Training Recap: Week Six: (July 20-July 26)

This week was a little crazy. There are some changes going on in my home so I haven't been sleeping really well. I am still trying to adjust but it has definitely taken a toll on my energy level. I have actually been taking naps on the weekend to get back some of those lost hours of sleep. I guess that would explain why I woke up late on Saturday and missed my 5K!

Here is a recap of Week Six:

Monday: Strength Training: I made the mistake of coming home, eating dinner and then telling myself that I was going to lay in my bed and rest for an hour before heading to the gym. The gym never happened so I did my own thing at home. My stomach was sore the next day from those leg lifts!

Tuesday: 6.33 Mile Speedwork:  I was a little nervous going into this one because it was the hardest one yet. I nailed all of my intervals but boy was I glad when it was all over.

Wednesday: Strength Training: I worked out with a friend who goes to a much fancier fitness center than I do. They have Woodway treadmills at her gym so I ran on a Woodway for the first time. It felt much harder than the treadmills that I am used to running on so it was a new experience for me. I am not sure how @runemz does it! I guess she is just a ROCKSTAR!

Thursday: 3.63 Miles Easy. I broke in a new pair of Brooks Glycerin 13's and I love them. They have so much cushion that I feel like I am running on a cloud. I have been running in the 12's for the past few months and I love them but the 13's have a lot more cushion than the 12's. Transitioning from an old model to a new one is always scary and I have had some bad experiences in the past so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Friday: REST DAY: I decided to rest my legs before my 5K the following day.

Saturday: Well the 5K did not happen. I did not set my alarm because I never need it. I automatically wake up at 4-5am everyday but was awakened by a 4.3 earthquake at almost 6am instead. I did not have enough time to get ready and head to the race because it was not local.

I felt really guilty about missing the 5K so I got up and ran my 11 mile long run instead which I was planning to do on Sunday. I was already a mess about missing the 5K and the earthquake so it did not go very well at all. It was hot and I was dragging but I finally got into my run the last 6 miles. These kind of runs can be real confidence killers but you have to move on and take the good with the bad.

I wasn't sure how I was going to explain to my coach that I missed the 5k because I overslept but then I got this text message from him. 

Sunday: Strength Training

TOTAL MILES: 21 

My mileage is going to increase a bit this coming week and I am excited about it because it will be a challenge for me. The weekly mileage will be very close to past training cycles but will now include the strength training. I have a 16 miler coming up so I am looking for some new scenery to run in since my running club will only be doing 6 miles this weekend. The weather is not looking very promising so I have to start planning it all out.

 

 Do you look at the weather forecast and plan your weekly runs or do you just go with the flow?

Training Recap: Week Five: (July 13-July 19)

This was a tough week. My energy level seemed to be really low and I really had to push myself to stick to the schedule. I haven't been sleeping well so training becomes even more challenging when you are lacking the energy you need. The highlight of my weekend was the long overdue rain that we finally received.  We really need it so it was a true blessing!

Here is a recap of Week Five:

Monday: Strength Training: Monday's are always tough but a new week means a new start and I always want to start my week out right.

Tuesday: 5.06 Mile Speedwork: My legs were super sore from all of the squats that I did the day before so this took some serious mental toughness. It was also 90 degrees when I started so I almost thought about not doing it but the guilt set in and then off I went.

Wednesday: Strength Training: I decided not to go to the gym and do a workout at home. I think I did a 20 minute upper body workout and called it a day because I was feeling so tired and my legs were so sore from my Monday workout combined with speed work on Tuesday.

Thursday: 6 Miles at Marathon Goal Pace. This run was not good at all. It was hot and humid and I just had no energy. I took so many breaks and I felt pretty defeated but it happens and we have to move on and hope for better days.

Friday: REST DAY: I headed back to the dentist to finish up this whole root canal process. This whole process has been stressful and expensive. I am so done with it. I have one final visit and hopefully I never have to go through this ever again!

Saturday: 14 Miles: I was able to run with my running club again. They had 11 miles on their schedule so I ran a few more miles by myself in the end to get to 14. I had a good run. The route is mainly rolling hills but I enjoy the change since I don't have a lot of hills to run near me. We got caught in a downpour around Mile 9 but it did not last long. It was really refreshing and we really need the rain because the drought situation is pretty bad here in Southern California.

Sunday: Strength Training: This was supposed to be a rest day but my Wednesday workout was so not great that I decided that I needed to make it up today. 

TOTAL MILES: 25.06

I am a little nervous about the upcoming week. My speed workout will be 7 miles and up until now I haven't done more than 5 miles of speedwork. Those workouts are the most challenging for me but I plan to hit it hard and give it my best effort. 

It is doesn't challenge you it doesn't change you, right?

Did anyone hear about the situation/cancellation of the Revel Rockies race in Colorado? What are your thoughts on the situation?

I am registered to run another one of their events in November and the whole situation made me really nervous since all of their race require bus service to get to the start. I am curious to see how they deal with the situation and with all of the unhappy runners.

Training Recap: Week Four (July 6-July 12)

I think I overdid it with the eating this week so I am getting myself back on track this week. We celebrated my nephew and my other half's birthdays so we were all over the place eating and celebrating with family. 

