SUNDAY 3/23
Rest
MONDAY 3/24
7 m easy
Gym
TUESDAY 3/25
Hot Yoga
Gym
WEDNESDAY 3/26
4 m easy before work
Gym
6 m pace Run Club
THURSDAY 3/27
5 x 800 Yassos
+ warm up/cool down
Gym
FRIDAY 3/28
8 m tempo
SATURDAY 3/29
Rest
SUNDAY 3/30
16 m tempo
7:30 pace
So I'm playing a bit of double jeopardy here, since my mileage was only around 33 miles for week 9, I am putting my 16 miler from yesterday on here (not counting toward the total for the week) just to showboat a little and indicate that I'm not as lazy as the numbers from Sunday to Saturday might lead you to believe. It's a pride thing, of course.
The past week I've had some kind of minor strain in the muscle covering the outside of my shin that basically feels like a knot you might get in your shoulder, but instead it has taken residence on the awkward front part of my leg. It all broke down after my 800 m intervals on the track; I couldn't even run home afterward. It was a walk-hobble while taking those deep "what have you done?" breaths on the way back to my apartment. BUT my intervals went really well! My splits were relatively consistent at 2:59, 2:55, 2:55, 2:57, 2:55, and despite thinking I might burst into tears during the last one due to severe shin pain, it was one of those "no pain, no gain" masochistic running moments and I ended up hitting the times I set out to push toward.
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| 7:30 pace 16 miler on 3/30/14 |
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| Strava Recap - check out those new PRs |
Since this upcoming weekend is RAGNAR SOCAL 2014, I'm going to recap my 16 mile run from yesterday during this post, even though it is a week 8 training run. My Strava profile summary outlines the basic route and my top achievements from the run. My basic idea starting out was to go out hard for the first 6 miles, see how I was feeling, and adjust from there. What actually happened is that I went out, my outer shin muscle throbbed and ached for the first few miles (but you can see I was on a steady downward slope for those), and by then I realized that my pacing was on par for a great finish time. The headwinds on the Bay Bridge were fierce, so miles 9 and 10 were a struggle (and for some reason people always want to secretly race the small blonde girl cruising along...little do they know I'm already 10 miles into my run and stubbornly hate being passed).
I had been at a celebration of life for most of Saturday and there was some pent up need to feel strained, starkly alive, and in some way limitless on Sunday morning. I'm grateful that my inclination is to run until it's difficult to stand. To be so raw that nothing else seeps into my mind but inhale and exhale, one foot then the other. Maybe that's a bit primitive, but it certainly grants me peace of mind.
I am pleasantly sore today; reveling in pushing my limits and running sub 7:50 pace long runs for 2 weeks in a row. It's been a long time since 7:30 was a comfortable pace, and I've never gone this far pushing the envelope like that. I'm looking forward to the possibilities that lie ahead, and to putting my compression socks back on as soon as I can.
I'll be heading down to Huntington Beach later this week for the epic, wonderful, exhausting, and adventurous Ragnar Relay Race! Expect a full recap when I return! And while you're waiting for that, check out our AMAZING sponsors:
For a stellar pair of shoes: http://skechersperformance.com/ #GoLikeNeverBefore
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To sign up for the most beautiful marathon around: http://www.thesfmarathon.com/ #TSFM2014
For compression apparel you can count on: http://www.zensah.com/ #Zensah
And for optimal hydration, no matter the activity: http://www.nuun.com/ #NuunLove
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| Our official Ragnar handles and hashtags |
Until next time, may the wind be ever at your back and the road rise to meet you.
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