Weekly Training Recap

I really started working on my additional observation requirements for yoga teacher training so I spent a LOT of time in the yoga studio, but not practicing.

Wednesday I got in a run at our group run. A hillyish 2.2 miles.

Followed by a fun and challenging flow at the store.

Saturday yoga goddess MC Sweet was her for our last weekend of training and she killed us in a 90 minute flow. I was sick on Thursday and Friday so it was especially hard. But so so great.

We ended the day with an hour long yin class. Magical.

Sunday we kicked off with a two hour power class. I have never worked so hard in a class in my life. We had only our body heat in the room and we fogged the mirrors up completely. Yoga puddle.

Weekly Training Recap

On Tuesday Emily and I met at the barre for a class heavy on the booty and core work.

Friday was so gorgeous out that Ollie and I got to take a nice long snowy walk together.

Friday night I attended a power vinyasa class with Emily.

Sunday morning I was signed up for a workshop yoga practice that focused on chakras. It inspired me to dive back into my books on chakras later that afternoon.

And the running store had a group run late in the afternoon. So I tagged along for a couple of miles in shorts!

Weekly Training Recap

Monday I shocked myself by going for a twilight run after my late working shift. Kyle was home entertaining Ollie so I hit the road for four easy general aerobic miles with some strides.

Tuesday I took a rest day. And came home to dinner on the grill--pineapple infused brats. SO GOOD. Ollie was patiently waiting for her plate of brats.

Spoiler: she didn't get any. Look how skinny she's looking!! Good work puggy!

I did manage some core work with brats a-sloshin' around in my belly! 

Wednesday I had my first warm tempo run of the season. I hydrated heavily all afternoon long and brought a bottle of Osmo Nutrition along for the ride.

I had a mile warm up and then 5 @ tempo. I struggled. I could feel that my butt wasn't participating in the run at all, and the ~9 minute pace felt like a 7 minute pace. Jenn and I yo-yoed with each other as to who was dragging @$$ the most. I decided to cut a mile out. At the turnaround I stopped to do some reverse lunges and that helped get the glutes in to high gear. I think we ended up spending more time chatting post run than we did on the actual run!

I offered to record her form after our run so she could see her wonky foot thing, and she did the same for me. I'm floored at how much better my form looks! There's certainly still room for improvement, but I'm just so excited I'm on the right track!

Thursday it was crazy hot out so instead of getting up and running before work, I didn't run. I did do my core exercises though.

Friday was my first day off in seven days and by the time I woke up at 7:30, it was already toasty toasty out. I also realized that I have a whole extra week of training for my 10k (I forgot to adjust my training program after I learned the race was a week later). Somehow that translates in to me being lazier.

And thus I didn't pack my running shoes or garmin for the weekend at the lake cabin.

So I guess an alternate title to this post could've been: weekly training recap but not really because I only ran ten miles. But that's really long so.....

Stayed tuned to next week to see if I finally wise up and wake up before the sun. Forecast says temps in the mid 80s. Woof. 

Goal Race Week Training Recap

Monday I woke up and hit the treadmill to do my shakeout run from the weekend's half. The crazy wind from the weekend was still upon us and I knew I'd have to walk/run to keep my run a recovery run, so I hit the treadmill instead. My body felt like crap. My left knee started hurting, so I cut it short at 1 mile.

I went home and did core work and glute exercises.

Tuesday the winds were still present, and I had no desire to deal with them or the treadmill Rest day it is.

Wednesday I had an Alexander No-Good-Very-Bad-Day and almost bailed on my track workout with Jenn, but I made myself go, knowing the endorphins would help out my mood. Again, it was cold and ridiculously windy, but man is it easier to only have to run into the wind for 100m at a time!

^Showing off our twinsie iPods, she just got a new one. #teamgreen

I had 2 mile repeats on the schedule. For someone who used to absolutely DREAD mile repeats, I sure do enjoy them (maybe because of my previous mile repeat paces, eeps! those'll be back soon, I'm sure). I was supposed to run them in 8:25 pace, but knew that last week's were closer to 8:20, so I shot for that.

