3 weeks down, 13 to go!
Another Monday off - no running, no classes. On Tuesday there was a Run Club reunion at the Lanes with all my old running friends. I feel kind of silly writing this but I got a little nervous about running with other people - I don’t feel like I’m the same runner since my surgery - so I decided to run on my own after work and just meet up with them post-run for a drink. I hadn’t seen any of them since about the summer of 2019 so it was great to catch up.
I would normally run on Wednesday but I decided to switch my run day to Thursday this week because there was a Naukabout staff outing at the Pilot House. I was happy I got to tag along with Craig for a mudslide and crab cake sandwich. Yum!
I thought Thursday’s run would be tough because in the morning I taught aerobics and water aerobics back to back so I set out with the goal of 3-5 miles. I told my front desk staff that I would be gone for 30-45 minutes. His response was “what is that… like 3.5 miles?” Before I could even answer he quickly added “wait, is that disrespectful?” I laughed but it also made me feel good that I’m still running at a decent pace even though I’m stopping a lot and don’t quite feel like myself out there. Right away as I started running I felt great and light on my feet. Almost effortless. I got in my 5 miles with only 1 stop at the half way turnaround point and was very happy.
It was a little cooler on Friday afternoon so I brought Reggie for my 3 miler. Craig was working so I thought we’d run to Naukabout to give Reggie a break and some water before heading home. Just as we were walking up the road to the parking lot I saw Craig backing out. Lunch break. Reggie definitely needed a break so I told him to drive her home and I finished up on my own. I felt like I was flying on my way back. I guess I was trying to get home so I could see Craig for a few minutes.
At the beginning of the week I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep building this week or drop back down for my long run. I didn’t really map out a traditional 16-week training plan as I wanted to take it week by week to see how my body was responding to training and work, etc. and I knew I wanted to be a lot less aggressive this time around. For example, only one 20 miler vs. two which I always used to plan for.
On Sunday morning Craig encouraged me to run in Falmouth again and even when I started running I didn’t know how long I’d be gone. The plan was an out and back. Head to the water and run along the coast. I knew it was exactly 7 miles to Surf Drive Beach. It was another beautiful Sunday morning. Much warmer than last week. The sun was shining bright but there was a slight breeze and low humidity which certainly helped. At about 5.5 miles I made the decision to run the 7 miles to Surf Drive Beach. I was feeling relaxed and enjoying my time on the roads. I felt good until I hit mile 11... 3 miles from my parents house. The exact same spot as the week before. I thought about calling my mom to see if she was home from pickle ball yet and would hop on her bike and meet me for my final miles. I also knew Craig was out on his motorcycle and I was just hoping he would appear ASAP. He found me with about 3/4 miles to go which gave me a little boost until the end.
It’s hard to believe that I ran 14 miles. For me there’s something about the first 14 in a training plan that makes you really feel like you’re marathon training. There’s also something special about telling people you ran 14 miles when they ask how far you went over the weekend. More than a half marathon. More than half way to the full marathon. I’ve come a long way since spending 6 weeks on the couch at the beginning of the year.
Next week I’m going to back off a little before the build - 10, 12, 14, 16 is the plan for long runs over the next 4 weeks.
Monday 7.31.23
REST
Tuesday 8.1.23
3 miles (23:24)
Low Impact Aerobics
Wednesday 8.2.23
30 min Mat CORE
Thursday 8.3.23
5 miles (38:48)
Low Impact Aerobics
Water Aerobics (from the deck)
Friday 8.4.23
3 miles (23:40)
30 min Mat CORE
Saturday 8.5.23
Water Aerobics (from the deck)
Saturday Strength
Sunday 8.6.23
14 miles (1:49:53)
This week’s mileage: 25 miles
This week’s Reggie mileage: 1.5 miles
Training totals: 71 miles
ICYMI
If you would like to support me and donate to the MEB Foundation, visit my fundraising page: https://www.givengain.com/ap/jen-skiba-raising-funds-for-meb-foundation
No comments:
Post a Comment