Two weeks training in one post because life has been really busy! This is transferred over from Salty Running, where I tend to be a bit more on the ball with these. But yes, I have been training, not just racing.
The first week marks a return to my normal running schedule, post-marathon, post-AT business, post-Germany trip. The second week is the lead up to the Bunny Rock 5K that I ran last weekend in Chicago. The general theme is: the weather sucks but the running is going well. Read on to hear how it all played out.
Monday, 3/19, Morning Crew – 2200 swim
The good thing about swimming is that it is inside. Spring is never coming to New England. That is all I have to say about that.
Tuesday, 3/20, Morning Crew – 6 easy miles (8:57 pace) with strides
Neighborhood run with Snarky Girl. Weather was cold and gross.
Wednesday, 3/21, Early Morning Crew – 4 easy miles (9:35 pace), plus weights
I ran early because supposedly still more snow was coming. Then no snow after all. The weather is making me insane.
Thursday, 3/22, Lunch Crew – Tempo Run, 2 miles WU, 3 miles at 8-8:15, 1 mile at 8-8:15, 1 mile cool down
Now the snow showed up as slush in the morning. My university is on break so I ran at lunch. Previous Thursdays I have run tempo intervals, but today was just a straight three mile segment with splits of 8:03, 8:04, 7:55. And that felt good, which seems crazy. I’m starting to feel excited for my 5K at the end of the month.
Friday, 3/23, Early Morning Crew – 4 easy miles (9:37 pace) + 2 miles for gait analysis
Easy neighborhood run in the morning and then 2 miles as part of a gait analysis in the afternoon. This will make five days of running this week. YEAH! The gait analysis was super cool. The report should come in late April.
Saturday, 3/24, Early Morning Crew – 45 min on stationary bike plus weights
Nothing fancy, just Saturday morning at the gym.
Sunday, 3/25, Early Morning Crew – 12 easy miles (9:36 pace)
Easy run. I had Teacher Runner and Rooster for company for the first half. Still more snow at the end of the run. Enough already.
Total: 32 miles
Monday, 3/26, Morning Crew – 2100 swim
Swim was fine. I also had a long-awaited PT appointment today to check my orthotics. My PT informed me that the anterior tibialis is still a bit swollen and we had a very nervous-making discussion about how things are going. Combined with preliminary information from the gait analysis, I also signed up for six PT sessions in April to try to get things straightened out. Stress from all that nonsense plus stress from work resulted in a surprise registration for the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY in July. Not sure why the prospect of a hot and hilly race calmed me down, but whatever works, right?
Tuesday, 3/27, Lunch Crew – 2 miles warm up, 6×400 at 1:55, 2×200, all with 200 recovery, 1 mile cool down for 6 miles total
I don’t have a ton of experience on the track. I did have a ton of work distraction from an upcoming conference. I had to run at lunch, which I do not like. There was a lot of snow. Those are all my reasons for figuring that it would only make a little bit of difference to run in lane 6 instead of lane 1 (which was filled with snow). WRONG. I reported to Coach Mick that the 400s felt surprisingly hard. He let me know that the lane switch meant I ran them 30 seconds a mile faster than intended. Oops. In that case, bring on the 5K.
Wednesday, 3/28, Late Afternoon Crew – 6 easy miles (almost) along the lake shore in Chicago
Pre-trip insanity meant this run just wasn’t happening at home. But wow, what a payoff for postponing! Even in cold grey mist, running along the lake is not to be missed.
Thursday, 3/29, Lunch Crew – 4 easy miles on Navy Pier
I snuck in another little lake shore run. I am balancing my time in Chicago between conferencing, eating and running.
Friday, 3/30, Morning Crew – 2 miles plus strides
More running on the lake shore. The wind kicked up and blew the lake right onto my foot! Brrr!
Saturday, 3/31, Morning Crew – Bunny Rock 5K (with WU and CD, 5 miles total)
MASSIVE new PR!!!! See upcoming race report. This was so fun and also hurt so much. 5Ks are the devil’s work.
Sunday, 4/1, Early Morning Crew – 9 easy miles (9:43 pace)
Happy Easter! Between travel and Mr. Angelica’s band playing a gig last night and general insanity, I wasn’t sure any run was going to happen today at all. Then while listening to the band, Snarky Girl leaned over and whispered – You want to run tomorrow? Sure, yes, of course! 6 miles with her plus 3 on my own and I was done before the Easter bunny arrived and the family woke up. I truly never imagined my life would include the phrase “9 easy miles” or that these miles would happen early on Easter morning, but I’m so glad I’m open to surprising developments.
Total: 32 miles
I acknowledge that this is ridiculous. But I love my 26.2 egg and I make one every year. Happy Easter!