Thanks endorphins.

Thursday Ollie took me on a mini quarter of a mile shake out run. I worked late because I lead a bookclub at work once a month, and I spent the entire morning reading the book so I was prepared for the bookclub! Which means I didn't get my run in. Ollie wanted to RUN on her nighttime potty break, so run we did. It was fun.

Friday I meant to run, I really did. But. I didn't.

Saturday was my PGSPR spring half. Whoop!

Sunday was full on recovery. 12 hours of sleep. Reading, Veronica Mars marathon, two hour nap with the pug. Went to bed at 9:30pm. And a trough full of water. I meant to foam roll but that would've required me to get off the couch. :P

Goal Race Training Recap Week 3

Monday was a rest day as I had to teach a class before work and got really confused as to what time I had to be there, thus cutting out time for a few quick miles.

Tuesday I met up with Jenn after work for a tempo run. I had seven miles on the schedule with five at a tempo pace of 9. I told Jenn that I usually try to run a little over tempo for mile one and make it up the rest of the miles. We started off with a 1.5 mile warm up and we were off. I had warned her beforehand that I wouldn't be my usual talkative self on this run since I'd be busy gasping for air. But I was just fine, shockingly. We didn't talk as much as we normally do, but I wasn't dying as anticipated.

When we hit the turnaround she started running ahead of me and then doubling back, and I told her that I was fine chasing her. I didn't want to push faster than 9 pace because I'm still working up my tempo mileage (this was my longest tempo run since..... Brookings half training 2 years ago?) and I wanted her to get in some miles at her tempo pace. I didn't let her get too far ahead of me and tried to chase her during the final mile. Turns out she was running an 8:30 pace, so it's not surprising that I couldn't catch her, but I felt like I was flying with an 8:41.

Most importantly, as speed work tends to break me, I didn't feel any pain during the run, immediately after, or the next day. Score one for the legs getting stronger (hopefully). I think we have a date for next Tuesday at the track. I shall refer to this as Operation: Slow No Mo'. I think of the wittiest things when my brain is deprived of oxygen.

Wednesday I took another rest day because it was atrocious out. Snow? Again? Really?? I'm over you.

Thursday I hit some residential area near-ish to me because it's the only flat route from my place with the intention of running 3-5. I ended up somewhere in the middle with 4. I'm glad I got in a recovery run because my legs didn't feel very springy. There were a ton of kids out playing basketball and I was reminded of my first love. Ahhh..... #ballerforlyfe

Friday's long run I had intended on waking up early for and finishing up before lunch time. From noon on the forecast had giant wind clouds with mouths blowing for the remainder of the day. In typical Jerbear procrastination fashion, I did indeed wake up early, which is a magical feat as it was my first day off in 8 straight days of work. Blech. But I putz around until 11:30am, aka the time the winds started being all whoooooshy. I took Ollie out before I headed out and almost blew away. Yuck.

The run started off awesome.  The first mile was with the wind and I was flying. I did 3 minute pickups every 20 minute to work on some speedier sections on fatigued legs. The first half flew by, even though it was 95% into the wind. I kept telling myself I would put up with it and then have it at my back for the turn around. Except, naturally the wind shifted to the south around the time that I turned around so I didn't have a nice little push behind me, and ended up having to run my exhausted self in to 25-40 mph winds. Uff.

I did well until mile 10 when I was just plain wiped. I ate PB toast at 8am when I woke up, as I planned to run at 9:30 or 10, so I was probably starting the run on empty. Ugh. I ended up taking walk breaks during the last 5k, and it reminded me of the marathon where the last 5k is the LONGEST 5K IN THE HISTORY OF ALL 5KS. But at least I finished it up.

Sunday I snuck in the slowest of slow 3 mile shake out runs. I think I even took a walk break. My legs felt great working on Saturday and somehow that switched to d-e-a-d on Sunday. Derp.

27 miles for the week. One of the highest mileage weeks I've had since before my 7 week sinus issues/cold/whatever. Whoop!

