When it starts to click...

Week 11: 

Monday: 8 miles (7+1 mi CD)

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: 5 miles; TM

Thursday: 5 miles, TM

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 17 (16+ 1CD). 

Sunday: 6 plus some change 

Totals:

Rest- 2

Miles: 42

XT- 0

A couple things. I suck at cross training. 42 miles is my highest weekly mileage ever. 

I'm finally feeling somewhat back in the groove this past week. I was home on Monday after a long weekend away, so I headed out for a longer mid week run. I managed to huff through 7 miles at an 8:54 pace and then ran a 1 mile slow cool down home. I also had two decent AM treadmill runs that didn't feel like hot, slow death. I think those treadmill runs really helped stabilize my mental state, as the previous weeks I had been finding myself worked up in anxiety every morning. 

Treadmilling is hard, people. 

However, I have embraced that it is really my life. It's what I can manage and fit into the day with my early schedule. So, a mindset shift somehow occurred this week and I made it through yet another week of mostly treadmill training. 

Saturday's 16 was my first solo long run in a few weeks. I love love love running with friends, but sometimes I need a solo check-in run to see where I'm at mentally. I tend to run slower with friends and focus less in pace, which is always great. However, I also need those solo runs to test my fitness and to work on pacing and fuel. 

I hadn't run hamster circles in my neighborhood for a while, so I set out early on Saturday before 6am to weave through 16 miles of cul de sacs and streets and loops. I even forced myself to run some hillier parts of the neighborhood, which was actually a confidence booster because my legs felt strong charging up the hills. There were a few longer tough hills in the middle of the run, and you can see by my paces where those hills were. ;)

It's easy to psych ourselves out over long solo runs and overthink every aspect and every mile.  My wise friend J always reminds me to pray beforehand, which I honestly just forget to do most days, but on Saturday, I said a small prayer, took a deep breath, and decided that today's run would be great. 

Running can tend to be one giant cliche but sometimes it's a pretty accurate cliche. I really felt positive energy during the entire run, even in those dreaded first few miles. Most long runs have some dark middle miles but I never quiet felt that shadow looming over me the entire time.  It also helped that I had some fresh new jams to get me through. 

My long run goal was to stay between 9:30-10 and I managed to run 16 at a 9:23 pace. Not too shabby for my longest training run to date!

Splits, like banana... But even better 

Mile1: 9:55

Mile2: 10:01

So many splits it doesn't fit in one screen shot!

Uh. Mile 6. I do not know. 

Also, mile 11.. HILL!

I had to dig deep for that last mile. Let's just say my arms were pumping like Forrest Gump. 

Saturday was the first time in 11 weeks that I've felt like I can (maybe) actually run this marathon. 

I think that's what they call, Progress. 

***

Obligatory garmin shot. 

Sunday's 6 mile "recovery", which ended being the same pace as Saturday? #doingitwrong

Oh and I finally ordered this, because....#mylife

Love my new Ragnar necklace. And last yeesr's shirt. Maybe that necklace gave me some sort of super powers? Nah.