Training Week 109 / Races2Remember Giveaway WINNER
Day 757 | November 14, 2011: rest
Day 758 | November 15, 2011: 4 m run
My first run since the marathon! 8 days off! I expected this run to be great. The sun was out, it was 60 degrees… my first few steps felt great. Then I turned south into a wall of wind for two miles and was miserable. I figured that meant the two miles on the return side would feel great but they just felt too hot. Geez, when did I turn in to such a whiny baby?!
Another thought during this run: it’s time for me to spend more time running with my club so I can get faster.
I was supposed to meet Erin in the evening for a Cardio Kickboxing class but the headache that prevented me from working out Monday night returned with a vengeance. Wah.
Distance: 4.0 | Start Temp: 58° | End Temp: 60° | Time: 38:46 | Avg Pace: 9:41
Day 759 | November 16, 2011: cross + strength
I rode the recumbent bike during lunch.
Bike Time: 30:00 | Distance: 4.81 | Resistance Level: 5.0
I was really excited for my strength class since I hadn’t gone in two weeks and missed my Monday make-up session! The class started out easy, with resistance bands and kettlebells. Then I quickly popped something in my left shoulder using the resistance band, and as class went on, decided our instructor had turned in to a sadist while I was gone. Imagine this – doing a pushup with one hand on a kettlebell and one on the floor, and lifting the kettlebell up to your side between each pushup. Do about six of those, then a plank, then the other side, then another plank. Fun times. Okay, I am kidding about the sadist part, I love Brian. But geez, that move was tough!
Day 760 | November 17, 2011: 5 m run
Yay cold weather! I ran after work, in the dark. The run felt easy in beginning then my breathing was labored by the end. My headphones were being dumb – I forgot they don’t work in the cold. Wah wah wah <– theme of the week.
Distance: 5.0 | Start Temp: 28° | End Temp: 26° | Time: 48:24 | Avg Pace: 9:40 | Wore shorts, knee highs, UA ColdGear, headband and gloves – knees and butt cold
Day 761 | November 18, 2011: strength
Brian came over and we did a workout with dumbbells, the pilates circle, and a ball that looked like one you would use for dodgeball. The workout definitely wore me out – in a good way. Brian incorporates cardio with a lot of the strength moves, so I am usually pretty spent when we are done!
Day 762 | November 19, 2011: 12 m run
Erin and I met at Busse Woods to get 10+ miles in. Busse Woods is the perfect meeting spot for the two of us because it’s right between our homes (and I think takes us each about 45 minutes to get there?). I’m still not very familiar with the park though, and when I run on the 7-mile loop there, it tends to feel a bit endless. The only landmarks I seem to remember are the bridge and the elk!
I felt really strong for our first 6ish miles of this run. It was in the upper 40s and I felt good wearing a short sleeved shirt and arm warmers. When we turned around between 6-7 though, and were running right in to the wind, I started to fade. I asked Erin if the wind sucked or if I was being a wimp, and she confirmed that the wind did indeed, suck (I was probably being a wimp too).
I started to get some stomach cramps in the last few miles and I am not sure why. I ordered a new GU sample pack to try a few new things and was eating the Watermelon GU chomps. Maybe that was it? Or it could just be the onset of monthly cramps. Or me eating too little?
Anyway, the last 5ish miles felt tougher, my breathing was labored, I felt out of shape, and I got too hot (wah wah wah). But we finished 12 miles in under two hours, which means a lot for me lately (took walk breaks every 3 miles, stopped around 4 at a bathroom, stopped at 11.5 to grab my camera).
And of course I still had a lot of fun because we just chat and chat and chat the whole time. Then we go eat and chat some more. I feel lucky that I get to spend so much time with Erin doing these long runs. They’re really a lot of fun and I feel spoiled to get so much one-on-one time with my best friend!
Distance: 12.0 | Start Temp: 45ish | End Temp: 55ish | Time: 1:58:52 | Avg Pace: 9:54
Day 763 | November 20, 2011: 6 m run
Talk about spoiled! Two runs with good friends two days in a row! I met Bobbi at McDonald Woods. I wasn’t sure if I was remembering the trail correctly when I suggested it as a meeting place, but I was – it’s hilly and some parts are wooded. Really pretty, but… hilly! Ha ha. It was a good run, not too terribly windy like the day before, but still challenging with the hills.
Bobbi and I were both happy to catch up, but also that we had made a committement to each other to meet to run. We both agreed we wouldn’t be running if we hadn’t. We’d still be in bed. Especially since we both seem to have the onset of a cold. During my runs Saturday and Sunday I felt like I needed to cough something up, but couldn’t. At least that’s the worst of it for now.
Also – I’m not sure if I am dressing warmly enough. I wore shorts, a t-shirt and arm warmers. I felt good when I was running but freezing when I was done, because of the wet shirt. Brr…
Distance: 6.0 | Start Temp: 37° | End Temp: 39° | Time: 1:01:49 | Avg Pace: 10:18
Week Summary: 27.0 miles
I am disappointed in how tough my runs felt this week. I think taking a week off from running did more damage than good! Ha ha. Sort of kidding – I think the break helped, especially with my plantar fasciitis. I just hope next week feels easier!
The winner of the Races2Remember giveaway is Erin! Erin, please shoot me your email and I will send you the giveaway code.
Themocracy
You make running with friends sound like fun, even though I never really enjoyed running.
I think your trainer is cut from the same cloth as mine. Lots of fast-paced stuff and strength and balancing using different balls. The dodge ball one is a medicine ball.
Running with friends makes the hard parts more tolerable (for me!). 🙂
I don’t think the ball I was using was a medicine ball – it wasn’t hard like a basketball – or are not all medicine balls like that? It was a bit softer and I would squeeze it between my knees then jump forward lifting weights up and down. Fun times! 😛 Do you love your trainer too?
Of course your runs felt tough! Your body has been through a lot these past few months. Aren’t we supposed to recover at least one day for every mile we raced? I bet once the weather really cools off you’ll be flying 🙂
Erin just said what I was going to! 26 days recovery after a marathon and you’ve done two! Give yourself a break. : )
I’m glad you rested and I agree with Erin and Marcia. You need time to recover and then you’ll be back to feeling better during your runs. Mine are still feelilng kinda sluggish (but I don’t know for sure because I haven’t been running with my Garmin) but I know my fitness will come back. I’m impressed you did 12 followed by 6 the next day!
Oh, and you make me wish that my best friends were runners! I get to run with people often (usually at lunch with my coworkers) but running with my best friends sounds so much fun!