Rough Week

Week-beginning Thoughts:

Single parenting for the week while my husband is out of town for a family medical emergency.... 

Monday

Scheduled: LIIFT4 50/50 pre-work/school

Did: 5mi walking

Tuesday

Scheduled: LIIFT4 Circuit, 10KTuesday with kid riding bike

Did: 10KTuesday @ 9:28/mi, PT

Wednesday

Scheduled: Treadmill 5K LIIFT4 Shoulder Intervals

Did: LIIFT4 Back/Biceps

Thursday

Did: 6.05mi @ 9:17/mi avg

Friday

Did: LIIFT4 Week 3 Chest/Triceps

Saturday

Did:10.04mi @ 9:40/mi avg

Felt great

Sunday

Did: 5.03mi @ 9:29/mi avg

Total Weekly Mileage: 29.5

Week-ending Thoughts:

What a week.... 

LIIFT Week

Week-beginning Thoughts:

Finally feeling healthy enough again to push. I resubscribed to Beachbody on Demand and am doing the LIIFT4 program again in hopes of shedding these last 5-10lbs and building additional muscle while I start training for a 5K. Race TBD. 

Monday

Did: LIIFT4 Week 2 Back/Biceps

Tuesday

Did: 10KTuesday @ 9:40/mi avg, LIIFT 4 Week 2 Chest/Triceps

Wednesday

Planned: LIIFT4 Week 2 Shoulders/Arms, 30min walk

Did: LIIFT4 Week 2 Shoulders/Arms, 30min walk

Thursday

Planned: 1.5mi WU, 4x400m/400, 1.5mi CD

Did: 1mi WU, 4x400/400, 1mi CD = 4.24mi @ 9:01/mi avg, lots of walking at amusement park

Felt good during this workout, despite being hella hot and sunlight on an asphalt track. I didn't get myself up and out of bed early enough for a pre-dawn run, so I had to take my kid to a nearby school field where he could play soccer while I ran. 

Unsure if the track was truly 400m (these times seem to mean it's a little short... or I'm just fast today): 1:44, 1:39, 1:39, 1:32

Friday

Planned: LIIFT4 Week 2 Legs, easy 5K

Did: 0.57mi @ 9:21/mi avg

Lost power at the house last night, and it still wasn't on this morning. Attempted to go stress run, but lightening and thunder sent me back home before I'd even hit a mile. Instead of having a day at home, we had to scramble and figure out what to do. Ended up taking kid to office with me and getting extra work in (in air conditioning) while waiting for the power to come back. 

Saturday

Scheduled: 8-10mi easy

Did: 8.01mi @ 9:51/mi avg, PT

Sore arch during run. Ugh. 

Sunday

Scheduled: 5mi stroller, maybe with a push

Did: 4.11mi @ 9:42/mi avg, LIIFT4 Week 2 Legs

Family emergency meant I was solo parenting as of 7am, so I ran early with a friend and then made up the workout later in the day. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 23.2

Week-ending Thoughts:

I don't even feel like the beginning of this week was the same week as the end of this week. 

A Stroller-ful Week

Week-beginning Thoughts:

I think I'm ready to attempt building back... again. :P While I still have the aching arch, my PT wants me to continue to load it up until we find its limit (or it gets strong enough)

Monday

Did: 3.3mi with stroller @ 9:38/mi avg

Decent pace for a hella hot afternoon run

Tuesday

Did: 10KTuesday @ 9:33/mi avg

Wednesday

Did: 4.3mi stroller run @ 9:44/mi avg

Another hot afternoon one

Thursday

Did: LIIFT4 Week 1 Day 1

Oof, I can tell I haven't lifted in awhile. The 10lb dumbbells were hard on some of these... I re-signed up for Beachbody on Demand and am hoping that another 8 week commitment to LIIFT4 will be what I need to drop these last 5 pounds and get myself stronger. 

Friday

Did: LIIFT4 Week 1 Day 3, 10min walk with coworker, 30min walk

Kinda wanted to do a speedworkout today, but didn't get up/out in time to hit the track. Glad to have gotten a workout at all in, and to be feeling sore from yesterday :) 

Saturday

Scheduled: 8mi

Did: 5.09mi @ 9:24/mi avg + 3.03mi with stroller @ 10:40/mi avg = 8.12mi total @ 9:53/mi avg

Didn't get myself out of bed early enough to do my full distance kid-free, but still made this run happen. I can't believe how strong I used to be to run as fast as I did with the double stroller up hills. These days, I feel like I'm dying pushing the single.  

