Like my “Photoshoppin'” skills? I had to get creative before leaving town for the weekend. 🙂

This week I ran 45 miles

+ 3 core workouts

+ 1 strength workout.

Monday:

5.47 mi, 8:39 average pace. Just an easy recovery run to start the week. My massage on Sunday helped to work out soreness that I didn’t even know I had, especially in my quads. It was nice to start the week feeling refreshed. I ran to Fleet Feet in the evening and then ran with the #RunChi team. (Charlyn’s race is so close!)

Tuesday:

9.47 mi, 7:26 average pace.

Well, this is encouraging! Plan was 2 mi w/up, 2 x 2.5 mi tempo at 6:40-6:50 (2:30 jog recovery), and 1-2 mi c/d. Left the house at 6:15 AM, always later than I plan on leaving. I knew that the wind was going to be bad northbound but I didn’t expect it to be as bad as it was. Took the first 2.5 tempo at effort and tried not to look at my watch. (20 mph winds = strength/resistance training). The 2.5 mi back southbound felt like I was flying!

Splits: 7:03, 7:00, 6:52 pace (0.5 mi)/ 6:40, 6:38, 6:35 pace (0.5 mi)

Glad I went out this morning and don’t have to worry about getting this done later on today

Wednesday:

REST + 6 week 6 pack Level 1 DVD + form drills.

Thursday:

9.21 miles, 7:49 average pace. Plan was to run 9 easy miles with 5 x 1 min surges. They were fun! I didn’t have the Garmin menu screen set up correctly to look at my lap pace so I just tried to hold whatever pace my body decided to run in the first one. (ha) The surge paces were average 5:40 pace! (5:25-5:45 span) The lakefront was already really busy with vendors setting up tents and booths for the Air & Water Show and it looked like there were already a ton of families in town to visit for the weekend. Happy to be out of town this weekend to avoid that craziness for a long run!

Friday:

4.06 miles, 7:55 average. Nice jaunt around the neighborhood mid-morning, after a call for work and before folding laundry. Working from home is all about multi-tasking sometimes ya know?

Saturday:

17.3 miles, 7:53 average.

This month is crazy busy and each weekend basically through September is busy with weddings, races, travel, and other fun stuff. A weekend away in Michigan sounded perfect among all this craziness so I went up to Holland, Michigan to spend time with my mom and sister. I ran several times while I was up there over 4th of July but my long run then was only 11-12 miles I think. I didn’t have a route planned but thought I might divide the run into several loops, especially for hydration stops.

Running solo along shaded streets is SO different than normal Chicago lakefront path runs. I woke up late because of the time change and because it seemed so early in the morning when I looked out the window. (Hard to tell what time it is back in a wooded area). The entire run was on a shady path and I circled by the house 3 times for water. I felt strong and the legs didn’t start to tire until 3 miles to go. Once I had brunch I felt human again and an ice bath in Lake Michigan later in the afternoon felt great.

Highlights o’ The Week:

• Added to my running playlist: Tallulah by Company of Thieves & Don’t Let Me Fall Behind by Jukebox the Ghost.
• The Man had a long run this weekend to and we had the side 5 to make all other side 5s jealous.
• There’s nothing like ending the day with a campfire and a game of Scrabble with my family.
• Recent obsession: Coco Coconut Popsicles.

Pics o’ The Week:

The clouds over Chicago on Wednesday morning looked like the END OF DAYS!

Worked outside at a local coffee shop for a few hours on Thursday morning. I remember when I was so happy to be able to work wherever and whenever I wanted. Still appreciate it but forget that it’s a perk 🙂

Wisdom from Lauren Fleshman in latest issue of Runner’s World: “You can’t dream properly in a spreadsheet”

Oh look! It’s a puppy in an Ikea bag!

How often do you get a change of scenery? Do you prefer running in the city or in the ‘wilderness’?

What other lingering tips do you have for Hood to Coast (I’LL BE ON A PLANE TO SEATTLE ON WEDNESDAY MORNING! WAHOOOO!)

-J