Choo Choo chugga chugga

Week 5: 

10/19: Strength/TM - 2 miles

10/20: 4 miles. Indoors. YMCA

10/21: 6 miles; outside. 4.5 w D. 1.5 solo

10/22: strength 10 minutes

10/23: rest 

10/24: 10 miles, outside. Slow minutes

10/25: strength/stretch

Monday's details: 

5 rounds

400m

10 squat cleans

10 push press

10 SA DB swings #20 (each side)

Ended w .75 to total 2 miles 

Thursday's details:

5 rounds

10 front raises #8

10 fly raises #8

10 hammer curls #8

10 squat and press #8

When O was younger, he was obsessed with trains. I cannot count how many times and how many episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine and Choo Choo Soul have been burned into my brain. I think he really craved the order and synchronicity of the trains itself - all lined up in a row each with its own specific purpose. He has since outgrown his obsession love with trains but he definitely still exhibits the same obsessive tendencies. Kind of annoying as a parent, honestly, when your kid is so insistent and focused  that he won't give up, even when all signs point to Game Over. Dead End. Full Stop.

Training feels like that to me sometimes. As annoying and overbearing it gets in my life, I still crave that order, the knowledge of knowing that next stop. Often think I must be as annoying to my friends and family as I felt(feel?) Oliver was to us back then when he always and only had trains on the brain. But, now I understand. It will bode well for him in life, this personality trait. Doesn't make it any less annoying though. 😉

With each training cycle, I try to make sure that the schedule doesn't overtake and control the rest of our lives, but.. When you're the mom and certain responsibilities lie with you, juggling it all and making time for what is important is... not necessarily a struggle, because it's all worth the perseverance and hard work, BUT! It's tiring. I'm tired! You'd think after all of these times I could have found the recipe for this...

Last week was a super slogfest. I'm starting to think this heavy dead legs feeling is not all from weight training. I've really started to realistically study my diet and its affects on training, and my overall health. I am starting to be more diligent about vitamins, drinking enough water and really thinking about my protein intake. So much work, but if I want to see results I have to put in all the work, right? Right. So, stop eating the sugar, LB. 

I was psyching myself up over Saturday's 10 miles. It's been a while since I've ran 10 miles, let alone outside and alone.  I had to mentally pep talk myself all of Friday and even Saturday morning. Luckily, we didn't have plans until the afternoon so I was able to sleep in a bit, make pancakes for the family and then head out around 9. In the rush to find some working earbuds, I left the house without any fuel. Whoops! Turns out, you don't need fuel as much when you aren't running very fast. The GU could have helped but I was really ok without it.

The first two miles always suck in major ways, but I found my groove around mile 4, and ended up doubling back in the middle to knock out some miles. My legs didn't feel great but I felt.. Ok. Not like death,  but not like a rockstar. Somewhere in the middle, like your average pedestrian suburbanite. My main goal was not necessarily pace (although, isn't that always really the goal) but to finish strong those 10 miles. Save for two brief stop lights, I ran the entire way and for a moment, I even #ranhappy, if you can believe it. 

So, first 10 miles in the training cycle are on the books!

This week's 10 miles are scheduled for the treadmill.

Hold meeee

I can't count.

Week 3 4! 

10/12: 6 miles, TM. 55:33

10/13: Weights/core. 30 min.

10/14: 5 miles. TM. 48 min

10/15: Rest

10/16: Rest

10/17: 9 miles, TM. 1:25. Quick strength workout 10 minutes.

10/18: Rest

Total miles: 20
Total Strength: 2 days

So. I can't math. I somehow miscalculated the training calendar, and I should actually be on week five today, which means last week was actually week 4, not 3! Whoops. Oh well, moving forward.

Last week was nothing special. I slept late on Sunday night which meant I ended up skipping my Monday run. Luckily, I was able to squeeze it in during the evening. 6 kind of icky miles (with a few stops) but still. 6 miles.

I wasn't able to get outside at all this week, so I knocked out 9 treadmill miles on Saturday. This run was also laced with a few zillion stops but in my defense it was to play referee to the kids. Apparently it's pretty difficult to go an hour without arguing about something. Plus my legs just felt like lead, and I was sadly kind of bored! I need fresh, new tv!

I'm having a hard time balancing strength training and running. I feel like I'm burning out my legs so that the runs are feeling extra effortful. I'm not really sure how to do this strength training thing while training for a half.

