Happy Hood to Coast weekend, everyone!

While I’m off accruing my Friday/Saturday/Sunday miles over the next 24+ hours (and taking Sunday as a much-needed REST DAY!), I wanted to share what the week looked like.

You know how I mentioned last week that my “easy” runs were getting done a little quicker than the program called for? Well, not so much on Monday, when I struggled to get out of bed and had to drag myself through a slow and sore seven-miler (9:25 pace). Factor in a 15-miler the previous day plus a lingering sleep deficit from IDEA World, and you can see why I wasn’t firing on all cylinders.

But — yes, there is a but! — the point is that I pushed myself out the door and got it done. There’s a difference between over-training and being tired. Allow me to illustrate: This is “before,” as I was trying to psych myself up for the Tuesday track workout.

And this is “after” where, clearly, I’m happy I fought the urge to throw in the towel and treat myself to brunch with mimosas instead (seriously, I could smell bacon as I circled the track = delicious torture!). This week I simply hit the wall because I’ve been burning the candle at both ends between work and our recent move.

Why the big smile, though? Even though the workout felt tough, I managed to hit my pacing after getting a feel during the first 1200 meters (three laps around the track). Again, the purpose of this is to gauge whether or not I picked the proper race goal time (3:50), plus it’s also an exercise in allowing my body to get used to running hard for longer distances and adapting accordingly.

So “catching up” was the name of the game for the rest of the week leading up to Hood to Coast: from recovery to work to home life.

I knew I’d have a pretty quick turnaround before I’d be off and running again (!) this weekend, so I tried to set my self up for success — especially because we’re short one runner and I’ll be doing an extra leg during the race. That meant giving myself an early bedtime curfew, as well as focusing on pre-race fuel and hydration.

The lesson here? It goes back to what Jillian Michaels so wisely said at last week’s BlogFest keynote: “Work with passion is purpose, but work without passion is punishment.” She encouraged us to establish perspective and set a goal — the critical “why” will carry you through any amount of “how” (i.e. work) needed to get there.

And in between? Just try to enjoy the journey because, as my friend Mike reminded me, that’s where the most interesting stuff happens.

Coming soon: my recap from Hood to Coast…stay tuned!