This week, I ran 45 miles.
+ 4 core workouts
+ 1 strength workout
Monday:
Easy 6, 7:54 average pace. The legs felt GREAT today, probably because they were shredded from Wed-Sat last week. Beautiful afternoon for an easy run, especially with the cool breeze. Last 2 miles were quick but didn’t feel difficult.
Tuesday:
8 x 800 workout. 9.08 miles, 7:34 average pace.
Plan was 2 w/up, 8 x 800 at 3:05-3:10 with 2:30 rest, and 1 mi c/d. Got it done but it took every last ounce of energy to push through #7 and #8 (which is *the* point of the workout, so…). Very happy with the splits even though they felt all over the place during the workout: 3:07, 3:05, 3:08, 3:06, 3:06, 3:11 (derp), 3:04, 3:09.
After dinner I started thinking about the workout and wondering how it compared to the last 8 x 800 m workout I did in February before Boston.
February 2013:
Today’s Workout:
Today’s workout was a WEEEEEE bit faster than in February, although I love how progressive the repeats were then. Focusing on finding the power in my hips and maintaining my form through these tough workouts.
Wednesday:
Rest Day + Strength Day. I figured it’s time to step up to Level 2 of the Jillian Michaels 6 Week 6 Pack DVD (considering I’ve been doing it for far longer than 6 weeks haha) It didn’t feel that much more difficult but the routine is more complicated. I didn’t expect it to burn as much as it did and, judging by the massive pool of sweat on my yoga mat at the end, I think I worked hard enough. (30 min core + strength)
Thursday:
9 miles, 7:45 average. Easy first 7, tempo last two. Tempo splits: 7:04 and 6:51! I was looking forward to this run. Longish weekday runs can be refreshing and the tempo miles at the end always seem to be more challenging than you think they will be during the first 7 easy miles. Didn’t expect the speed or kick to come in that last mile but I just went with it. I was *that girl* that smelled up the bus on the way home from the lake while people were making their way to work. 🙂
Friday:
4.5 miles, 8:17 pace. Ran easy around the neighborhood in mid-morning. We had some thunderstorms in the morning and once the sun came out, it was pretty muggy. My left hip has been hurting on and off in the past two weeks or so. Need to commit to a consistent warm-up and cool-down routine to prevent injury, especially since I had minor problems with the same hip last fall.
Saturday:
16.04 miles, 7:55 average pace. Ahhhh mileage increase, that’s what you feel like! I was excited for this one, especially because it’s the longest run I’ve done since March-ish. I was able to release my left hip on my own with the TP massage ball yesterday, but was still worried about it giving me problems. It loosened up after the 2 mile “warm-up” and some stretches once I reached the lake. Could have run a slower pace but the legs locked in at 7:45-8:00 and didn’t want to slow down.
I’ve been thinking more about buying some sunglasses especially for my long run. I never thought I’d be making that purchase, but I have experienced “sun headaches” in the past because of squinting through 2-3 hours of a long run. I don’t want to spend much money on them ($100 pair of sunglasses just seems outrageous to me.) Anyone have any suggestions on a brand or model that would be good? A friend suggested buying the cheap pairs they always seem to have at race expos but I’ve never really looked much at them.
Pics o’ The Week:
This is the face Barklee makes when she feels we’re not giving her enough attention. Dramatic right?
Obsessed.
Best piece of mail this week? A shirt designed by Kristy after Coach published a blog post with a running hippo
Get in my bellyyyyyyy!
– J
We Wander And Ponder 
That’s an impressive week! I’m so jealous of your paces – hopefully someday I’ll get there. I bought a pair of Bolle sunglasses about three years ago, and they’re amazing for running and very durable. It was a lot of money to spend at the time, but I think they’re one of the most useful pieces of running equipment I own.
Thanks! I think you’ll be surprised how fast you get in a relatively short amount of time! It’s always fun to see your paces get faster and faster in the beginning. 🙂 I’ll definitely look into Bolle
Awesome week! Great mileage.
Thanks!
Even though I see your workouts on DM I love these posts! Those tempo miles look preeeeeeetty! I wear “ironman” sunglasses from The Sports Authority. I’m on my second pair of them, my current pair were $30 and I love them. My previous pair was $25 I think (inflation?), I had them for 4 years then stepped on them, duh. So anyway, yah, shades are a necessity but I feel like it’s too risky to lose or break or scratch them up while running so I like my cheepie ones.
😀 I’m glad you enjoy the posts! (although sometimes I’m guilty of cutting and pasting my thoughts directly from DM lol) $30 sounds like exactly what I’m willing to spend. Anything more just seems like a waste, considering my record with sunglasses 🙂
I have Tifosi sunglasses that I got super cheap. They’re not very cool looking, but they’re comfortable!
And that was a pretty amazing week of training. I love that you looked at your stats from the same workout in a past training cycle (I should do that more often) — very cool to see such improvement!
I’ll look into Tifosi! Several people gave me some great suggestions, might have to buy at least 2 pairs to find a “favorite”. I couldn’t stop myself from checking my past splits. I try really hard to mentally stay in one training cycle but it’s hard especially when the data is accessible 🙂
Do you wear a visor when you run? I’m not sure sunglasses while running are my thing, but I think a visor helps a lot!
Nice week of training!
I’m not a visor kind of gal, although I’m sure I could get used to it. Thanks Susan!
So lovely seeing you and the Man yesterday! AND Ms Barklee.. She is a cutie pie.
Your getting so speedy & strong lady! Im super impressed and inspired by your workouts and how far youve come in the past few short years 🙂
My purple sunglasses I wore yesterday on the run (in my FB photo) are from “Optic Nerve” they are light and feel good while running. I got them on sale from REI a while ago for $20-$30. http://opticnerve.com/
Eeee! Glad you could come over and enjoy the rooftop! You’re too sweet. We’ll be drinkin’ a few beers to celebrate your BQ in just a few short weeks! I’ll definitely look into the sunglasses. Price point is perfecto!
I bought some cheaper sunglasses on amazon. And my husband got some ironman glasses at at rite aid that he loves for $20. So there are def some cheap options out there. 🙂
Oh man, I bought some of that raspberry kombucha a month or so ago and couldn’t stay out of it! I feel like I have no self-control when it comes to that fermented deliciousness. Nice miles!
I have this pair of Scattante glasses that I bought for cycling but they work perfect well for running as well. Light weight, easy to clean,
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1123781_-1_400117__400117
I used to wear Tifosi sunglasses until I lost them and found an awesome (and cheaper) replacement pair at an Expo. These new ones were Boston Bill brand: http://www.bostonbill.com/
If you see them at an Expo, go for them. They’re comfortable, not too expensive at around $50 and long-lasting. My only complaint is that the kind I bought doesn’t allow for interchangeable lenses.
I always run in my raybans… But I also run slow 10 min miles, so not sure how’d they perform if I were speedy 🙂