Week 7 Updates

This last week has gone by incredibly fast, which actually surprises me because usually when I'm excited about things time drags.  I checked off all my runs for the week and came to a total of 17.5 miles (a little over 105 for the training plan overall!).

Tuesday: I ended up having a surprise day off (the only good thing about snow in my opinion) and decided to take advantage of the extra time to get my run in.  I went to the gym twice and both times the treadmill was taken.  On the way back and forth I noticed that the sidewalk and road weren't really slippery, they were more just slushy, so I figured I may as well stop wasting time and bundle up for an outdoor run.  Not gonna lie, it was a pretty slow go (I was a little overly cautious....I actually promised myself that if I slipped and busted my butt I was allowed to just go home).  I ended up covering 4.5 miles and decided that was good enough for me!  When I got home I did the "Sculpted Arms" workout on the Nike Training Club app.  Mannnn it makes my arms burn every time!

Wednesday: No real exercise except walking with the pup a pretty good amount.  Just had to include it because it was SARA BAREILLES DAY!  The concert was amazing (I didn't take pics because let's be real, who has actually ever taken a great concert pic?  They are rare.) and I have a huge new appreciation for Matt Nathanson.  That guy is hilarious!  If you ever have a chance to see him I highly recommend it.

Maddux says that he's funny, too. :-)

Thursday: I did the "Leaner Legs" workout on the Nike Training Club app (I adjust the exercises a little).  Out of courtesy for my downstairs neighbors I make the jumping squats into just normal squats.  I meant to do more, but man I was tired.  I think the added strength training in my days has really helped my running.  I've felt a lot stronger and have gotten faster woohoo!    

Friday: I heard we were supposed to have terrible weather on Saturday (plus, I had a holiday party and I tend to take a ridiculous amount of time to get moving sometimes), so I decided I would try to get my workout out of the way in case there was another long wait for the treadmill.  I lucked out and ended up being the only person in our fitness center and got 5 quick miles done.  It felt really great and I was happy to have a weekend run checked off.

Sunday: I went out to one of my favorite trails for my 8 mile run.  My legs felt a little sluggish for the first three miles, but my pace was surprisingly pretty good (Garmin found its satellites yay!).  I stopped for a quick stretch and then the rest of the run felt pretty good.  I ate three Pro Bar Bolt energy chews I had left over to make sure I wouldn't have any crazy stomach issues during my run and ended up finishing my run in 1 hr and 14 minutes.  I was excited that I maintained a low 9 pace for the majority of the run and am hoping I can keep it up as I continue adding miles.  A half marathon PR may just be in reach!

I'm going to have to plan ahead a little to make sure this week's runs go smoothly since it's going to be a little crazy with the upcoming holidays, but I'm feeling great about training so far!  Happy running!