You know what I love most about running? That it’s not always easy. That every day that you get out there you learn something about yourself. That even on the easy days your body is challenged!
I could write an entire different post on the reasons I love to run, so we will save that for another day but I can definitely say that this past week has brought all of those reasons back to me.
I had a really good week and I think that was mostly due to a good attitude. I went into every run focusing on the positive and just telling myself to do the best I can. It’s a really simple concept that so many runners forget. Just do your best – that is really all that you can do.
Running has been going really well lately and I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m excited to start the build up back to marathon training! Big things lay ahead!
Here is a look at my training last week:
Monday – 3.03 miles
We had new carpet being installed in our basement Monday so I couldn’t get out for my normal morning run. I assumed they’d be done around lunch time, but they didn’t end up completing the project until 3:30.
I was seriously lacking motivation so when Wes got home and said he was going out for his double he offered for me to come along! YES! The perfect way to get in a few miles to get my legs moving but not overdoing it.
I think one of my favorite things is running as a family. There is nothing better!
Tuesday – 7.06 miles
Tuesday I had the opportunity to get in some solo miles! Since the weather wasn’t cooperating I took advantage of the solo time to head over to the gym! I hadn’t been to the gym to run since before I got pregnant!
I decided on an interval workout with a little bit of marathon pace thrown in. I wanted to get a feel for what my I hope my goal marathon pace will be in December. Note to self: don’t calculate goal marathon pace at 10:30 at night when you are tired. I have no idea what I did but the pace I calculated was about 15 seconds off what it should have been. The workout wasn’t perfect, BUT it was still a good workout!
10 minute warm up, 40 minutes with 2 minutes at GMP/2 minutes off, and 10 minute cool down. Even though my goal marathon pace was off it was still good work! I’ll try again next time!
Wednesday – 6.45 miles
Wednesday was an easy day but I was not prepared for how much it had heated up even though we got out there pretty early! I took it easy and tried to just take the miles in stride, but oh the hills. I love my new neighborhood but the hills around here can be killer!
Finished off 60 minutes and was excited to have this one behind me.
Thursday – 6.10 miles
Thursday I got another solo run and took it to the treadmill again. It was nice to get a break from the heat again and so I decided to just work on getting my leg turnover going. 2 mile warm up, 10 x 200 meters (6:44 pace), with 200 recovery, and a little over a mile recovery.
I finished off with some ankle strengthening and stretching. Another fun postpartum thing I’ve had lately is weak joints, especially in my ankles. After runs, especially quicker ones, I finding my ankles can ache so I’ve been working on stretching and strengthening them after runs.
Friday – Off
Saturday – 7.10 miles
Saturday morning we had to be at a family event early so I knew in order to get my run in I’d need to move my schedule around and start early. I opted to do my long run Sunday since I knew I’d have more time and I didn’t want to feel super rushed.
We started around 6:45 AM and it was the perfect temperature but I knew it would be heating up quick. 7 miles total for the morning and took it nice and easy to get ready for my long run on Sunday.
It was so worth it for these views!
Sunday – 11.05 miles
Sunday I had considered getting in my run solo since my MIL was staying the night but she had to leave by 9 AM. After a rough night of sleep I couldn’t get myself out of bed in time so I just accepted that it would be warm and I would have to run with the stroller.
I could tell in the first couple miles this run as going to be a bit more of a struggle then some. It was hot, I was sweating half a mile in, but I chose to focus on the positive. I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other and singing and talking to my little man. Sometimes running with the stroller can really help take your mind off tougher runs!
It was a good run for me because it helped me to practice staying mentally in the run and not get ahead of myself. After 9.5 miles I met up with my husband who took the stroller so I could finish out my run. The moment I passed off the stroller I felt like I was flying!
Overall I was really happy with the effort, time on my feet, and mental toughness to get through it!
How did your running go this week?