I never really managed to publish training logs here. Partly I have no idea if anyone is interested or not. But – my not-so-secret alter ego over at Salty Running is now publishing them every week. So I figured I might as well share them here as well. This turned out to be a fabulous week to start! After struggling a bit last week, this week things totally turned around. We got some genuine winter weather, but every run went really well. This week just has me smiling and smiling.
Monday, 12/11, School Bus Crew – Swim 1700 yards
Swimming with Snarky Girl and a new swim friend. I started the week getting an article rejected so I was pissed off from the get-go. But these Monday swims somehow serve as a re-set and I felt much better when we were done.
Tuesday, 12/12, Early Morning Crew – 6 miles, speed intervals
2 miles warm up, 6×400, 2 miles cool down. I have not run 400s in over a year. It turned out my glorious return-to-the-track was hindered by the six inches of snow on the ground. Teacher Runner joined me though and we ran on a flat straight path near the track. I ran 1:44, 1:43, 1:46, 1:42, 1:46, 1:42, which I was thrilled about! Ended up smiling all day long after this one.
Wednesday, 12/13, Lunch Time Crew – 4 easy miles (9:21 pace), plus strength training
Today was so cold and windy that I almost moved this run to the treadmill. But I am loving this route from the gym so I just bundled up and did it outside. Then I came inside for a complete wardrobe change and many squats. Oof.
Thursday, 12/14, School Bus Crew – 9 miles, tempo intervals
2 miles warm up, three x 2 miles with two minute walk recovery, 1 mile cool down. Each 2 mile segment a tad faster than the previous one. This is the first workout this training cycle where when I saw it I thought, can I do that? The weather has also been uncooperative this week. We had more snow and I had to wait for the plows to come through. I like to do tempo runs on a long stretch of road across town with almost no intersections and great views. (See the horses!) I drove over there and the workout went great! I ran the two mile segments with paces of 8:53, 8:40, and 8:29. Woot!
Friday, 12/15, Early Morning Crew – 5.5 easy miles, no trails
The trails are also covered in fresh snow and we just didn’t feel like dealing with cold wet feet with a temperature of 11 degrees. I almost pushed this off until noon, but the company at 6am was so appealing that I got up and ran early. I’m so glad I did. My Friday morning gang is a small group of really accomplished runners and I love spending time with them.
Saturday, 12/16, Late Morning Crew – strength training
I squeezed this in between daughter’s horseback riding lesson and family Christmas shopping. The holidays are so busy and it’s starting to be a challenge to fit everything in.
Sunday, 12/17, Afternoon Crew – 16 miles, last 4 at marathon pace (9:45 pace)
I ran this alone because there was no company to be had on a Sunday afternoon in December. Except for getting a little bored, I didn’t mind too much. I’ve been listening to musicals for solo long runs and today was Dear Evan Hansen, which I really enjoyed. I had feared it might be depressing and I’d end up sobbing by the side of the road somewhere, but the music was perfect for just cruising along to. I nailed the last four miles too, a great end to a great week!
Total: 40.5 miles
Finding beauty in winter running