Here is a recap of Week Four:

Monday: Strength Training: We got to the gym early since I was off work and it was empty! We were able to get a workout in without having to stand around and wait which really helped us keep moving and break a good sweat.

Tuesday: Speedwork (5 Miles): I planned on heading to the track early since I was still on vacation and the weather was perfect but ended up here instead to eat 57 cent pancakes. You gotta live a little, right?

I still made it to the track in the evening in the 80 degree temps. This is my challenging day of the week but seems to go really quickly.

Wednesday: Strength Training 

Thursday: 3.65 Miles with Drills

Friday: REST DAY: It wasn't much of a rest day because I ended up at the dentist getting a root canal. I haven't had a cavity in forever but apparently one of my filling cracked without me realizing it and it resulted in a deep cavity. I didn't have any pain or discomfort but good thing I went in for my check up and they found it before it got worse.

Saturday: 10 Miles @9:00: I finally went for a run with my running club. I have missed these people and it felt good to have some company on my run.

Sunday: 3 Mile Recovery Run: I did this one on the treadmill. It had been a while since I have ran on the machine but it was nice to not have to get up early before church to get this one done. Watching the Wimbledon Championship helped the time pass quickly before the boredom sat in.

TOTAL MILES: 21.65

I have been training with my coach now for a month. He has kept the mileage just where I need it to be in order to stop the hip pain from returning. The next couple of weeks will be a good test for me as the mileage will continue to increase and the speed work will start to get a little harder. I have a 5K coming up soon and I am hoping to see some progress there if the weather is not too warm. I am a wimp and my performance really declines in the heat. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Training Recap: Week Three (June 29-July 5)

This week was all about balance. I took a few days off of work with the hopes of going to Las Vegas to spend some time with the family but that did not happen. I did not want to leave my Grandma since she has not been feeling well. It is always challenging to stick to the training schedule and balance all of the other stuff in your life but it always comes together in the end.

I also decided on a last minute 10K on Independence Day since we were in town. 10K's are probably my least favorite distance which is why I chose it. I think the last one that I ran was in 2013 and I don't think I have ever ran a race on this holiday because of the summer heat.

Here is a recap of Week Three:

Monday: Strength Training: I am getting more comfortable in the weight area of the gym now but working out with my other half is kind of nice because we spend

Tuesday: Speedwork 3.48 Miles: This week was a little bit harder but I know in the end this stuff is really going to pay off for me. I think the heat has a lot to do with it.

Wednesday: Strength Training: I think squats are one of my favorites but I need to get better at them. I can't lift much but I am determined to get better at it.

Thursday: 12 Miles: This was an easy paced long run so I decided to change things up and run in one of my favorite places. The hills and the scenery were necessary to keep my mind occupied because I knew I was going to be out there longer than I wanted to be. I am really slowing down these longer runs and it can be tough.

Friday: REST DAY

Saturday: La Palma Fitness Run for Fun 10K: I wanted to run a race on Independence Day so I swapped out my goal pace run for this event. I definitely did not race this 10k but did run it at comfortable pace (8:09) that was faster than marathon goal pace. It was overcast and humid so I was seriously sweating after this one. It was a small race and most people run the 5k and not the 10K. I ended up placing 2/8 in AG. Gotta love those small races!

Sunday: REST DAY

TOTAL MILES: 21.73

Independence Day aka "Scare the Crap Out of Dogs Day" was a lot of fun. After the 10k, I went home and rested for a little bit and then spent some time with Grandma and BBQ'd. After Grandma time we spent some time with some other family members and watched fireworks from their front yard since they live near a school that does a firework show.

Did you celebrate Independence Day? If you did, how did you celebrate?

Did you run a race for the holiday?

Goodbye June and Hello July!

I can't believe that we are half way through 2015. Before we know it, Thanksgiving and Christmas will upon us. I love the holiday season and I cannot wait for it to arrive since I get to visit with a lot of my family.

Ever since I hired a running coach, my focus has not really been on the number of miles that run even though it is quite a change. June was a very low mileage month but what a blessing it was. I have not had any hip pain for almost 3 weeks and that is a wonderful thing!

Running lower mileage is a big change for me because I am used to running a lot more than I have been. The trade off is the strength training/cross training that I do three times a week. I have noticed that my body feels just as tired with the lower mileage combined with the strength training so I know that I am still putting in the work. I am starting to get a little more comfortable in the weight area of the gym with big boys but working out with my other half is kinda nice since he helps me out so I think we are going to stick with it.

I have to trust my the training, my coach and more than anything I have to believe in myself. I just keep telling this myself that so I don't get too worried about it. I am also slowing things down a lot. My runs are at much easier paces as well which is sometimes hard for me. I just like to get out there and get it done but not anymore. Sometimes I feel like I am hardly moving but after all of the time that I spend on my feet I still feel accomplished in the end. The trade off is the speedwork where I am hitting paces that I have never even attempted to hold before. There are days for easy running and then there are days where I really have to step out of my comfort zone and push myself.

I am looking forward to some time off from work next week which will allow me more flexibility with my training schedule. I haven't been to my running club in a while and really miss running with them. I am going to try to meet up with them on one of the days where my long run distance is the same as theirs.

Happy Canada Day to all of my Canadian friends!

Enjoy the rest of your week!