Training Log; 10K; 5 on thru 40

This morning's sunrise was absolutely amazing.

I have a fantastic view from my window at my apartment, and I tried to appreciate it all the way to work also. Unfortunately I let myself get frustrated by the traffic. There wasn't even a lot of traffic, and there was no reason to be frustrated, but I was.

I was the one about whom James wrote: The tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. [Kailin], these things ought not to be so!

God graciously (as is His way) allowed me to also enjoy His sunset, during which I was running and unable to capture photos but I was also in a much better state of mind.

• Weather: 55* at start, 45-50* at end. It was also slightly windy.
• Route: Moores, Franklin (I had to be off Franklin by dark), Mallory Station, Mallory, Moores, home
• Mile 1: 8:20.32
  
• Mile 2: 8:22.36
  
• Mile 3: 6:42.54
  
• Mile 4: 10:24.26
• Mile 5: 8:27:43
  
• extra: 1:13.41 (I'm not sure where this fits in; I wanted to split from the corner of Moores and GG up the hill, which is what the next time is)
  
• Mile 6: 7:27
  
• Cool down and total: 3:38.38; 54:36.03
  

So there is obviously a HUGE spread between slowest and fastest miles, but I'm not worried about that today; I couldn't see my odometer very well and wasn't sure where I was splitting. I know that I finished the 10K just under 51 minutes.

5 on, 5 off through 40 was next on the list. I talked to Coach Will today; he wasn't sure what to make of my not being able to do anything right this weekend. He kept asking me what I was feeling, and I couldn't explain that I couldn't really feel anything. Then it was am I sleeping and am I eating; both I answered in the affirmative. It wasn't like I was stressed or focused on something else, either. It just felt like I was doing nothing.

I asked if I should have still done it, even though I wasn't doing anything right, and he said I should have if I could have done it right, but since I absolutely couldn't (for whatever reason), it was probably OK not to have done it wrong. And, he mercifully let me do something else today rather than attempt last weekend's workout again.

• 1-leg squat (1): I would rather not start with this one, because I feel absolutely nothing ever when I do this, except that I'm pulling on my back knee. That's not what I should be feeling. It should basically be like the lunge (hamstrings and back hip flexor) with the back half cut off, but it feels nothing like that and I never work hard. It's not that I don't try, it's just that I can't do anything different. The one time I did this with him watching, I guess I did it right, but it sure didn't feel much different.
• Lunge (2): So far, I'm definitely feeling better today than yesterday, but we'll see how the rest of the exercises go.
• Push up (5): Way better. It is time, however, to review my notes on what each exercise should be working and on what I should be focusing.
• Glute ham (3): For the first 3, I was able to lift the bench (+45-lb bar on it). I tried to on every other one, but could not get it off the ground. I'm very encouraged by this, because when I started these I could not lift the bench at all; in fact, I never even thought about it!
• Curl (4): 35-lb bar. I was actually focusing on using my lats and keeping my chest up. I was less focused on my biceps, which I was supposed to be lengthening, but the rest felt right.
• Scap pull up: This one still is frustrating. I used the weight-helper machine and after 15 seconds, pulled up and then lowered for whatever time was remaining. I think this helped me make sure that I was still using the right muscles; otherwise, I lower all the way down and there's no way I can pull up and I am really just using my shoulders. This new way, I'm definitely using my arms and lats.
• Crate crunch: Although not easy, I can do it all and like it!

(Prescribed order; I wanted to do them in order, especially since I had to be told no less than 3 times what the order was because I didn't have anything to write with. Unfortunately, the things that I needed were being used and then I forgot what the order was. Struggles.)

So I ended up feeling a lot better after tonight--like I haven't lost everything even though I felt like that yesterday. It was almost as if I had taken 8 steps backward after having done so well for a while. I don't know what my deal was, but I'm hoping I don't have to endure these frustrations another 2 months down the road.