Goal Race Training Recap Weeks 1 + 2

Week 1 (again?) Goal Race Training Week 1? Week 14? I dunno.
March 31-April 6

Monday: Super easy 3 mile shake out run before teaching, before my regular work shift. Somehow that day flew by. I'm guessing the run helped.

Friday: 6.25 miles with 5x800 m hill repeats.

I thought it was warm enough for shorts, but my bright red legs will tell you otherwise. The repeats were pretty decent, but I thought my legs were going to fall off during #4. I had the crazy leg lock thing going on. Uff da. Run felt great and I was on cloud nine.

Until.....

Sunday: Jillian Michaels workout video. I had planned to do my long run before I left for Vegas, but my hip had been bothering me since my speed work session. Like, hurt to walk on, pain. So instead, I did a strength video and just modified the one cardio move that simulated running and aggravated my hip.

April 7-13

Monday through Wednesday I was in Vegas. I probably walked ~5 miles each day, but those aren't running miles. Dominique and I optimistically brought along running clothes and as the days in Vegas went on, we laughed at the idea that we thought we'd get in some runs. Now I'm kicking myself because we always say how much we wish we lived closer because we'd be ideal running buddies. Whoops.

Thursday and Friday I was on catch up mode. Catch up on sleep, catch up on work (I worked extra long hours to lessen the amount of vacation time I had to take for my Vegas trip, meaning Ollie was left all by her lonesome even longer since Kyle was also out of town), by the time I got home from work, the last thing I wanted to do was put Ollie back in the kennel so I could get in a run. Is this mommy guilt? I'm not sure.

Saturday after a regular ol' 8 hour work shift, I came home, took Ollie on a nice long walk because it was gorgeous out. The vet said Ollie needed to lose even more weight, so we've cut down her meal sizes, and we're working on her endurance levels again. She hit her spring 2014 distance PR on this walk. Whoop Ollie girl! Instead of the Hal Higdom walk/run program, she has implemented the "shuffle really fast and then stop for a minute to huff/puff/catch breath." It seems to be working for her. Look out Hal!

Since she was somewhat wore out after the walk, I didn't feel bad about getting out and enjoying the gorgeous weather. I flirted with the idea of just tackling my long run right then and there, but I hadn't eaten since lunch and spent more time guzzling coffee than water during my work shift. Spoiler alert: I should've just done my long run!

I had the most amazing run ever. I took a rolling hill route and it was beautiful out, and the pace felt effortless. I was shooting for a recovery paced run as I was planning on 13 miles on Sunday, and it was quite a bit faster than my recovery runs typically are. So yayzies I guess for a gorg day.

Sunday I woke up to what seemed to be a tsunami outside. I was actually somewhat concerned for what the wind was going to do to our poorly constructed apartment (have I mentioned we're moving? I hate this place). The winds were in the 30-45 mph range. It was 20 some degrees out and rainy. Eew. Maybe it'll be nice after work, I thought positively to myself.

Nope. Just as bad. Worse probably.

I decided to buck up and run long on the treadmill. Armed with the last two copies of Runners World, a bottle of Nuun, two GUs, my iPod mini with BJ Novak's audiobook on it, my regular iPod with tunes on it, should I get bored of the audiobook, my iPhone for texting enjoyment, and Shalane Flanagan's 60 minutes special coming on the tv before too long. 

All necessities for a successful long run right? I started out and felt great. Like I could run forever. Which is good because I assumed this would take forever. I had planned on easy paces for the first 9 and then trying to speed up to hit GHMP for the last 3. Well I didn't get that far. I started to have pain in my left hip again shortly before the end of mile 3. Ugh. I know my form isn't great on a treadmill, so I figured there was no sense in pushing it and risk not being able to race at all in less than two weeks. Eeeps! Two weeks! So I called it quits and did core work and my hip exercises. Womp.

But then Kyle came home, whom I hadn't seen for over a week, so I quickly forgot about my failed run. Except for now when I'm having to bring it up and obsess over it all over again. Thanks a lot Jerky Blog.