2016 Mileage

A little over a month ago, I was logging my mileage and I happened to glance at my annual mileage for 2016. I was shocked when it showed 400 miles for the year. I didn't really start running this year until April/May, so I didn't realize I had that many miles. I was having a good month of running in September and October, so I decided I would try to hit 700 miles for the year.

Eeps.

I was just shy of 700 miles in 2013, and just over 700 miles in 2014. In 2015, I ran less than 200. Miles. Total. For the year. Whoa.

I sent a text to my new running buddy in town and asked if she'd be willing to keep me going during November and December after my October half to help me get in the mileage. I planned to take the week after my race off, which left me with 190 miles to run in 8 weeks. I recovered a little better than I expected, so I was able to get in about 10 miles, so now it's on. 180 miles in the next 8 weeks.

Totally doable, right?!

Another Short Term Goal

This weekend I spent a few minutes updating my running log (for the last month...wth, I used to do this IMMEDIATELY after a run I'LL HAVE ALL OF THE DATA FOR $500 PLZ ALEX). I realized that I'm about 150 miles from hitting 800 for the year. Some quick calculations later I figured that averaged out to just slightly over 4 miles/day until the end of the year. Hmm.....

Doable.... but a bit of a challenge, so CHALLENGE ACCEPTED (there is an exorbitant amount of caps lock in this post, much apologies).

I told Kyle my goal and his response was

KK: Almost to 1600 miles!?! That's awesome!!
JL: Um no... almost 800.
KK: Oh, that's like WAY lower than you've done before.
JL: Thanks babe.

I then kindly reminded him I was in grad school for 3/4 of the year and really only started running regularly again in June, and then I told him to go shove it (or else I just thought that part in my brain....).  I'm afraid to even look at my mileage goal post, because I think it is around 1600....

Hey, life happens, eh?

Thank God there's a 2014 for redemption!

Speaking of redemption, Saturday I had an AWESOME 6 mile run. I haven't had a 6 mile run that fast outside of the 2 10ks I've ran this year, and to be honest, even with a 2 mile cooldown, my overall pace wasn't that far off my 10k paces! AND the run was on hills.

Many thanks to the NCAA XC D1 and D2 championships for providing much runspiration pre-run, as well as Emily and other JFK 50 Mile participants as I watched the finishing stream for that as well and vowed never ever to run a 50 miler, like ever. But that ALSO helped get me out the door, because hello, they just ran 50 miles and look better than I do after a five mile jog. Craziness.





















This pic.... can't even handle how much I adore it. Major runner girl crush on Abbey D! I should've attempted to solidify our BFF-dom when I got to watch her run in Des Moines this summer at the T&F C'ship.

Oh, and in other Oh s---- news, today marks one month left in my 20s. OMG!

Back to it

My legs and mind were ready to run days before my toe would allow.  I was shuffling along in dress shoes with no socks (in 30 degrees some mornings, brr!) because any extra friction on my shoe caused extreme pain.  I had to drain my toe's blisters daily.  Barf.  Finally Thursday I was all set to enjoy our 60 degree Thanksgiving day for a run in the sun.  And then my parents dropped me off at my place and I realized that my cell phone was in the back seat of their car.  Fail.

Instead of getting my nice little spring weather frolic in, I had to jump in my car and chase them down the interstate.  By some grace of God, I managed to see them pull off to get gas about 30 miles south of my city, and could retrieve my phone, instead of following them all the way home-home, only to turn around and drive back.  Once I got back to town, I was so hungry and crabby that a run was the last thing on my mind.

But since I wasn't able to get in a run, I wasn't able to commit to a super fun 5k on Friday night.  A bunch of my runner friends were doing the Jingle Bell 5k, and were dressing up as Santa and his reindeer, decked out in battery pack Christmas lights.  I'm cheap, and just could not justify spending $35 and possibly being injured in a 5k, because I wasn't smart enough to make sure my legs were okay beforehand.

While they were running, I got a nice leisurely 3.5 mile run in and everything seemed ok.

Sunday I got a nice 6 miler in, with what could be one of the last days I can run sans coat.  Judging by everyone else out running, I probably should've been wearing one too, but it was nice in the sun (but I froze in the shade, holy brr!).

My next round of training starts the 2nd week of January, and Shawn had recommended that until I start up, I should really focus on some good base building.  Try to rack up the miles, but to do so at recovery or general aerobic heart rate zones.  He also recommended that I do a max heart rate test so I know my exact zones instead of my rough guestimation.

I created a pre-training program (because that's what all normal people do) based on Pfitz post marathon plan, and then a couple more weeks tacked on, and put it on the fridge on Sunday.  After logging my 6 mile run, I realized that I needed 141.7 miles to hit my goal of 1400 miles for the year.  That averaged out to 28.7/week which seemed.... tough but doable.  So I quickly consulted the fridge to see that from November 28th-December 31st, I have 142 miles planned.

Interesting how things like that work out, eh?  :)