It’s been a great season of training so far. I’ve been sticking to my strength training plan, I feel really good (most days), and I’m dedicated to making this a great training cycle. My first race of the season, Kiss Me I’m a Runner, is coming up on Sunday and I’m so looking forward to it — it’s a great course and I know a ton of people that will be there.
Other races I’ve got coming up are the 20-Mile Drop, Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon, Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon and then Grandma’s Marathon in June.
Love My Running Dog, Spring is Coming + Running Fast is Amazing! {Spring Training Week 9}
Tuesday — 6 miles + hips and glutes
My loving running dog and I ran our distance PR together on Tuesday. We ran six miles and it was amazing! I knew we would be pushing the upper end of her limits but she did incredibly well. She was absolutely done by the time we got back to the parking lot, though. As much as I encourage her to run on the grass to save her pads, she runs mostly on pavement. We’ll maintain the distance for a while to acclimate her body until she’s ready for the next push. She’s eager and stubborn so I need to be sure to watch her so she doesn’t overdo it. Overall it was an amazing run. We had a blast! Dogs really are amazing running companions, full of energy and ready to be by your side at all times. However, your dog can get stressed, despite the fact that it may not be obvious at first, so if you have started to notice a change in your dog, you may want to look at stress relief for dogs and see how you can keep your furry runner going!
Running Dog, FTW!
On Tuesday afternoon I had to head downtown to re-certify for CPR. I passed with flying colors. As an aside: why are those classes always so awkward? There’s always an odd amount of people so pairing up is a whole thing. I told my husband next time I have to re-certify he’s coming with me.
Wednesday — 7.07 miles
I met Eugenia for a 7-mile steady state run on Wednesday. Definitely a tough run — plus it was rainy and a little chilly which made for a quick escape into our warm cars afterward. We pushed pretty hard, though, and it felt really, really good.
Spring is coming!
Thursday — 6 miles + hips and glutes
I woke up on Thursday fairly destroyed from Wednesday’s workout. Completely exhausted, I had 800s on the schedule for the day that I had to do. I hopped on the treadmill and it was a battle from the get-go. I eventually won the battle but I had to adjust my pace and run by effort which was a little bit of a letdown. I’m really great at maintaining pace on a track. Treadmill? Yikes…
Hips and glutes were exercised in the afternoon — after I had a bit more energy. 😉
Friday — yoga
Since Wednesday and Thursday were tough, I opted for some yoga on Friday. It felt really nice to stretch it out and generally unwind. My muscles needed some gentle stretching, that’s for sure.
Saturday — 16 miles
On Saturday I met up with a few friends and we ran a beautiful route. It was cold but the sun was shining and the views were breathtaking. Unfortunately I don’t have a ton of photos because my phone battery drains very quickly in cold temperatures so you’ll just have to take my word on how pretty the area truly is. Rolling hills (remember last week’s post?), waterfalls, views across valleys — just awe-inspiring really.
This path was not part of our route. If this had a 10-12% grade it might have been. 😉
It was a challenging run and I think at least half of our party was discontented with the amount of rolling hills, but overall it was a lovely run and we had some laughs.
I tried to nap on Saturday afternoon but my daughter wouldn’t let me. Instead, we headed out for an early dinner and tried a Mexican place we hadn’t been to before. It was all right. I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from going but I’m not sure I would go back. Though we did get there early enough to enjoy happy hour so there’s that.
I don’t always drink margaritas but when I do I get the girly version and it’s the size of my head.
The highlights of the week were definitely running a distance PR with my favorite running dog, but also my steady state run on Wednesday. It was a really good effort and I felt strong the entire time.
This week is all about race prep — well, a little bit. Up until a few days ago I wasn’t sure if I would be running the race as part of a long training run or if I’d actually be racing it. After thinking it over I realized there was no way I would be motivated to run 11+ miles home after a race atmosphere so I’ve chosen to race. I’ll be prepping just a touch this week. Race day is Sunday!
xo
TALK TO ME!
Do you have a running dog?
What’s your “A” race for 2017?
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.