You know those running magazines and blogs that show gazelle like runners in their stealth, lithe forms?

I'm like this guy.

All quads, man. All quads.

I was just too tired and unmotivated to run on Sunday but I did sleep in until 9:30 both Saturday and Sunday, which is juuust what my body needed.

Now, onto another week. 

Run, run, lift, lift (fork), Run.

Freshly birthed at week 2

10/5:  5 miles, TM. 47:27

10/6:  5 miles. TM/ 48? 

            Million stops. Just tired 

10/7:   30 minutes. Strength circuit 

10/8:   Rest 

10/9:   Rest

10/10: 6 miles, TM. 58 min. 

             (Plan 8 miles outside)

10/11: 4.5 miles recovery w D. 

            15 min strength

I hit 20 miles for the week. I don't think I've done this in a very long time. I can only (need to) go up from here!

Last week was not spectacular, as I was still suffering from the last dregs of sickness from the previous week. Cough cough hack. 

Monday's treadmill run was fine, if a little slow. Tuesday's was downright painful and sloggy, with many stops peppered between the miles. I really couldn't find my groove and I was just so very tired. It's pretty amazing/annoying how your body reacts accordingly due to the different phases of the month. 

Wednesday was strength, and just... 

Whoa. 

It was a solid workout that was sneaky tough and did i certainly feel it afterwards. I am pretty sure this was the first time doing deadlifts correctly, because my glutes and quads were screaming. Post workout, I struggled walking down the stairs. I felt like a baby calf. 

#freshlybirthed

Here's a peek at the workout. Seems simple, right? No. I was basically crippled and hobbling for two days. #hurtssogood

Needless to say, Thursday and Friday were rest/recovery days. We had a pretty packed weekend so I had planned to wake up early and get out the door for 8 miles but by the time I waited for the sun to rise, I didn't have enough time, so I jumped on the treadmill for 6 ugly miles. Between having my period and still sore legs from Wednesday, I just struggled. I threw in some incline work and a few speed bursts in the last two miles, which helped the miles go by faster until the end. 

Sunday's easy 4.5 miles were timed but accidentally not logged with miles or pace. I am not sure what I did to my Garmin but my watch failed to read or report any of the fun info! Regardless, it was nice to get out with D and just catch up for a bit. I threw in a few bicep and shoulder moves with 10 lb weights and then did some abs and called the week good. 

I miscounted the weeks on my training calendar and it turns out I have a week less than originally anticipated. So, skipping week 3 on the calendar and moving to week 4. Today calls for a rest day, and I'll take it. #mondays

Seattle or Bust. So far, Bust...

Seattle Half Marathon Training 2015 Week 1

9/28: 5 miles. 47 min new shoes

9/29: TM and weights. 2 miles total. Old shoes. 40 min total. See below. 

 

9/30: rest (sick)

10/1: rest (sick)

10/2: rest (sick)

10/3: rest (sick)

10/4: rest (sick) 

9/28 details:

4 rounds 

800m

5 power cleans, 

5 hang cleans,         

10 push press.

 Abs. 

Well. That is certainly not how I expected to spend my first training week. I felt strong both Monday and Tuesday and was happy to finally be running in my new shoes, but things started going south Tuesday night. I kept asking everyone if they were freezing (they were not), and I was super achy. 

Chimes of doom. 

I figured maybe it was just from my early morning workouts, and the wonky weather we have been having the last couple of weeks. But I woke up Wednesday massively congested and coughing, so I took it easy and slept in and ended up skipped the rest of my early morning sessions. I felt pretty crappy all week, and the only things that saved me were early bedtimes and those breathe rite strips (uh maaaaaaazing invention). I was able to get a solid, 7,8 hours most nights which felt fantastic. I think sleeping and resting is really what I needed to kick this cold in the ass. 

I am frustrated lately with my health. On paper it seems like I'm doing everything right to take care of myself (except for too much sugar shup up) but I've been sick twice in one month, and I'm tired of it! My diet is pretty consistent and I've been exercising and sleeping better in the last month and a half than I have all summer. I'm guessing (hoping) that it's just due to school starting and the kids acting as petrie dishes of germs when they're at school. 2 out of 3 kids, and 1 out of 2 adults have been sick, and while I'm hoping J and W escape this round of illness, I'm not placing my bets just yet. 

Here's to week 2 of training. Hoping in can complete a full week successfully! 

Let's do this, Monday.