WOW! I can’t believe it’s March. Time has been flying lately. I have a race coming up in two weeks. My first official race of 2016 will be the Kiss Me I’m Irish 10K on March 13th. I have three clients running it as well, and I couldn’t be more excited for them! Should be a fun morning.
Last week my training went really well, and I got some fantastic news on Friday from my Roanoke physical therapists. Here’s how it all shook out:
Monday — BeFit workout + yoga
Monday was relatively laid back. I did feel the need to get my legs stretched and worked, though, so I opted for a short BeFit workout (more on that on Wednesday!) plus some yoga for runners. It was fun and I felt great.
Tuesday — 5 mile run(s)
Tuesday was amazing! It started off a little rough, though. I was planning on meeting my friend Julie at 5:50 to get a 4-mile run in together. Unfortunately my alarm never went off (or I turned it off in my sleep) and I woke up at 5:51 because my son woke up!
The night before, I set out my capris, a t-shirt, and some arm sleeves. When I woke up I hurriedly checked the weather and it said “feels like 20?!” So of course I fumbled in the dark for more layers. I ended up emptying my entire running gear drawer out onto the floor and I managed to forget my gloves.
Julie and I got three miles in together since she had to get ready for work. I tried to keep going to get my mileage in for the day but my hands were too damn cold, so I called it at 3.5 miles. Thankfully the stars and moon were out, so despite being frozen, it was very beautiful.
Fortunately, the weather gods were smiling down on me, and it was in the 50s later in the morning. I took Little Bee out for a stroller run. She wasn’t too happy (she was fairly chilly) during the stroller part but as soon as we got home and I started running back in forth in front of my house to finish my miles, she jumped right in and ran alongside with me. It was the best run ever. Totally melted my heart.
Tuesday’s weather also gave me a chance to rotate in my Altras again. I haven’t had a chance to wear them in the last couple weeks so I’m definitely starting at square one, but every little bit counts.
Wednesday — 3 miles + ITB rehab routine
I found myself back on the treadmill on Wednesday due to torrential downpours all morning long. Those are the days I’m grateful I have a treadmill at home. I know I curse it and would rather be running roads or trails, but at least I can get my workouts in during inclement weather. And let’s face it, Cleveland has a lot of that. Plus I get to listen to tunes when I’m indoors, so of course I had Spring on to continue working on my cadence.
I finished up my workout with my ITB rehab workout.
Thursday — 3 miles + strength training
Thursday was a snowy day, so again I was indoors. The goal was 4 miles, but I apparently can’t get past 3 miles on the hamster wheel. I’m such a different runner now — there was a time I ran exclusively on the treadmill. I never ran outdoors. Then last spring I was running 8 miles on the darn thing through marathon training. And now here I am, struggling with 3. My, how times have changed.
Since my PT appointment was coming up on Friday, I wanted to make sure I worked on my cadence just a bit more, so it worked out in the end. I finished up with some strength training.
Friday — .75 miles + BeFit workout
I had a follow-up appointment with my physical therapist on Friday. It was the test of all tests. Could I successfully run 180 steps per minute, unassisted? No tunes, no metronome. Just me and the ‘mill. I was sufficiently nervous for this appointment, to say the least. It felt like a job interview!
After some quick discussion about how the last two weeks had gone, he had me hop on the treadmill for the test. I was so nervous. My palms were literally sweating. He pressed start and I walked for a little bit, and then he turned it up and I was on my way. I ran for three quarters of a mile. While I was running he said, “guess what?” And I was all like, “uhhh… what?” He told me I was spot on at 180 steps per minute. I was shocked. And totally 100% stoked. I may or may not have fist pumped upon hearing the good news.
I think the best part of Friday, despite getting the stellar report that all my cadence training had worked, was that when he went to stop the treadmill, he made sure it stopped at .75. I saw him about to push the red button at .73 miles but he hesitated and let me finish on a nice, even number. Because, runners. You get me, right? It’s the little things, people.
Sunday — 8 miles
Sunday was a much needed long run. My family was sick with the plague all weekend and I needed some alone time — desperately. I had bailed on my friends the night before, sighting the possibility that I wouldn’t make it on time, if at all. But when Sunday morning rolled around, I realized I wanted to see some friendly faces, so I shot them both a text and they were still in.
I met up with two Julie’s, and we ran 7.5 miles together. Since we vary in pace we were spread out for a little while, each running our own run. I had barely eaten on Saturday so I was very under-fueled. I brought some fuel and hydration on the run, so I was good to go after it kicked in. I did feel a gut bomb around mile 6 so that’s something I have to keep in mind for my next run. I don’t recommend running under-fueled. It doesn’t work so well.
After we said our goodbyes, I decided to run just a little bit more to get my total mileage in for the day. I got a few good run-shots plus I met some cute dogs on the trail. Overall it was a stellar day for a run, and I’m so grateful I got out there.
This week will be some more easy runs but it looks like coach has been ramping up my mileage a bit so I guess I’ll have to get over this “3-mile” rule that I have on the treadmill. I can’t wait for consistently nice weather. I miss running outdoors every day.
xo
TALK TO ME!
What’s your first race of 2016?
How many miles can you run on a treadmill?
Linking up with My No-Guilt Life, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and MCM Mama Runs for Tuesdays on the Run, and HoHo Runs and MissSippi Piddlin’ for the Weekly Wrap!
