Weekly Rundown- The Longest Run
Well you guys, like I said in Friday’s post, “The hay is in the barn!” Ha ha… my kids hate that expression. I always say it when they’re all ready for an audition, and they look at me like I’m insane. I don’t care, I’m going to say it! I did my last, big long run this week. My race is now less than two weeks away (gulp) and the phase between now and then will be known as “Don’t Do Anything Stupid.” Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown! Here’s how the week played out: Monday 4 mile run. I’m appreciating how the sun is rising earlier and earlier! No more dark runs. Tuesday Upper body day at the gym. Bench press, lat pulldowns, rows, triceps with the cable (ouch) and core. I’m looking forward to my son coming home in May- I think I need another coaching session. Wednesday THIS WAS IT! 25 mile run. This run was…. quite an adventure. Unlike my 23 mile run two weeks ago where I felt amazing, this one was very hard. I never really felt great, not even in the beginning, and by mile 15 I was tired. I basically plodded miserably for ten more miles. I wasn’t in pain, and I wasn’t so exhausted that I couldn’t go on. But I also never got a second wind, as I was hoping. It was just ten long, hot, uncomfortable miles. This wasn’t what I was hoping for, the last long run before my race. I was hoping for something that would really pump me up and give me a ton of confidence, so at first I was disappointed. But then I realized- this might be what my race is like. As a matter of fact, at some point in the race I WILL be trudging miserably. What I learned from this run is, if I just keep moving forward, I’ll complete the miles. So this was 25 miles and my race will be 31. If you told me at the end of this run that I had to run six more miles, I think I would have cried. But… I could have done it (especially if I had access to a FULLY STOCKED AID STATION- once again I almost ran out of water and ice.) I have a post coming up on Tuesday about my long run nutrition and what went right/wrong. Phew- I’m glad these long runs are done! Thursday Well, let’s just say I was a tad sore. It was all in my quads, and also my right hip flexor (but not my left, hmmm.) I did a 45 minute walk, which felt amazing. Friday Still sore! Keeping with my theme of “Don’t Do Anything Stupid,” I decided to go for another walk, this time 30 minutes, and then I did a Caroline Girvan Advent Series workout: biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Saturday Still a little sore, but went for a 3 mile run and everything was fine. Followed it up with 10 minutes of core. And lots of foam rolling. Sunday On tap for today…. lower body strength, probably a Caroline Girvan workout that focuses on glutes and hamstrings (NOT quads!) Oh- and Happy Easter! My daughter and I are going to make a carrot cake, and we’re having lasagna for dinner. And I’m hoping for a nice, long Easter nap. What’s the longest training run you’ve ever done? – This was my longest. Are you doing anything special today?