Weekly Review May 9-15

Friday night's run

I'm back! I skipped last week's Weekly Review with Hoho Runs and MissSippiPiddlin because work was very busy early in the week... and I only ran 8 miles after RnR Nashville. (I'm also very behind on reading and commenting on blogs. I'll catch up this week!)

I learned some things during my time off: I need to eat better, drink less alcohol, and drink more water. (Genius, right?!) In the weeks surrounding my Nashville vacation I ate everything in sight. Before and after the trip, I ate out nearly daily (work lunches, happy hours, run club post-season meet-ups, etc.). It started to add up. I'm heavier than normal and I can feel it when I yank on my jeans and go on runs. I don't normally care about weight fluctuations, but at the beginning of last week I felt terrible and rundown. (Edit to add: I have a very healthy outlook on body/food. So my worries were more about choosing foods that made me feel gross vs. gaining weight. ) 

I love my new egg cooker

After skipping several runs (I was burnt out) I decided to get back on track. I'm easing into it, while also lightly training for my next half in two weeks (Medina). Distance doesn't really matter and my main objective is to get in 4 or 5 quality runs. The longer I go between runs, the more likely I am to skip the next. 

I also spent last Sunday making lunches for the week. While there were still meals and drinks out, I think my solid lunches (plus my normal oats for breakfast) really helped get me back on track. I don't feel quite as sluggish and I'm not craving as much crappy food. I don't like to punish myself for eating what I want (and I know it's hard to get quality food when you're eating out), but mix in drinks and it can all go downhill quickly! Everything in moderation!

Anyway, moving on. 

Week of May 9–15

Monday: 5.4 mi (9:15 pace)

Tuesday: off

Wednesday: 3 mi (8:44 pace)

Thursday: off

Friday: 2 mi (9:00 pace)

Saturday: off

Sunday: 11.5 mi (9:41 pace)

Weekly Total: 21.9 mi (should have run that .1 more!)

2016 Total: 410.6 mi

Rainy Monday (My phone died after this photo)

My week started with 5.4 miles on Monday. It was rainy, but I told myself I'd get out for at least 3. I started right before 8pm and realized around mile 1.5 that I was feeling it, so I kept going and ended up with a decent progression (9:33, 9:23, 9:22, 9:13, 8:54). I think starting slower helped me because the day before I had a terrible 6 mile run where I ended up walking every .75 of a mile. Monday was completely different. I would have kept going if the sun didn't set. 

Alex planting veggies

I took a rest day Tuesday and we had tacos and beers. Whoops. In my defense the tacos were $2 and the beer $3. Baby steps. 

Wednesday after Jeopardy! I headed out for 5 miles. Ha! The heat and humidity knocked me on my butt and I ended up running 2 miles, coming home and watching Alex plant some veggies, then going back out for one more mile. Just happy to report my pace was consistent during both runs. Unfortunately, I melted. 

Thursday was another off day. My office had a mini bday celebration for a co-worker. More beer, rosé, and snacks. (Ugh, I know! But at least my lunch was quality.)

Friday Alex and I went out for happy hour pizza and stumbled on a beer tasting (whoops), but I ran after we got home. Yeah, post-beer. I ran right before dark, so hours had passed, but still no bueno. Don't do what I do, kids. 

Saturday was an off day due to cold weather. I got so much done around the house: cleaning, laundry, finished some shows, started a puzzle, read some books (my reading slump is over!), then got ready for friend(co-worker from above)'s birthday dinner. We had sushi (then Taco Bell after because we were still hungry) and drinks. I started to get sick earlier in the day, so I took it easy. 

Along the path (and my escort)

I woke up Sunday with a full-blown cold (congestion, sore throat, body aches), but honestly it's more annoying than miserable. I've been really tired, but I don't feel as crushed as I do when I have something more serious. I slept in and Alex said he'd bike along with me on my last long run before Medina. We didn't leave the house until 2pm, but that didn't matter since the weather was holding steady at 50 degrees. It was tough to breathe, but I had mobile hankies to blow my nose (aka arm warmers). The trail ended at 5.7 miles, so after it was all said and done I ran 11.5 miles instead of 12, but it was a solid run, even being sick. There were a few stops for photos, but I was able to maintain a good pace (honestly faster than I should have - probably down to the cool weather). I was pretty beat when we got home. The run helped clear my nose, but unfortunately I returned with a bad sinus headache from the cold air. C'est la vie. Still had a great time with Alex! 

I think if I try to remember I'm fueling my runs I will make some better food choices. I mean, just two weeks ago I was eating crap all day every day, so I've already improved.

What are you training for?
Do you take a break before you begin training for fall races?