4th of July, and my last "Easy" Week

I am here, in week 5, of the Hansons Beginner's Training Program.

 It's the calm before the storm... although I couldn't even handle the "calm".  I ended up taking a couple of mid-week rest days where I wasn't up for running.  It was the holidays, and I was visiting family.  I did do some cross-training, though.

That was the plan.  Here's what I did:

Monday:
50 min on the recumbent Bike, felt the easiest that it's ever been.  Time went by quickly.  A foot thing prevented me from attempting a run.

Tuesday:
4.6 @ 8:23 pace, outside, in 76 degree and cloudy weather.  My joints complained when running at angles, when I was changing directions or on lateral inclines.  I don't know whether that run did more harm than good.

Wednesday - rest.  Drove to my parents' house.  Didn't feel up for a run, but I went on a nice 2.2 mi walk with them.

Thursday - rest.  I could've run, but we decided to go kayaking instead.  It wasn't much of a workout, because kayaking doesn't make your arms sore, for some reason.  Also, I spent a lot of time not paddling, taking pictures instead.  We were out for about 2 hours.  It was nice.  We were on a new waterway that we hadn't been to before.

Friday:
4.4 @ 9:10, outside, in 90 degree temps, half cloudy, half sunny.  Joints complained a bit during turns and angles again, so I didn't go any further.

Saturday:
6.6 @ 8:41, in 89 degree temps, with 60% sun.  Nice to see that I went faster.  Joints complained in the second loop again, although it seems like it got a bit better in the third loop... it has happened in LRs before... just need to get over the hump.

+ plus.... went Jet-skiing!!!

 

 

Sunday:
55 min body weight strength session.

2013 Mid-Year Review

Weekly Mileage:

Red = Week with a 30K race

Green = Week with a HM

Orange = Week with a race approximately 10K

Yellow = Week with a 5K

Scaled for cross-training (recumbent biking @ 2 mph of effort and strength training @ 2 mph of effort):

Snapshot of Mileage on each Shoe:

Life Highlights:
- 5 continents in 6 weeks of nearly non-stop travel.
- Loved Amsterdam

- Loved relaxing in Rio

- Hang-gliding in Rio

- First time in Africa... specifically, South Africa (I'm intent on going back, running the Comrades marathon, then going on Safari at Kreuger at some point in my life)

- Got into trail running, doing a 12K, a HM, and a 30K

- L&N's Wedding + Mini-reunions



Jun 17-30: 2 more Base weeks, and a Wedding

Jun 18, Tuesday:
5.0 @ 8:10 on a 3 degree incline (=7:32 effort).   Needed a rest day yesterday, but now that my running volume has picked up a bit, that one rest day makes a noticeable difference.

Jun 19, Wednesday:
55 minutes of recumbent biking.

Jun 20, Thursday:
4.5 @ 8:35 on a 3 degree incline (=7:54 effort).  Felt like I was pushing it.

Friday - drove up to Chapel Hill, NC, the night before a good friend's wedding.  A good number of people met up at the Top of the Hill to catch up - it was like a mini-reunion of college friends.  It was good to be with them, and it's nice when you can just pick up where you left off as if 4 years was nothing. 

Jun 22, Saturday:
4.0 @ 8:43 on a 2 degree incline (=8:12 effort).  The hotel's thermostat was set to 70, but it felt like 80 degrees.  Fasted workout at 7am.

It was a perfect and very classy wedding, of two of the nicest people you'll ever meet.  Got to catch up with other good friends, too.

Sunday: More hangout time with my Wedding Weekend roomies.  Had some excellent BBQ at the Hillsborough BBQ Company.  You know it's good when the place has a line only a few minutes after opening.  Great sides, too - hushpuppies, sweet potato salad, cajum fries, 3 types of cole slaw.

That was after having to jump my car after I left the inside light on for 2 days.  My friend's car died trying to save mine, so a third friend's car recussitated both cars.

At the restaurant, my friend's car died again, so we did our third jump start of the day.



Then, we rushed to William B. Umstead state park close to Raliegh to get in some hiking before my second friend's flight back home.  We got in 3 miles in under an hour, and found a turtle.

It was good timing socially and physically for a cutback in training, after two 20+ mile weeks at the start of base-building.  20+ for a week isn't much, compared to weeks where you do 20+ in a single run, but it feels like high-volume when you're building back up.



Jun 24, Monday:

5.8 @ 8:07, at 1 degree of incline.  The cutback week last week and the rest days made my legs feel fresh.

Jun 25, Tuesday:

4.5 @ 8:23, at 3 degrees of incline.  Legs still felt fresh. 

Jun 27, Thursday:

1 hr strength session (first in about 2 weeks).

Jun 29, Saturday:

6.0 @ 9:21 outside in the park.  71 degrees... overcast and a good temp at 7am.

Jun 30, Sunday:

5.9 @ 9:08 outside in the park.  75 degrees, with very light sprinkling, at 7pm.