It ended up being a pretty low mileage week, but I was planning for it to be a lower mileage week so I am just fine with that. Overall, TSP training and Project Make The Foods are both going pretty well (with some flexibility for me being a human with a job and responsibilities).

Sunday, 1/14 – Rest Day

A lovely Sunday for resting and doing chores. Also I made the Sweet Potato Breakfast Cookies from RFES, which are GREAT. I’ve been using them for a pre-run snack between breakfast and lunch and they are perfect – I will definitely make them again.

Monday, 1/15 – Rest Day

This was not an intentional rest day, but I totally destroyed my shin by running into the hidden corner of the guest bed and figured if it hurt to put weight on my leg I should probably take a day off to be safe. Though it felt like my shin totally shattered on impact, after some recovery time it seems fine and only developed the smallest and least impressive of bruises. Sigh. Also I made the quinoa salad from RFES for lunches this week (added mango and avocado and subbed green onion for red onion…oh and put in more kale than called for) and it too is excellent.

Tuesday, 1/16 – 10.1 miles easy (7:39 pace)

Back to running after a two day vacation and feeling great (other than the sore shin). I added on a bit at the beginning of the run as this week’s mileage was looking a bit thin (you know…zero miles thus far…).

Wednesday, 1/17 – Workout (6 miles up tempo) = 10 miles

After a couple of weeks doing fartlek workouts we decided to just run an uptempo 6 miles to change it up. It felt good and controlled – 6:54, 6:49, 6:45, 6:46, 6:41, 6:45.

Thursday, 1/18 – 5.5 miles recovery (8:01 pace)

Wet.

Friday, 1/19 – 10 miles (7:50 pace)

Normal Friday loop + a bit extra to make 10 miles. My knee started hurting around mile 8, but it calmed down again. Hopefully it’s nothing… And after a week of eating really good (for me), I ended up having Mallow Oats (basically Lucky Charms) and a Stroopwaffel for dinner. And some spinach because health.

Saturday, 1/20 – 6 miles of Nordic Ski

Nordic Skiing with my mom! We went up to Teacup Lake and did the full perimeter loop. This was only my second ski of the year and other than some pretty terrible traffic on the way it up, it was magical and glorious.

Total Mileage – 35.6 miles (+6 miles ski)

While the rest of the country has been stuck in an icy winter blast, it was 60 degrees and sunny today in Portland. Any time I felt tired or grumpy this week, I just thought about how grateful I was to be running outside without having to worry about snow or ice!

Additionally I had a really interesting conversation with a friend who knows way more about running than I do. We were talking about the best way to prepare for The Speed Project – doubles vs. the same distance but all at once and she feels very strongly that doubles are not the way to go because of the greater potential for injury in having to warm up at a time your body is not usually ready to run, having to go through the “warm up” process twice vs. once, and also the greater impact of running on tired legs via one long run, vs. junk miles in the morning and a regular run later in the day. I’m sure some people would disagree, but I really like the technique – I only have to get ready once and I only have to recover once!

Sunday, 1/7 – 6.2 miles easy (8:06 pace)

I put off my run and ate lunch really late and then ran right after eating and felt like I was going to hurl the whole time but it was starting to get dark so I couldn’t wait and it was gross and slow and overall maybe not the best decision. I also made the Wild West Rice Salad from Run Fast, Eat Slow, which was GREAT! I put less olive oil into the dressing, only used one carrot (vs. three) and added avocado, but other than that pretty much stuck to the recipe – highly enjoyable.

Monday, 1/8 – 6.5 miles (7:22 pace)

I had some late meetings so I ran late and backward and fast on our normal loop to try and catch my friends.

Tuesday, 1/9 – 9.8 miles easy (7:45 pace)

I ran with my friend who is training for a number of races – mostly LONG races. She just got into Leadville 100 and I’ll be helping to pace her in August which is really exciting!

Wednesday, 1/10 – Workout (10 x 3 minutes fast, 1 minute slow) = 11.8 miles

Oof. This was quite the workout for the middle of a work day. We ran the fast sections between 6:10-6:40 pace and the slow 7:10-8:00 pace. Overall the pace felt fine, I just got tired because it was long!

Thursday, 1/11 – 7 miles recovery (8:00 pace)

Recovery run.

Friday, 1/12 – 8.9 miles easy (7:50 pace)

Easy Friday run with friends – normal Friday loop plus a little extra as we’re trying to increase our weekly mileage. Also made corn chowder (pictured above with my meal planning notebook that has lasted into week three of the new year!) and cheddar & apple scones.

Saturday, 1/13 – 6.3 miles (7:20 pace)

I was going to run long with a friend but noted my weekly mileage and in favor of being smart just did a short loop by my house. The only thing of note in this run was that I tried to beat a Strava record on the steep hill, ran 6:13 pace up the thing (0.3 miles, 3% grade), eagerly plugged in my watch and came to the realization that I had actually moved DOWN rankings because two people drove the route and forgot to turn off their Strava. So I have the unofficial QOM on the segment, behind the two people in cars. Sigh.

