Training Week 164
Highlight of the Week: Making it through my first full week of the running streak!
Monday | December 3, 2012: strength + 4 m run (w/Anne)
Strength: steps, dumbbells & bands, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: better toward the end
Loc: Bear Lakes, Vernon Hills, Temp: 68°/66°, Time: 50:29, Pace: 12:38 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Tuesday | December 4, 2012: 4 m run
Loc: Millennium Trail, Temp: 53°/51°, Time: 38:12, Pace: 9:33 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: bored
Wednesday | December 5, 2012: strength class + 3.1 m run (w/GRCers)
Strength: dumbbells & boxing, Difficulty: medium, Felt: un-powerful
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 34°/32°, Time: 32:40, Pace: 10:33 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: okay
Thursday | December 6, 2012: 3.5 m run
Loc: Neighborhood, Temp: 45°/45°, Time: 35:43, Pace: 10:13 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: fine
Friday | December 7, 2012: 3.1 m run
Loc: Neighborhood, Temp: 39°, Time: 33:13, Pace: 10:42, Difficulty: easy, Felt: half asleep
Saturday | December 8, 2012: 3.1 m run
Loc: Neighborhood, Temp: 36°/37°, Time: 30:39, Pace: 9:53 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: pensive
Sunday | December 9, 2012: 5 m run (w/Bobbi + GRCers)
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 39°/39°, Time: 47:11, Pace: 9:26 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: chatty
Streaking Notes:
Last week I announced I would do an every day running streak for December. Since then I have signed up for Slowly Tri-ing‘s December 5K a Day Challenge – hence all the 3.1s! As of now, I am still going strong with my 9-day running streak – probably the most days I have ever run in a row?
- Overall, my body feels great! However, a few things are leading to the bottom of my left foot being sore – wearing old knee high boots with no support, walking a lot (playing tourist!) and needing new running shoes. I’m going to keep an eye on that. It seems I have finally gotten rid of the plantar fasciitis (PF) in my left foot – I don’t want to invite it back!
- But! Speaking of PF, I think running less overall is better for it. It seems to have gone away since I cut back miles in November! Woo hoo! And while the streak requires an every day run, it encourages less running overall. It’s very interesting – running more times a week, but often, less.
- It was challenging to get my streak miles in this week with my family visiting – not that they are not super supportive of it (they are) – I just don’t want to miss out on the fun! I got up at 5:00 am on Friday to run and had to fit Saturday’s run in while dinner was in the oven. I think there are going to be quite a few days in the month that are challenging like this – but that is the point of streaking – fitting it in whenever you can!
- Running every day is making the runs that I do by myself less memorable.
Overall notes:
- This week I had two dog encounters while running my neighborhood in the dark. The first time, it was one of those beautiful dogs that looks like a wolf, standing next to a house. I couldn’t tell if he was leashed or not, and he did not approach me, but I was startled – he looked like a wolf! On Saturday, I was running by someone’s house who had their front door and garage open and their dog approached me (I won’t name the breed, but one of those with a bad rep). I was again, startled, so I stopped, and the family eventually called him (after he growled at me). I need to re-read what I am supposed to do if approached by a dog.
- I haven’t been running with music on my solo runs this week, and man, I am not sure if I should be left alone with my thoughts! They are so scattered and all over the place. Where did my attention span go? Any ideas for thinking exercises to work on my attention span?
Themocracy
I totally forgot to tell you- when i ran up by my mom’s i got lunged at by 2 different dogs. One was a Doberman i think and holy hell, did he want to eat me. Even tho he was tied up, he could reach almost the end of the yard and he barked and growled and snarled and if he could have gotten loose i would have been lunch. Scared the crap out of me.
The other was loud but less sinister somehow. I love dogs, but they make me nervous on the run.
Ugh! Scary! I like them too but they make me nervous. Just because you are unfamiliar with them, and you have no idea what they might do 🙁
great job hon! I tried running two days in a row this week and it killed me, LOL. Jealous of those of you with healthy knees! hehe!
Sorry your knees have been giving you a rough time!
9 days in a row? Wow, that’s awesome! And I’m so impressed that you can run after a strength class. I tried that the other day and it was pretty rough.
And I love the picture of us illuminated by the glow of El Famous.
Aww, thank you! We run a bit on the slower side after strength. You have to!
UGH! We should’ve eaten El Famoso. Sigh. Good ole The Famous.
Way to go! That is awesome that you are doing the running streak and rocking at it! I have never thought about what I would do if a dog came at me…eeek! That is definitely something to think about.
Congratulations on the running streak, that is awesome!!! I feel your pain with the PF – it is such a stubborn injury. When I run without music, I frequently start thinking about all the things that I need to do after I get back and wish I had a notepad to write everything down. Maybe I should bring my phone along and record voicenotes to myself (that wouldn’t look weird or anything to passerby, LOL).
YES! That is what I am doing too! Making lists in my head! I was going to mention that, but thought I was cray cray. Then I get back and have to write them down super fast before I forget.
Yay for your PF calming down! I hope it stays away for good.
Me too! And I think these shoes I am about to buy right now will help even more. Muah ah hahahahahah.
One of my favorite things about running solo and without music is all the places my mind will wander to. Why would you want to try to change that?
Because my mind wanders to some crazy places. Ha ha ha.
My thoughts are always so scattered. I seem to have a better thought process if I have the music along. I’ve had many dogs run out at me since I run on lots of back roads and neighborhoods but luckily no issues. I usually stop though, they usually want to chase if you keep running and that’s when they can be in aggressive mode but after I stop and they see I am no threat, they get bored and go back home.
So I should stop? Any other tips? 🙂
I was approached by a dog on my bike once and I was out in the middle of the country. He lunged at me but thankfully I sped up before I got to him so I got by easily.
I generally like dogs but they are very frightening when you are running. I think they must perceive people who are running as more of a threat.