I Live My Love

Marathon Training Update (Week 7 of 16)

Monday: off

Tuesday: cross training, strength session

Wednesday: 2.5m + 90 minutes yoga

Thursday: off

Friday: 90 minutes yoga

Saturday: 15m

Sunday: 2 hours yoga + 6m run

I felt surprisingly good after Saturday’s long run (and I recuperated much faster than last week)! I filled this week with yoga sessions, which were much needed physically + mentally. I skipped a 9m run and a cross training session, since I couldn’t manage to get out of the office at a decent time most nights. I need to work harder to get those mid-week long runs in, since I’m certain they’re important. Maybe this week?

Marathon Training Update (Week 6 of 16)

Monday: 4m shakeout run

Tuesday: cross training, a personal training session, and a pilates/foam roller class

Wednesday: off 

Thursday: 6m tempo run

Friday: cross training session

Saturday: 16m

Sunday: hot yoga + 2m (should have been 4)

Last week went well (and substantially better than week 5). I should have done a core workout, and Sunday’s run was cut short by 2 miles, but all in all, I stuck to most of the workouts. Saturday’s long run got a little rough between miles 10 and 12, and it took a yoga session on Sunday to get my legs back to normal, but within 24 hours, I was feeling fine. 

This week in food:

• Monday: Salads with buffalo chicken
• Tuesday: Beef stew with mashed cauliflower
• Wednesday: Beer marinated chicken tacos (in lettuce cups)
• Thursday: Hot and spicy braised peanut chicken
• Friday: Cauliflower crust pizza (I keep meaning to make this - and it’s on our menu nearly every week, but I still haven’t done it…)

This week is all about using up what we have in the kitchen (seeing how just today, I pulled out a squishy beet and a fuzzy bell pepper from our crisper drawer, and a soft onion from our pantry), making prepare-ahead meals (or using the crock pot as much as possible) - as well as cutting down on our wheat intake. I find when I’m super busy (like I know I’ll be this week, when I try to cram 5 days of work into 4), pasta becomes my go-to meal, and I serve it at least three times per week. In an effort to detox, we’re trying to cut out wheat in its entirety this week (but will still be eating carbs, like fruit, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, etc). Although I didn’t finish Wheat Belly, some of the author’s statements have me intrigued, so the hubs and I decided this would be a good challenge for us this month.

Marathon Training Update (Week 5 of 16)

Monday: 4.2m shakeout run

Tuesday: off

Wednesday: off (should have been a speed workout)

Thursday: off (should have been strength + cross training)

Friday: 1m run + 30 min xtrain + a stretch session 

Saturday: 4m + hot yoga

Sunday: 8.4m (should have been 14m)

Last week week in marathon  training pretty much was the week that wasn’t. Let’s call it an unintentional step-back week, shall we? I spent my mid-week caring for sick puppies (they had a stomach virus and were super dehydrated, so besides making a mess all over our white carpet [which necessitated renting a carpet shampoo machine], they also required vet visits), and working twelve hour days. I ended up pushing back my speed workout for so many days, that when I finally tried to do it on Friday, my body rebelled and begged to cross train. Sunday, during my long run, my sister called in a panic, since she was off to go apartment hunting and no one could go with her. Being the responsible older sister that I am, I cut my run short, but wasn’t able to make up the mileage, since I had super important dinner plans. 

The lessons I learned this week are to be flexible - but not too flexible. Also, I need to try to workout more in the morning, since life seems to fall apart in the afternoon/after work. I also learned that I really need to get my long runs done early in the morning as well. I didn’t start my intended fourteen miler until 1pm, so when my sister called, I only had time to go with her, and go to dinner. I wasn’t able to get in the remaining 5.5 miles. I also learned that I need to do cross training and yoga. Incorporating those into my life/training routine are a must - since they’re the only way I can have my body not rebel against me. Taking three days off and then trying to run (without any yoga or cross training in between) does not work for me!

When I was younger, my mom would allow me to take a day off from school every few months - for no reason other than that I needed a Mental Health Day. She’d write my teachers a note, letting them know I was not feeling well, and the day was mine - to relax, renew, and to face the next day at school with a fresh perspective. Well, today, I needed a Mental Health Day too. I called in sick to work (yay for sick days!) and I plan to do nothing more than nap, eat fro yo, and calm down - since the stresses of last week have worn me out (think: sick puppies, work craziness, and general disarray).

I pulled myself out of bed to eat a breakfast sandwich with egg whites, spinach, roasted tomato, and cheese and a latte (yum!), and now I plan to head to the couch while I have a load of laundry in the washing machine. I may be acting like a sloth today, but it’s just what I need. I promise.