Mile Training: Week 1/6

 Week-beginning Thoughts:

I'm not at all in the right place to go into this training right now, but we'll just take a breath and see what happens. Something is better than nothing.

Monday
Did: Lift4 W6 shoulders
Whoops. I thought this plan started with a rest day, but I was wrong. I technically missed a 3-5mi easy run. 

Tuesday

Scheduled: 10KTuesday + 4x30s hill repeats
Did: as scheduled = 6.75mi @ 9:48/mi avg
Stressful life = slow run, but I had decent paces on the hill repeats. Glad this wasn't a real hard workout...

Wednesday

Scheduled: rest
Did: 10.7mi @ 9:51/mi avg

Realizing that weather + travel plans were going to leave me choosing between no long run and a long run on the treadmill, I advanced this week's LSD a few days. This run was HARD. I never stop and walk during runs. I never stop during runs. I stopped like five times on this run, not because anything hurt, but just because my body wanted to. A friend shared some wisdom from her coach that resonated with me, "your body can't differentiate mental stress from physical stress-- it's all got the same sort of effect". Perhaps that's true, because today was a SLOG. 

Oh, and on top of that, I saw a runner get run off the road and fall into a ravine on the way home, nearly causing an accident when the driver stopped to help. Hellooooo, adrenaline. 

Thursday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 4x400m @ MP/200 recovery, 5min jog, 4x400m @ MP/200m recovery, 2mi CD

Did: as scheduled, except for the MP part... and shortened WU/CD to 1.5mi = 5.39mi @ 9:06/mi avg

Today's the last day I was going to be able to run with my training partner for over a week. We planned to hit up our usual track for this workout as a "last hurrah" for a bit. Instead, our area got wretched thunderstorms ONLY between 3:30am and 6am, literally the time of day we run. 

So, I was left with the option of doing it on the treadmill or finding an alternate location, but either would be solo. Knowing I had a LOT of treadmill runs ahead of me in the coming week due to life, I opted to haul up to the only public track within 30min of my house and do some daytime 

Friday

Scheduled: 3-5mi easy (swapped to Sunday) 
Did: 30min yoga

Got up at 4am, drove to my alma mater for a day of advisory board meetings, drove back to the ATL, and ended the night with some yoga with my oldest. 

Saturday

Scheduled: 10-12mi hilly run (swapped to Wed) 

Did: Sunday's workout 15min WU, 12x1min @ 5K pace/1min recovery, 15min CD = 5.39mi @ 9:06/mi avg... and LIFT4 Week 7 Chest/Back

I was relegated to the 'mill for this one and was not happy about it. I attempted to run over the little one's naptime, but evidently a treadmill in the basement sounds like a truck in his room... 

Eventually got to the running point, but wasn't really able to go much faster than an 8.0mph. Oh well. It got done. 

Sunday

Scheduled: 15min WU, 12x1min @ 5k/1min recovery, 15min CD

Did: Friday's workout: 3-5min easy = 5@ 10:13/mi avg

This run was the victory I've needed ALL WEEK. It wasn't fast, but it was a logistical success. I had both kids, and the oldest no longer fits in the double, so I had to push the single while he rode his bike. A year ago, this was a breeze, but he had a terrible fall off his bike last summer that sent him to the ER, and hasn't been back on for more than like 10min at a 2mph pace since. 

I was SO proud of him. We started off at a 14min/mi pace, stopping every time there was a leaf on the path, with me encouraging him, etc. My goal was just to get him to ride a mile... but then he did... and so I didn't say anything until he asked, closer to 1.5mi. After a snack break, he asked if we could do 2.5 out and finish 5. So we did. He was flying then, and I was having to run quite a bit faster than I wanted to keep up wiht him, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything. So glad my big kid got his confidence back today. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 34.1

Week-ending Thoughts:
I'm really proud that I made all of this week happen the way I did. It's been HARD to get the workouts in, especially with life constraints, but it feels really good to have done it.