This week, I ran 47 miles

+ 2 core workouts

+ 1 strength workout.

Monday:

5.3 miles, 8:08 average pace.

Considering I spent all weekend either sleeping or standing around drinking beer at North Coast, running was the last thing I wanted to do. And especially because it was a holiday and it already felt like a normal Sunday rest day, this was tough cookies. Didn’t even make it out until 7 pm but it was nice to run on a cool summer evening.

A port-o-potty magically appeared on the sidewalk literally right when I needed it to. Why can’t that happen all the time?!

Tuesday:

9 miles, 7:15 average pace. 5 mile tempo workout.

Meh. Craptastic tempo even though I thought tonight would be a perfect night for a cool workout on the lakefront. The splits don’t show it but there was stop & go action because I just couldn’t get my head in the game. It’s hardly ideal to stop on any run, let alone a tempo. Splits: 6:45, 6:33, 6:43, 6:47, 6:48. Target was 6:45-6:50. I have a feeling this would have gone differently if I’d focused on hitting 6:50 and pushed the last few miles if I felt like it. There was absolutely no kick in the legs tonight and unhappy with my shoe choice. Not even sure why I wore the Fastwitch considering I haven’t worn them much for tempos this cycle. Legs felt heavy and the shoes felt heavy for no apparent reason. Meh. On any other day, this could have gone the other way. (And I’m sure it will the next time I have a tempo on tap.)

2 pats-on-the-back and 2 side-5s with Mike M. tonight, adding to the “no chit chat” side-5 during the long run on Saturday. At this point, we’ll rule the lakefront by the end of September. (Also, side-5 with @HillarySpeaks at the end–hey girl heyyyy!)

Wednesday:

REST + Ramen + Relaxation. 

ALL THE REST. Well, except for 30-40 min of dyanamic stretches, hip strength routine, and a short core session before eating ALL THE RAMEN with Chanthana. Spent the day mulling over why the tempo didn’t go the way I wanted it to but a good friend told me to

Thursday:

19 miles, 7:48 average pace. Yup, before work.

I had to shift my long run this week because of weekend festivities (that wouldn’t be fun if I ran 19 miles beforehand). I definitely feel like a crazy person for doing this before a full day of work but I’m happy to get it out of the way and “recover” while working on some projects. (It also helps that this isn’t new territory for me. Ran 3 of my longest training runs for Twin Cities on Fridays because of a very busy fall schedule with family and friends. Gotta get it done somehow!)

This run actually felt therapeutic. I found more of a rhythm today than I have on other recent long runs. I wish I ran with my phone more often because there was a gorgeous sunrise along the lakefront with the choppy waves in Lake Michigan. I ran the first half without music because it was so calm and peaceful out there. There was plenty of cloud cover, but a slightly annoying crosswind the entire time from the east (apparently it’s supposed to be 90 degrees this Saturday so maybe shifting the long run was beneficial for more than one reason!). I stopped for water at 6.5, 10 (+Gu), 13, & 16. There was a slight tailwind for the last 3 miles and I averaged 7:35.

The legs didn’t feel entirely cooked & happy to get the longest run of the cycle done! Onward.

Friday:

5 easy recovery miles. Pace unknown.

It’s unusual for me to run the day after a long run but this week isn’t normal. It took me awhile to get going but the legs slowly began to loosen up and move smoothly. I ran without my watch and without music to take this as slow as my body wanted to. I’m seriously considering ditching the Garmin for all of my easy runs through this cycle. There’s no need to have data on recovery runs.

Saturday:

9 miles, 7:18 average. Steady state workout.

Swapped this workout with the long run this week because there’s a big difference between running 9 and running 19 before some weekend festivities. I’ve been trying to ward off a cold for the past two days and woke up pretty tired this morning (about 7.5 hrs sleep). I knew if I didn’t get this done today, I’d regret it. Wedding craziness this afternoon, so I’m glad it’s out of the way. Saw Charlyn C. during her final 20 (woop woop!) before Fox Valley. There were periods of sunshine but the breeze was nice. I stopped a few times just to splash water on my face. The legs wanted to run 7:10s instead of 7:20-7:30 but definitely still felt the burn. Last mile in 7:02 just for kicks. (That felt tough, but good.)

Highlights o’ the Week:

• Added to my running playlist: I got nothin’! Sorry guys. Adding a song to my playlist didn’t even cross my mind this week!
• Ramen at Oiistar — I had the Tikkamen (chicken tikka masala spice!)
• A new fancy schmancy dress purchase. For a girl that normally doesn’t wear dresses, I’m quite excited about this one.
• ALL THE PUMKING. Thursday was a really long day with the long run before work, a full day of work, and errands in the evening. By the time I finally made it home at 9 PM that Southern Tier Pumking  tasted like absolute heaven.

Pictures o’ the Week:

Gorgeous Labor Day walk along the Riverwalk

Immediate regret. $98 for a sweater with a Barklee look-alike? How could I pass that up?

Mid-afternoon cappuccinos with the coworkers

Fresh lilies from the farmer’s market- smell so good!

Sweet nectar of the gods.

The sweet pup contemplating a nap in the sunshine.

– J