This week was a big learning curve for me and how much mental tiredness can impact as such as physical. This week I have my mock derived exams and I was off school studying getting prepared for them all week before each one. Having to be so focused and engaged for long periods of time and covering every subject that could possibly be brung up is quite exhausting.
This was the first week into my new training phase. I thought how perfect as it is a week off school so more recovery, but that’s where I was wrong the studying was so impactful that I felt so fatigued and unenergetic the whole week. Saying that I had a 5km time trial which I also ran on the worst day weather could have offered, both rain and wind was in my books to run it but that didn’t stop me from completing it.
5km will always be daunting as it’s not short but not long just painfully pushing the whole way through as the end is near but so far at the same time, the feeling once finished is like a tornado the pain shoots through from the muscles stopping the repetition and then finally releasing after a good 5-10 seconds.
I completed the run just short of my overall PB [7 seconds] I set in the beginning of the year, a point where I was training much more short fast intervals and working that quick turnover system, now I have been more building my base levels and long running with much less quick interval turnover other than regular strides. Saying this only being that short amount off I am happy with this as it shows even the change hasn’t impacted me too much I’ve rather 5km while improving other systems at the same time. A win win I would say, it gives me hope to keep training forward towards my half marathon now in 5 weeks and amping in some intervals before making a quick transition into some shorter work for Nationals on the track and road in December not too long after.
After these races it will be time for me to look at what my future goals are to work towards and keep my training based at. This week was a great learning opportunity to see the impacts of high study as I will come across that next year in University as well as balancing my social and other activities like work and sports with it.
Saying that on Saturday I had my final football games at a 5 aside tournament which is much quicker games than usual but much faster movement too as it’s such a small and controlled environment. It definitely makes you draw out your control skills and see how fatigue builds up overtime, football is now over for my high school years and I’m glad to say I’ve finished on a double win in both the competition and the tournament. But now looking forward to being able to put more of my overall time and energy to finishing my year and training hard!
– Jessica Bray