Last week, I was nervous about mileage. All went well, so I didn't think twice about this week of training. Funnily enough, this past week ended up being an even bigger jump for me: I'm back in the double digit club! To think a few months ago, I was fearful of more than 3 miles. And six months ago, I was just coming out of a boot and had *dramatically* forgotten what running felt like. It's pretty cool to see and feel myself coming back quicker than I though.
Monday: AM physical therapy + one hour SEAL Team PT workout
Tuesday: 1 hour, 15 minute run (7.7 miles)
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: One hour run (6.3 miles)
Friday: FREE Yoga at VMFA
Saturday: One hour run (10 miles)
Sunday: OFF
TOTAL MILEAGE: 24 (+ 3-4 miles from SEAL Team PT workouts)
Monday was my last day of physical therapy. I had mixed feelings. 1) I'm glad to not be dishing out all that money anymore, 2) Was their work really done? Couldn't they do a little more? I know we made some progress, but I don't 100% trust myself to continue what they started. Number 1 > 2, so I'll deal.
Tuesday's run: Slightly longer than previous Tuesdays (started at 5:30AM) so we had to wake up earlier, as in 4:35AM. UGHH. I can't believe that's already starting. Even though the run consisted of a route up-and-down hills, my first four miles were under 9 minutes each. Weird. I was running with someone for those, so I think we were subconsciously driving up each other's pace. Total time: 1:10:00; average pace: 9:02; fastest mile: 8:42; slowest mile: 9:15.
Wednesday I took off to spend time with a friend. Southern Season just opened last week, so we spent hours walking through aisles, picking out snacks from the prepared food section and sipping on wine. Sometimes an unplanned day off is good...I know I'm not the only one who battles with the guilt of missing a workout. The challenge of letting go and breaking that guilt is hard, pro tip: wine almost always helps ;)
Thursday's run...was interesting. Rookie mistake: Testing out a new pair of spandex running shorts for this hour run, instead of just taking a jog around the block in them. Ten strides in and I knew I was in for a LONG hour of discomfort. Like, I might as well have been running in briefs. And because I was so mentally uncomfortable ("People have to look at me, and run BEHIND ME!"), I ran what felt to be abnormally fast the first 3 miles. After the first half hour, the sweat actually seemed to help the "traveling pants" situation and thanks to a trail and hills, the last two miles were s-l-o-w. "Oh, you didn't notice my gross shorts before? Here you go!" Just terrible, guys. Total time: 57:35; average pace: 9:05; fastest mile: 8:22; slowest mile: 10:06.
Friday included free outdoor yoga at the VMFA with friends. Weather-wise, it was a perfect night for it; and taking some time to stretch and relax after a long week / before Saturday's long run was the best. We grabbed a drink at the cafe's happy hour afterwards, then it was time for a quick dinner, hydration and bed. Welcome to one-and-done Friday nights!
Saturday's mileage was 8-9 miles. Depending on pace, we had the option of starting at 6:00AM, 6:30AM or 7:00AM and running through 8:00AM. I started at 6:15AM with friends that needed extra time but not a full hour extra. I figured I'd take the run slow and steady, allowing enough time (plus some) for the top mileage. Well, it turned out to be harder than I anticipated to keep my pace where I planned---ideally 9:30 min miles. The surprise once again, though, was how strong I felt the entire time! We still had about 20 minutes minutes left in the run when I reached 9 miles, so I slowed down to a warm down jog for mile 10. I decided to start walking once I hit 10, feeling a safe level of confidence in my run. Sure, I felt silly, I could've kept running. "Train safe" and not taking painlessness for granted = really important right now, and Saturday was a good mental exercise. Total time: 1:32:00; average pace: 9:12; fastest mile: 8:50; slowest mile: 9:43.
The success was celebrated with french toast and bacon from Boychik's. And a nap...
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