another brand, and I think in retrospect that is when my migraine issues went from bad to worse.
I am so so happy about this. I hope they stay away. AND I hope my PMDD does not come back (but it might, and if it does, my OB has ideas/strategies of other things to try).
Total = 57 mi / strength x 2
14 Comments
Yay! So glad you didn’t get a migraine – I bet that made call week more bearable. I got migraines for my whole adult like while on hormonal birth control, stopped the BC in my early 30s and never got one again, Despite having ALL the triggers at certain times. I hope this is true for you too!
LMNT fixed my headache problem after my long runs too. it was recommended by my coach then and never had it after I started. I take it during and after. I used to need 3-4 liters of water for 20 miles run, now, I am fine with 1.5-2 liters.
glad it helped you too.
Oh I hope it helps. I just can’t do any hormonal birth control- the migraines were unbearable. It was tricky for a while and my oldest was a surprise but once we were done having kids my husband got a vasectomy and it’s great.
thanks for the detailed reports. I really enjoy them
What non-hormonal birth control method did your OB recommend? I’m wondering if there’s some recent one people forget about because I’d love to consider it. E.g. not condoms🤣
Look up Phexxi! My OB recommended it and I really trust her and so far it’s been a good solution.
Have you looked at effectiveness rates for Phexxi? It seemed like too much of a risk to me
I’m old (43.5) and my OB felt it was safe.
How does LMNT taste? I need something for my long run days–I am getting headaches that last all day afterward. Is it palatable?
I love the way LMNT tastes, but some of the flavors are weird. I would go with the watermelon salt, it’s my favorite. And I mix half a packet with 16 ounces of water- don’t use a whole packet or it will be WAY too salty. Hope this helps!
Thank you!!
I hate watermelon!!! But I don’t even like actual watermelon so … maybe others whole love it! Love citrus salt and orange salt. So try all of them 🙂 🙂
Wow, GREAT week!!!!! I’ve tried those Gu liquid energy gels, but I can never seem to eat one without choking. I think maybe I’m treating them too much like regular gels, and try to squirt them too hard into my mouth? I’ll have to try again, since for some strange reason I bought a pack of 24 (sigh.)
Glad you made it through the week migraine-free! I don’t get them, but I think hormones play a big role, right? So going off the birth control probably made a difference. And I’m glad you’re liking the LMNT! I love it, and I think it helps a lot.
You had a great week. I feel you on sticking to your routine, even if you’re sacrificing some sleep in the process.