A solid week of training and again, big success because my legs didn’t fall off! Baby steps, people.

This week was all about surviving the #polarvortex and #Chiberia. Because, let’s be serious, I’m sure as heck not running outside in anything that ‘feels like’ less than 0 freakin’ degrees. I have a love-hate relationship with the treadmill, but I’m glad I had access to one this week!

This week, I ran 38 miles.

60 min yoga.

1 hr spin class.

ART x 1.

Massage x 1.

Core x 1.

Hip strength x 1.

5 runs and 2 cross-training days. Solid.

Monday: 5 miles, 8:12 pace + Core and Hip Strength routines

5 recovery miles after 15 on the treadmill the day before. I trekked to the gym to get this easy run in. It’s only a 3-4 minute walk but I bundled up and covered everything except my eyeballs. 🙂 Legs aren’t sore from 15 yesterday but they still felt a bit heavy today.

Tuesday: 7 miles, 7:53 pace – 4 x 800 workout

After a long work day and frigid commute, I drank some hot tea and trudged over to the gym to do this on the treadmill. (Who else is excited for the HEAT WAVE of 35 degrees this weekend?!?!?!) Ran 2 mi w/up, 4 x 800 with 400 m RI, and 2 mi c/down. After waiting 10 minutes for a treadmill (which never happens because I never go to the gym at 6:30 pm, the rush), I was happy to get started. The first one was definitely a challenge but I found my groove by the 3rd repeat and the 4th was a good challenge. All of them were 3:09-3:11.

Wednesday: 1 hour yoga 

I’m loving yoga lately. Lots of things to stretch out. Plus, when I go in the evening, I’m relaxed and ready for bed by 9 pm. #hermit

Thursday: 8 miles, 7:26 average – 4 mile tempo workout

After too many treadmill miles in the past 7 days, I was excited to finally get out to the lakefront for a workout. Headed out around 3 pm when the light snow was coming down. Ran 2 up, 4 mi tempo, and 2 down. Originally scheduled a 5 mi “long tempo” workout but decided to run 4 at a quicker pace. Periods of slush and slide on the lakefront but overall not too bad. Last two tempo miles were tough against the wind. Splits: 7:07, 7:04, 7:04, 7:00.

Friday: 1 hr spin class + ART at PT

Made it to another Friday spin class with Corey. It was an endurance ride and most of it was in the saddle, which made for a pretty boring class but it was a good flush of the legs before running long tomorrow at least. Went to PT this morning for another ART session–feelin’ fresh.

And surpriiiiiise! We’re already at the 100-day countdown to Boston!

Saturday: 14 mile long run, 7:53 average at Morton Arboretum 

Drove out to Morton Arboretum with Chanthana and Corey this morning to get some hill work in. These Boston-bound ladies will be ready for those hills in April! My legs feel like they ran more like 20 miles than 14 because sections of the East and West loops were literally sheets of ice. We had to constantly cut across the path to find the passable sections — they sanded a good portion of it but the temps made it slick, I think. At Mile 7, I thought I’d cut this short and just get a solid 1:30 in but once I got there, I pulled it together and finished the scheduled 14 miles. Something seemed to click around mile 9 and I just went with it. Happy to finish the last two at 7:21 and 7:18 after working the legs pretty hard on those hills. Last year I didn’t do any hill training for Boston — this is a good start.

Followed by IHOP. BACON! EGGS! HASHBROWNS! COFFEE!

Sunday: 4 easy recovery miles, 8:23 average on the treadmill 

Super easy recovery run after brunch, massage, and errands. Really wish I could have run and then enjoyed the massage, but the legs are flushed either way!

This week was pretty great. If there was any indication that the left quad is ready to work, it was Saturday’s hilly 14-miler. I’m sure many would scoff at the hills we ran, but they’re really challenging when your normal runs look like this…

I rested hardcore on Saturday evening and woke up on Sunday feeling fatigued, but not sore. Another good sign! I think the speedwork is helping to build strength and I know that the added cross-training is helping to correct some imbalances that I didn’t know existed (until it was too late) in the fall.  I’ve also been using the R8 Roll Recovery almost every single day—honestly, not sure how I survived without. The legs have felt refreshed every time I go out for a run lately!