WIR- A Slow Week for Me

Monday 5/21- Run 3mi/27:16
Thursday 5/24- Step & Tone Aerobics
Saturday 5/26- Pregnancy Resource 5k 25:41
Sunday 5/27- Run 6mi/58:18

Gosh I have been lazy this week, for some reason I just haven't really felt like doing anything:(  really hate that feeling! It has been crazy hot this week so that is what I'm blaming it on, an excuse anyway. Monday the hubz and I went to the park I was all set and ready until I started running. After the first few steps I just wasn't feeling it and he took off. My right ankle started feeling crazy so I stopped a couple of times to check it out and after about a mile I had to force myself to continue on cause I just wasn't feeling it!  Tuesday I was going to get up for an early morning run but I felt like a lead weight, in fact the rest of the week my legs felt funky kinda weak and tired feeling so I decided not to run all week and see what happens.

Saturday morning wasn't any different I thought I would feel ready and excited to run but my legs still felt funky. The 5k was part of the "Serres" so there was no way I was going to miss it and once again it was crazy HOT! This was the most unorganized race I think I have ever been to which didn't help my mood any! I told everyone I just wasn't feeling it and I wasn't sure what was wrong with me, thankfully my pace buddy Kelly was there. The race was suppose to start at 8:30am but by 8:35 they still hadn't began yet, I think we finally took off about 8:45 which didn't help in the heat and full sun. The first mile and a half was ok but I went way down hill after that, I slowly starting falling behind Kelly and fell so far behind there was no way I was going to catch back up. I really don't like "racing" at the park it is very hilly with long steady uphills I even walked about 3short times mostly due to the heat and trying to catch my breath. It was a very small crowd only 56 runners but somehow I managed to be the 3rd overall woman and 1st in my age group. Kelly and her husband was 1st overall male/female!

Sunday I decided I needed to go for a longish run, I was hoping to do 10mi but since I hadn't run like that for a few weeks and I left the house an hour later than I planned I just decided to play it by ear and see how I felt. Thank goodness I took my water belt because I sure needed it even at 8am it was already 72* and very humid. I didn't even care how long or slow I went I just wanted to run I started out pretty good but the hotter it got the more tired and funky feeling my legs got so I called it quits at 6mi and used the last mile back to my car to walk and cool down a little. I was happy with the overall pace considering my feelings but my last two miles were dragging on forever and I started taking too many walk breaks that's when I really knew I needed to stop and be happy with the 6 I completed. Later that evening I met up with my friend Shalan who has moved away and we walked 2mi, that felt great!

This week I am getting my act together! Hopefully anyway!!

How do you know when its time to take a break from running? Even though you are taking a break how much or often should you run to not "loose" your speed or running abilities?