Training report, week 4: On missing workouts and flexible training

Still "almost" on target. Missed my first workout!

Distance: 55 km
Distance planned: 65 km
Long run: 25 km

Missed a 10km run on Sunday.

I was traveling the first three days. I had planned an easy 8k and 12k interval training for those days. But I was in Ankara and I decided to alter my training plan to get the most of that hilly city. I couldn't easily find a flat road for my interval training. So I had a couple of hill sessions. 8k easy on the first day and a more challenging 14k the day after.

14km run in hilly Ankara

Now I am in the middle of my 5th training week. Sometimes you have to change your training plan depending on your situation. What I have learned about training is there is no training plan that suits everyone. You need to listen to your body, see your progress and alter your training plan accordingly.

This Monday I had to go for a 5k hill session, and I also planned to swim. I only had time to go to the gym to do the both workouts. Treadmill running is not my cup of tea and I only run on treadmills occasionally when I have to. Anyway the treadmills were down so I decided to do some weight training. I had a fairly short but quite intense weight sessions to work on those quads, glutes and calves. Weighted squads, weighted alternative jump lunges and weighted calf rises. It was definitely more intense than that hill session and I could feel those quads during 12k run on Tuesday!

Sometimes it makes more sense to alter your plan and go for a shorter run or cross train rather than missing your workout altogether. So this week - after that weight training and fairly fast 12km - I am going to take it easy for a couple of days and get ready for Friday's long run.

Stay tuned guys!

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