I runfess, I’ve taken off almost two full weeks after Grandma’s Marathon on June 17th. I ran 6 miles one week afterward, and as of this posting I’ve run 3.5 miles. By the time my two week mark hits, I’ll have run somewhere between 15 and 17 miles over a two-week span. This is one of the longest breaks I’ve ever taken from running but I’ve done so very intentionally. So far in 2017 I’ve run a 20-mile race and a full marathon. I have one more full on the horizon, so a nice break between efforts was not only due but also critical for my mental and physical health. As I get ready to tackle my next attempt at 26.2, there are a few things I’m looking forward to in this training cycle. Join me for the Friday Five 2.0 and June Runfessions.
5 Things I’m Looking Forward to During MCM Training
1. Running a lot of miles.
I love running. It’s very cathartic for me as I experience many highs (and a few lows) during my runs. Long runs with friends provide a lot of comic relief. Track workouts and tempo runs force me to dig deep and earn that mileage. And easy runs are great for deep-thinking and problem solving. I very much look forward to logging all those miles again.
2. Reconnecting with friends.
I ran with several friends for many months over the winter. We were in training for various races. After the beginning of May, however, everyone else’s training stopped while I continued on in my journey to Grandma’s Marathon. I logged a lot of miles on my own in those final weeks. While I love running alone and truly value the time I have to listen to podcasts, think through problems, and even make phone calls to loved ones, there’s nothing better than running miles and miles with friends. I look forward to running with some of my favorite people again in the coming weeks during MCM training. #OORAH
3. Hill repeats.
I hate hills. I run on hills every day and I usually push back on my coach when he puts hills on my training plan. But I put hill repeats on my own runners’ plans and I know there’s a lot of value in running them. So instead of pushing back, I’m going to embrace the hills this training cycle. I’m going to suck it up and do them. And I’m going to do them with a vengeance. Hopefully after this training cycle I’ll love hills instead of loathe them.
June Runfessions
4. Getting back into strength conditioning.
It’s no secret that I let my strength training slide toward the end of my last marathon cycle. I was sick for a few weeks, and then I just never got back into a solid routine so as to get all my workouts in when they needed to be done. I’m planning on upping the ante this training cycle and getting back into strength conditioning as best I can. Bring on the burpees!
5. Eating well.
I eat well 98.9% of the time. But when I’m in training, the scales tip to add another 1% which brings me to eating well for a solid 99.9% of my meals and snacks. I haven’t slacked off too much during my two week break, but enough that between lack of strength work and more sugar, I’m getting soft — and I don’t like it. Thankfully my farm share and recent ambassadorship with Manitoba Harvest has kept me in line and I’ve been getting more than enough fruits and vegetables.
Look at this deliciousness! Topped with Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts. Noms!
Those five points really sum up what I’m looking forward to the most for my next training cycle for MCM training. I runfess that I’ve rather enjoyed not having to be on any schedule, but if I slack for too long I’ll lose a lot of fitness and that’s never a good thing.
Have a great weekend and we’ll catch up next week!
xo
TALK TO ME!
What’s one thing you’re looking forward to with a fall training cycle?
Do you enjoy slacking off during time away from training?
Loading InLinkz ...Linking up with Marcia for June Runfessions!
