Weekly Rundown- Lots of Running!
Well, this was a fun week- in preparation for my race (on April 26th) I did back-to-back long runs. This is tricky, because I don’t have two days off from work in a row. But where there’s a will there’s a way, right? I figured it out. Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown. Here we go… Sunday Leg day at the gym! I focused on squats (no deadlifts today). Also did leg extension and leg curl machines, and piriformis exercises. Monday This week was my daughter’s spring break, which meant I could sleep a little later! 4 mile run that began in the dark but ended in daylight, followed by some core work. Tuesday I started the day with a mile walk, then after work went to the gym. I did a back workout (rows, reverse flys) and then walked another mile on the treadmill. My legs were still a little sore from the squats on Sunday, and I was hoping to flush it out. I had a lot of running coming up! Wednesday Long run #1! The plan was to run 34 miles over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, divided up however I wanted. 20+14, 24+10, or any other combination. I started in the dark and was able to see the sunrise… As soon as it got light, I headed to the trail. Everything felt good until it started to get hot. There was not a cloud in the sky- it would be a perfect day for the beach. NOT perfect for doing a long run on a sunny trail. This run got REALLY hard. I got back to my car at mile 20 and considered calling it quits. But I knew Thursday’s run would be on the treadmill, and I decided to do Future Jenny a favor and run two more miles. I left the trail and ran on a sidewalk nearby, which had some shade. That made a HUGE difference! Thursday I was able to sleep in till 7:00 (woohoo!), then went to work, and after work went straight to the gym for long run #2. You guys… this run was NOT THAT BAD! I put on the Beatles White Album and listened to the whole thing- that was fun. And guess what- the gym is AIR CONDITIONED. And, I was able to play around with the pace and the incline to keep things fresh- SO much easier than running for miles and miles on nothing but flat. I finished 12 miles feeling pretty good! Now I know you might be thinking: “Jenny. Your race is not going to be air conditioned.” Yes, I know that and I’m concerned about the heat. It seems like I tolerate the heat less and less these days. I do have some ideas for heat mitigation and acclimation that I’m going to try, but right now I just want to move to Alaska. Friday OFF. Obviously. Once again I was able to sleep till 7:00, which felt AMAZING. After work I had an appointment with my chiropractor. He worked on my cranky hamstring (that hamstring is just going to hate me from now until after the race) and also adjusted my low back. I left there feeling really good! Saturday Once again I prioritized sleep, and didn’t get up until 7:00. After work I went to the gym, where I again ran on the treadmill. 4 SHORT miles, followed by core. Sunday On tap for today- sleeping in! This week has been amazing for sleep, and I’m sad to see it end. After waffles and tea, I’ll be heading to the gym for a good strength session. I’m really happy with how this week played out running-wise, but strength was pretty sketchy. I’m eager to get back to it! How was your week? Was it spring break where you are?