Sunday

Planned: 1mi WU, 4x400/400m, 1mi CD

Did: 1.5mi WU, 5x400/400, CD = 5.56mi @ 9:27/mi avg with stroller

We had a nice family greenway morning, with my husband running solo, my oldest biking "with" (ahead of) me, and me pushing the littlest in the stroller. My PT last week wanted me to add some speedwork to test my arch, but it hasn't fit into my week, so I opted to do it today. 

1:58 (7;58/mi)

1:55 (7:44/mi)

1:57 (7:41/mi)

1:51 (7:29/mi)

1:55 (7:45/mi)

Guess we'll see if it hurts tomorrow or not :)

Total Weekly Mileage: 27.5

Week-ending Thoughts:

Really looking forward to my training partner's return from a vacay. This running alone/running after dawn thing is not my jam.  Also, I think I'm going to find a 5K to train for... 

Peachtree Week

  Week-beginning Thoughts:

Oh, hi, there, race week. Didn't see you coming .... 

Monday

Did: rest and PT, work

Tuesday
Did: 7mi total @ 8:46/mi avg, plus 2mi walking
Peachtree Road Race

Wednesday

Scheduled: rest, work

Thursday

Did: PT and 5.07mi @ 9:34/mi avg

Friday

Did: 6.19mi @ 9:37/mi avg, PT

Saturday

Did: 8.06mi @ 10:13/mi avg, 2.13mi stroller walk, PT, LIIFT4 Legs/Core

Rewarded for getting up and out solo today (and running hilllllls) with this view at the end of the route.

Also got to do a lifting workout with my oldest today, and it was SO MUCH FUN to have him as a workout buddy :) Kid is getting s t r o n g. 

Sunday

Did: 4.32mi PRO with stroller @ 9:49/mi avg 

Total Weekly Mileage: 30.6

Week-ending Thoughts:

Hoping for a better week next week, but this was pretty good considering I worked nearly double the hours I was planning to... with a holiday thrown in... and I'm fighting a bit of a bug... what else is new? :P 

Race Report: Peachtree 2023

Previous PR: 47:53 (5/6/17)

90% Goal: sub-10:00/mi 
50% Goal: sub-60 (9:20ish/mi)
10% Goal: sub-9:00/mi
Result: 54:46 (8:49/mi)

Training: A lot of false starts... finally got through long COVID only to deal with a "flat arch" injury, and then bronchitis a few weeks before. There's been no training, just "riding the waves" of life. 

Pre-Race: Met up with the 10KTuesday crew for a photo, got roped into a warm-up with my TP that felt like sludge, and then still hadn't really figured out a "plan" by the time the gun went off... typical. lol

Race:

I didn't know what pace I was running until the first mile split. I just wanted to run "comfortably uncomfortable" this race... whatever that meant.  I think I felt good-ish for the first 5K, even after I realized I was running sub-9s. I just kinda told myself to enjoy the first part of the course, since it's downhill. 

It was hot. It was moist. It wasn't sunny, but that didn't make it comfortable. 

I passed the 5K split at 27:24, and was pretty pleased with myself. Now I could accept that the second half of the course (the uphill part) would be slower, and I'd still probably be able to hit that sub-hour goal. 

After Cardiac Hill, the course gets into the city, and you're able to count down the blocks from 26th street until you make the course's one turn onto 10th. This part of the course is always the   l o n g e s t  for me. I think it's because I've already gotten through the big landmark hill, and you're just hoping it's "almost over"... but it's not, cause you're barely halfway through and still have a LOT of race left to run. The streets tighten up, and there are lots of uphills. 

"Just keep running."

When we finally turned onto tenth, I knew better than to be excited about the impending finish. I still had nearly a mile to go... but if I pushed, I could actually break 55. 

Lezzz gooooo

And push I did. It felt both good and sickening to have a nice, pre-COVID Angelina-style kick. I crossed that finish line well under 55, and promptly felt like I was going to puke. (but didn't)

Reflections:

This was a solid race.

Check out that kick.

a 200m at a sub-6 pace to close this race out? 

Yasssssssss

But, real talk : the only goal this year was really to show up with a Patriotic outfit for a change, and my fireworks shorts and red sports bra helped me nail that. I'm grateful for another fun run, and hopeful that, yet again, maybe I've turned the corner on these health struggles... 

