Isn’t it great when things running begins to click again?
I knew going into these three weeks that running would be a bit out of whack. Packing up a house and moving is stressful so I made it a goal to simply go into each run the best I can and fit in workouts as my schedule permitted.
Unfortunately, because most days involved getting up, running, and getting right to packing I didn’t have a lot of time to focus on strength and recovery. It made for some tight, tired legs but I know once this is all over I’ll get back on track where I need to be!
One thing that has really transformed my running, especially postpartum, is running based on effort. All my workouts are completely effort based. It allows me to let go of obsessing over pace and just go out there and give what my body has. I’ve actually seen a lot of improvement training this way and for the first time in a long time I feel really relaxed in my training.
Let’s take a look at my week shall we?
Monday – 7.75 miles
I started with a workout in the morning. I made it simple since I had the stroller. 20 minute warm up, 1 min on/1 min off x 10, 8 x 15 second strides with walking recovery, and a short cool down. In total in the morning I did 6.07 miles averaging an 8:27 pace. I ended up averaging around 6:30 pace for the 1 minute “on” intervals.
That afternoon after my husband got home from work we went out on a family run. It was short and sweet but did an additional 1.68 miles for a total of 7.75 miles for my Monday!
Tuesday – 5.57 miles
Tuesday my Mom came up to help me get some packing done so I got out quickly to get in a short easy run for the day. My goal was 50 minutes and I stayed close to the house to make sure I was back quickly. I knew it would be the last of so many runs in our current neighborhood. The neighborhood I ran so many mornings at 4 AM and trained for some many wonderful marathons!
I embraced the easy miles and reminisced about many runs had there.
Wednesday – 7.10 miles
Wednesday I got out bright and early to get in a hill workout. I stuck in our neighborhood again since my Mom was up. My legs felt really heavy in the beginning so I made sure to get in a bit longer warm up than normal to get them loosened up.
4 mile warm up, 12 x 15 second hill springs (walking back down), and a little over a 2 mile cool down for a total of 7.10 miles for the day. I hadn’t done shorter hills in a while so I decided to switch things up a bit. Plus it was a quick and easy workout without being too taxing on my body.
Thursday – 6.60 miles
More easy miles for Thursday! I didn’t feel great when it started or even when it finished but I knew that even on the hard days it’s more important to get it done. I was really proud when I finished this one. My only goal was to get in 60 minutes.
I averaged a 9:06 pace which I was honestly surprised at. I felt much slower that day and slowed myself down many times to keep my HR less than 150.
Friday – Off
Friday per usual was my rest day. However; there wasn’t much rest going on. I took my husband to work, ran errands, and packed until the moment I sat down at 5 pm. It was exhausting but I did get a lot done!
Saturday – 10.05 miles
Saturday I knew I wanted to hit double digits. It’s been 3 months since I have seen any sort of double digit run on my watch and I wanted it. I knew it was important not to get carried away. I still have time before I need to start marathon training and it is important to me to stay healthy and not over do it.
I dropped my husband off to run with a friend, parked, and Easton and I started our long run. I pushed start on my Garmin and didn’t look at it again until I finished. I wanted a moderate effort run but I wanted to base it completely off how I feel.
I was absolutely shocked when I checked my pace at the end and it said 8:10 average. I felt good, like i worked, but still good and not overly drained. It gave me hope that maybe just maybe my goals for my December marathon weren’t too out there. It gave me hope that there is still some speed in me, and it showed me just how great effort based training can be!
Sunday – 6.70 miles
My goal for Sunday was just to go out there and relax. I woke up to 72 degrees and I couldn’t believe how good it felt! I was excited to get out on the trail and just enjoy it!
60 minutes went by so fast and I didn’t even have my music! I just listened to the beautiful babble of Easton as he talked to himself. I can’t remember the last time it wasn’t sweltering hot so it felt wonderful! In total I ran 6.7 miles in my 60 easy minutes and was so happy at the end! I needed this run to end out my week.
In total I ran 43.77 miles and 31.1 stroller miles this week! I was really pleased with how everything went! I’ve got a stressful week coming up and I know my running may be altered a bit because of it but I’m completely okay with that! I still have about 1.5 months before I start my marathon cycle and I’m more than excited for this period in between where there is much less pressure!
How did your running go this week?