3 Weeks 'til Peachtree

Week-Beginning Thoughts:
Three weeks out, and I'm still in interval mode. Not sure whether I want to focus on improving distance, speed, or straight run duration. 

Monday
Planned: 1mi run with kiddo, 30min core workout

Did: biked 1mi with kiddo, 30min core workout

Got bit by ants yesterday and my ankle is HUGE and uncomfortable so I opted to bike with kiddo ran a mile instead of trying to fit a swollen foot into a running shoe. I did do an ACTUAL workout for my core (MuscleBurnsFat) later in the evening, which was SO nice, though. It's been forever since I've had the stamina to do something like this. 

Tuesday

Planned: 5mi (4/1 intervals as long as I can)

Did: 6.22mi 3/1 intervals @ 10:10/mi avg, 1mi with kiddo

WHAT A VICTORY. It's been over two months since COVID, and I was finally able to complete a 10K today for the first time. I'm mentally renewed and feel like my body is finally ready to get back to "training".

Also, I felt good enough to go back out for another mile with my kiddo afterwards. :D 

Wednesday

Planned: 1mi run with kiddo, 30min core workout

Did: 1mi with kiddo (mostly walking)

Kiddo decided he wanted to walk instead of run this morning, so today was a pretty light workout day, but I'm kind of fine with that since I'm not sure how my body will react to yesterday's run. 

Thursday

Planned: 1mi WU, 30min 1/1, 1mi CD

Did: 6.18mi @ 10:03/mi avg

This is the first workout I've done in over two months. I could not have been happier to be on the track at 4:30am with my best friend/training partner in disgustingly muggy 98% humidity. The prescribed workout for the program I'm coaching today was a series of 15x 1min hard/1min easy intervals, so I figured I could do that. I was excited to also run my first straight mile in awhile. After the first mile (with no walk breaks), I took a bit of time to walk before hitting the fast intervals.

At first, I planned on running the hard and walking the easy.... but that seemed too easy. Then I decided I'd run hard and recover easy-- no pace goals, just by feel. I figured I'd probably be running the hards around 8:30-9/mi and the easy closer to 10:30-11. 

After a few, I was definitely wondering how I was supposed to do THIRTY of these. Spoiler alert: I wasn't. I was supposed to do 15 x 1min/1min, but, in my head, I'd converted that to thirty sets, instead of thirty minutes. Oops. 

I ended up running:

8x ~7:45-8:00 / 11ish

5x - run/walk (run varied from 7:54 to 9:15/mi)

5x 7:20-7:43 / 11ish

THIS FELT SO GOOD.  :D

Friday

Planned: 3-4mi easy 

Did: rest

I opted for rest today due to a few reasons:

1) I was "out late" at the kiddo's swim meet last night

2) Thursday's workout was harder than I've gone in awhile, and I was planning on a similarly demanding workout for Saturday-- no sense running myself to the ground on my comeback

3) Fridays are my long days of work

Saturday

Planned: 6.2mi (intervals dependent o how Thurs/Fri go)

Did: 6.22mi @ 9:43/mi avg-- STRAIGHT RUNNING

This run felt more like an 18 or 20mi during marathon training than a "easy 10K". I never felt like I couldn't do what I was asking my body to do, but it was definitely taking a lot of grit and stamina to do it. Nevertheless, I am so so so happy to have had it. I ran a full 10K for the first time in over two months. A month ago, I literally didn't think I could cover the distance for Peachtree, much less run it. So grateful. 

Sunday

Planned: 30min lifting; 45min walk

Did: 30min 5K with the stroller, casual walking through nature preserve

Oh. I didn't look at my "plan" before I went out this morning. It was too good of weather to pass up, though, so even if I had checked my plan, I probably would've still run. I headed to the river with my littlest and enjoyed some 70 degree with wind and lower humidity weather while we ran. I felt normal for the first time in awhile. So grateful. 

Weekly Mileage: 21.7

Week-Ending Thoughts:

So grateful to finally believe I'm through COVID.