1 Week 'til Peachtree

Week-Beginning Thoughts:

Hoping this is the week it all turns around... 

Monday
Did: PT

Tuesday
Did: 6.36mi @ 9:54/mi avg, 1.5mi walk
So happy to have been able to complete a 10K feeling fine. 

Wednesday
Did: nada

Thursday

Did: 3.17mi PRO @ 8:44mi avg, PT

Went out and did a progression run solo before work. Been really stressed this week and was grateful to have the physical ability to make this happen. 

Friday

Did: 2.14mi walk/run/fartlek with kid @ 14:19/mi avg, PT

Really wanted to do a run with my kiddo today, but he wasn't in the right frame of mind/mood, so we kinda walked/jogged/kicked pinecones back and forth with each other for about a half hour instead. 

Saturday

Did: 8.19mi @ 9:57/mi avg, PT

My normal TP is out of town, but another group member texted me yesterday asking if I wanted to run. YES, PLEASE. I was hoping to feel good with 6, but let him know I might want to do 8, pending how I was feeling. Today was slower than I would have wanted, but also a really good "long, easy run" with Peachtree in two days. My arch was super sore after the run, so I'm hoping to really work this toe yoga, PT, and other tasks before Tuesday... 

Sunday

Did: 3.14mi @ 9:16/mi avg, plus lots of walking, PT

Lots of kid plans today, so if I didn't run before 6am, I wasn't going to be running... unless I wanted to do 90 degrees and bright sun in the afternoon. I woke up without an alarm about 5min after when I ought to have for running, and decided if my watch told me I'd slept well, I'd go run. "Muy buena" recharge = out the door ten minutes later. My arch has been sore, but didn't bug me while running. I was surprised at how fast I went, and hope for something similar at Ptree on Tuesday. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 23.0mi (run), 5x PT

Week-ending Thoughts:

I think I'm finally over the bronchitis (took ~3 weeks). Yay

2 Weeks 'til Peachtree

Week-Beginning Thoughts:

Blergh. Sickness.

Monday
Did: 30min treadmill walk, PT
At least I'm coughing up lighter yellow crap from my chest today... 

Tuesday
Did: 1hr treadmill walk
My cough is slowly moving from my chest into just my throat. Hooray. Still took it easy today and skipped chorus to spare my chorusmates this barking, hacking phlegm... also, pretty sure if I tried to sing I'd lose my voice again.

Wednesday

Did: 1hr treadmill walk, PT

Today is the first day in like two weeks where I've wanted coffee. I think I'm on the upswing. Funny that I said that this time last week too, before I got hit by round 2, though... 

Thursday

Did: 30min MBF workout, 1mi @ 9:44/mi avg

Ready to try this workout thing again. I'd planned on doing a morning run, but timing didn't work out, so I did a Muscle Burns Fat sample workout instead. It felt nice to move again, and the jumping around helped clear more crap through my nose/throat. I'd wanted to do an easy 5K, but between timing, weather, and not wanting to push, I opted for just a mile. 

Friday

Did: 2mi @ 9:34/mi avg, then 2mi with 2min run/1min walk @ 11min avg

Wanted to do a morning run, but had to work today. I did NOT want to run when I finally finsihed up responsibilities this afternoon, but told myself "you're healthy enough, get out there". I planned on a 5K, but decided to do my 4mi route instead and switch to walk/run for the back half. Legs are SOOOOO sore from yesterday's lifting, but it feels nice to feel sore. Definitely still fighting a minor cold with a runny nose, but much improved. 

Saturday

Did: 3.13mi @ 9:53/mi avg plus 3mi walking around zoo

First run with my voice and training partner in a month. The first mile felt really hard and I wasn't sure I'd make it 5K, but things got better for mile 2. Ultimately, I probably could have gone further, but it wasn't going to be fun, so I stopped... and then walked a ton with kiddo at the zoo. 

Sunday

Did: 4.56mi with stroller @ 9:58/mi avg
This felt hard and I had to convince myself to do as many miles as I did, but I'm working back from bronchitis, so I guess it's to be expected. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 12.8mi run (~11mi walk)

Week-ending Thoughts:

Blergh to bronchitis/sickness. I'm back up to 17% of the year being sidelined due to illness, but it's still a far cry from last year's 50%.