Blue Ridge Training: Week 2

Christmas, and the insanely unseasonably warm weather this week, about did me in!

Monday

Planned: 3 plus cross training

Actual:  Cross training only. I counted Sunday’s lights run as my 3 miles for today.

Tuesday

Planned: 3 easy

Actual: 3 easy. I’m digging the easy Muffin Miles!  We had a run and cookie exchange and it was a blast!

An impressive crew for 4:55 am!

Some shenanigans on our route

Wendesday

Planned:  30 minute tempo run

Actual: Cross training only.  The day just got away from me. Basically, if I don’t do my run before 7 am, it is unlikely to happen.

Thursday

Planned: 5 miles

Actual: 3 painful miles.  I was feeling a bit stressed and decided to squeeze in my 30 minute tempo run from Wednesday.  Everything was great for the first mile and a half and then my left calf totally seized up and was a block of wood for the rest of my run.  It still hurt the next day!  I blame the sudden lack of bananas in my diet plus being a bit dehydrated.

Friday

Planned: swimming

Actual: 4 fast Christmas miles with a speedy momma.  I wasn’t sure my leg to handle it but I managed to hang on.

It was raining like crazy and insanely humid but these ladies (and Reggie!) still joined me for some miles 

One of my favorite presents – a 30lb kettle bell 🙂

Another favorite! From Another Mother Runner/Run Like A Mother

Saturday

Planned: 5 miles

Actual: 5 early miles with some bunnies.  They were very kind to wait for me on the hills.  I hate being slower in reality than I am in my head.  And yes, I do think running a marathon on a mountain is a good idea (in response to a question I received after I huffed up a big one)

Sunday

Planned: 11 miles at race pace

Actual: 11 hilly miles (again! And I included one road called Hillside!) at 11:05 pace.  AND!! I hit my mileage goal for the year!

Blue Ridge Training: Week 1

My first week of training for the Blue Ridge marathon is done!  I really liked looking back on my log when I mapped everything out for Rock n Roll so I think I’m going to do it again.

Monday

Planned: 3 plus cross training

Actual: 3 small loops around my house with 25 kettlebell swings each loop and planks as part of a plank challenge.

Tuesday

Planned: 3 easy

Actual: 3 easy.  I was thrilled to be able to join the weekly “muffin run” this week!  Also, 75 KB swings, a plank, and week 2/day 1 of an 8 week “strength for runners” plan.

Wendesday

Planned: 3 hill repeats

Actual: 3 hill repeats on the treadmill.  I warmed up for a mile at a 10 minute pace and then did three repeats of incline set to 5 and speed set to 6.5 for a quarter mile (which, according to this chart, is a 7:47 pace :o).  I recovered for a quarter mile and then did it again.  It was actually really good!  Also, 75 KB swings and a plank.

Thursday

Planned: 5 miles

Actual: 0 miles.  It was just one of those days.  Just a plank today.

Friday

Planned: swimming

Actual: nothing.  I forgot both my goggle and my back up goggle at home!  #fail  Just a plank today.

Saturday

Planned: Celtic Solstice 5 Miler

Actual: Five miles in my neighborhood with friends.  When I went to lay out my “Flat Momma” on Friday, I couldn’t find my bib!

My poor polar bear was very sad

We literally tore the entire house apart with no luck 😦  I’m now certain that I jinxed myself by wearing the race pull-over on Friday.

Pretty sweet premium!  A Brooks half zip, with thumb holes!

My neighborhood run was a lot of fun, though, and I got to visit with some ladies I haven’t seen in a long time so it all worked out.

Also, 75 KB swings, a plank, and week 2/day 2 of the strength plan.

Sunday

Planned: 10 miles, race pace

Actual: 10 hilly miles, 10:45 pace.  I ran it solo and it was tough but good!  I then ran 3 miles with Little Runner with my Moms Run This Town running group.  We had a holiday lights run that was a blast!

LR taking a break, mid-hill. Yes, he was running while wrapped in battery-powered Christmas lights.

My polar bear is happier now

Also, 100 KB swings an a plank.

Overall, I think the training plan started out well!

Marking My Territory

when I was very young, I was married for far too long to an abusive asshole. About a year before I found the courage to leave him, I began piercing myself (by a professional!). At one time, I had 9 piercings.  It was my way of reclaiming myself , of reminding myself that I was more than he tried to allow. After I met the man I would eventually marry, I slowly let the piercing go since I no longer needed that reminder. 

Fast-forward a few years and I find that I am still in an abusive relationship. This one, though, is worse than the first because the abuser is ME and I can’t very well divorce myself. Honestly, the verbal abuse I heap on myself can be stunning and if anyone calls me on it, I just say that I’m saying what I know others are thinking. 

I’m fat

I’m slow

I have cottage cheese thighs

I have man-calves

I have flabby arms

And so on and so forth. So “not good”. 

This shit has to stop so I decided to put a permanent reminder of my strength on one of my least favorite areas, my big ol’ thigh. 

 

A star for each marathon

 
+++++

Yesterday, I hit the gym in the morning for some speed work. One of my running friends, who is known for sneaking pictures, got this one of me during my warm up. I knew she was back there and I knew I would hate how it looked.  Queue mental barrage. 

 

Meh

 
Then I looked down and saw my tattoo sticking out of my shorts and thought “screw this, let’s get it done!”  So I did. 

I still have a long way to go but I am closer than I was!