Weekly Recap

Monday: 3.1 miles

Trail run by my apartment. Handled hills a lot better on this one, didn't have to stop. If I can't go fast yet, climbing hills is just as challenging.

Tuesday: 5.1 miles

Pacer duties, 25:55 XC 5k total, 2 miles cool down

Wednesday: 1000 meter swim, 12 miles biking

Took it easy because I put some stress on the foot Tuesday.

Thursday: 2.5 miles

Easy trail run

Friday: 3 miles

Hampton Hills trail with Abby, didn't have to stop after stair climb section! But kept tripping on roots, no falls though.

Saturday: 60 minutes on elliptical

Even when it's hot, I'd rather be outside than indoors and on a machine. Except yesterday. And I didn't want to do my pseudo long run on a treadmill.

Sunday: 3.8 miles

Wanted to do 5 miles but got a late start (midnight) and the cooler temps made my foot act up- hurt a lot. I also had indigestion. I ended this disorganized jaunt with 4 strides that got me feeling better and awakened some muscles I haven't used in a while. Better to have taken it easy than to keep pushing through pain. And 3.8 is better than nothing at all I guess.

Total: 17.5 miles running, 12 miles biking, 1000 meters swimming, 6.5 miles elliptical

I am being as smart as I can be with my mileage increase, even if it feels slow. But going too fast is what brought me to this point. XC season is on the verge of starting daily so this week is crucial for being smart and patient. Pacing all the different groups of runners provides a nice balance between speed work and taking it easy for injury's sake. What makes it a challenge is feeling disorganized by being all over the place. However, I have to remind myself that they are at different points in the process than I- I can use these runs towards my base. And at the same time, coach them to their potential.

Weekly Recap

Monday: 3 miles on golf course

Legs felt fresh towards the end, like real fresh! 30 minutes biking afterwards with James on the rest of his run.

Tuesday: 3 miles

Easy run with XC team on trails. Biked 20 minutes in the afternoon as transportation to/from campus.

Wednesday: 2 miles on Ledges trail

Hilly=good practice, definitely plays tricks on me physiologically and as a result, mentally. Biked 10 miles with James in the AM on his tempo run.

Thursday: 5 miles

Mostly trails with XC team. Nice distance day. Foot handled it well, slightly achy afterwards though.

Friday: 3 miles

Hampton Hills trails with Brianna. Can't wait to build up distance to support my fitness on hills. Biked 20 minutes as transportation to/from campus, swam 1000 meters, very refreshing. Massaged heel under spa jets- really worked out the tightness!

Saturday: 20.6 mile bike ride

Simulated a long run on the Hike and Bike Path. Heart rate was pretty consistent. It was hot and I should have worn sun screen. Handled the inclines well. No foot pain!

Sunday: 40 min bike, 10 mins of pool stuff

Biked on Towpath and to/from campus, was going to swim but forgot goggles and cap so just did some strength stuff in the pool and then massaged my feet under the spa jets again.

Total: 16 miles running, 4 hours biking, 1000 meters swimming

Finding it somewhat of a challenge to hold back with the running but cross training has helped release some of the tension and keep me in shape. I do feel in shape. And all of the runs this week were based off feeling and not paces. Each week, I add 1-2 miles and as sad as it sounds, I look forward to that. But focusing on the little things makes being patient a little easier.

An honest 7:46 mile

Last Friday, I set out to run a mile, putting a little effort into it, just to see how it would feel and to get some aggression out of my system. It was, well, it felt harder than 7:46, more like a 7:10. But it told me a few things. One, my cross training this past spring helped. It could've been a lot slower but the biking and swimming seemed to have preserved some of the fitness I built up before my injury. Two, I have my work cut out for me. I still suffer from some pain after runs but during the runs, my legs feel fresh, enough to start focusing on getting faster. However, it's going to take a lot of time to get where I want to be. And that's where the honesty comes into play. Since I am injury prone, I'm going to focus more on shorter distances but at a quicker pace, in both training and racing. I don't think I will do more than 40 miles a week to finish the year out.

This week, I am looking to get in 15 miles and eventually finish out the summer between 20 and 30, playing it safe with the foot. I've begun practicing with the cross country team and they've kept me honest as well. I think an adult runner can learn an important lesson from a high school runner: run by feel. Many of these kids don't run with watches, don't know what pace they are going and don't know what a tempo run is but they still go out there and run, with a sense of innocence. I was like that in high school. And now that I am older and working with kids, I'm reminded to try and balance the mindset of an adult runner with the mindset of a high school runner. When I run with them, I notice they push as hard as they can to stay together and when their bodies tell them otherwise, they stop. Where the adult runner comes into the picture is me, encouraging them to focus on breathing and letting them know they must pace themselves, that it's still early in the season and they are working towards getting in shape. But I can't discount the need to want to push themselves merely just to push themselves, like children racing against each other in an open field. And I can't forget to do that with my running either. Running that 7:46 mile was me being a kid again.