Total Mileage – 56.5 miles

New year, new training log. As mentioned in the New Year’s Goals post I am planning to run The Speed Project this year as part of a six woman team. As such, I’m going to need to start ramping up the training in the next couple of months to be ready for running 50+ miles through the desert while not sleeping for 2+ days. Sigh. Anyway, that can start next week – this week was just getting back into the routine after an amazing Christmas Break in which I ran when I wanted to and sat at my kitchen table reading and doing art projects when I didn’t want to : )

Sunday, 12/31 – 2 x 4.2 miles (7:30 pace)

New Year’s Eve! Multitasking my run today by running to and from church. It’s a great plan when it’s not raining, except for arriving at church slightly sweaty. I also took the opportunity to follow up on my unspoken New Year’s Goal of meal planning and made Vegetable Tofu Soup from the Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook to eat for the week. This is one of the cookbooks I grew up on and it always makes me happy to cook from it.

Monday, 1/1 – 13.5 miles easy (7:46 pace)

Due to celebrating East Coast New Year’s (while living on the West Coast) I got up nice and early and went on a long (for me) beautiful run out to my old neighborhood. I briefly considered running 18 for 2018, but decided to pass on that…

Tuesday, 1/2 – 6 miles easy (7:54 pace)

Back to work – womp. But it was great to meet up with my running buddies after a LOOOONG hiatus. I ran our normal Monday Loop easy with two of the girls on my Speed Project team.

Wednesday, 1/3 – 7.5 miles easy (7:50 pace)

I skipped Workout Wednesday as it was 11 miles with 12 x 2 minutes fast, 1 minute slow and considering my IT Band has been a bit wonky I thought it wise to not run 30 miles in 3 days. Instead I ran easy with a somewhat injured friend and a recovering from a cold friend. Also made the Radicchio/Farro Salad from Run Fast, Eat Slow which was AWESOME but gigantic and I am still eating it nearly a week later.

Thursday, 1/4 – Mini Workout (3 mile uptempo @ 6:31 pace + 800 @ 3:05) = 6.5 miles

I felt a bit guilty about skipping the workout so decided to do my own mini workout – 3 miles uptempo on the trail by my work and then I threw in a little 1 x 800 as well to spice things up. Overall I felt pretty stiff warming up, but once I got going it felt good to stretch out.

Friday, 1/5 – 8 miles easy (7:50 pace)

Regular Friday Loop in which I spent about forty minutes summarizing the first half of The Girl in Cabin 10 (an absolutely terrible book in my opinion, but entertaining to summarize). And then I made the Teff Pumpkin Pancakes from RFES for dinner (which were almost worth going to five stores in order to find teff flour).

Saturday, 1/6 – Rest Day

Went to Mt. Tabor for a little hike with my parents and made Whole Bowls for dinner! Highly Recommended!!

Total Mileage – 50 miles (actually 49.9, but I am choosing to round up)

Two great weeks! Full of things like LOTS OF RAIN ALL OF THE TIME. But it’s okay. I am a born and raised Oregonian and I love the rain! Like really, other than the landslides, I’m still fine with this.

Sunday 3/5: Rest Day.

Monday 3/6: Easy run pre-time trial. A bit faster than I would have preferred. Run: 6 miles (7:46/mi)

Tuesday 3/7: 5K time trial on the track. We had terrible weather and I did not feel great from the start. It was in the low 40’s with miserable rain and wind. Gross. I was planning to just run 6:07’s straight but fell behind from literally the first 200. What felt easy the week before felt like a grind – bad sign. I ran the first mile in a very tired 6:05 and then just lost time from there. I considered quitting when it became obvious I wouldn’t break 19 OR PR, but figured at least running in this ridiculous weather could be good for some mental strength so I stuck with it – 19:26. Not great but not terrible – at least I now have a data point. Run: 6.1 miles 

Wednesday 3/8: Run: 5.5 miles (8:06/mi)

Thursday 3/9: Run: 6 miles (7:33/mi)

Friday 3/10: Run: 8 miles (7:29/mi)

Saturday 3/11: Despite having “Run” on my calendar – I decided to put it off until Sunday because it was POURING rain and Sunday was actually supposed to just be cloudy. I did get a hair cut so at least I was productive.

Total Mileage: 31.6 miles

Sunday 3/12: Best way to wake up – 5am on daylight savings time to your cat puking up the toy she ate a week ago. Where was she storing it? How was it just chilling in her stomach for a week? HOW?! Nonetheless, as a direct result I got lots done including leaving early to multi-task my run by running to and from church the long way. Run: 13.8 miles

Monday 3/13:  Raining. Run: 6 miles

Tuesday 3/14:  Raining. Run: 5.7 miles

Wednesday 3/15: I ran our usual Friday loop with my friend Carrie. As I may have mentioned 9-15 times it has been a very wet 2017 in Portland and much of the route was flooded. Usually the group turns around when encountering adversity like flooding but we decided to forge ahead and splash onward – which was REALLY fun. Lots of giggling. Very heavy shoes. Run: 8 miles (7:30/mi)

Thursday 3/16: NOT RAINING! Run: 6.2 miles (7:50/mi)

Friday 3/17: Day off of work and running and responsibilities! I made lemon/poppyseed/cardamom cake and a walnut miso udon noodle soup and went to the art museum with my mom and it was lovely.

Saturday 3/18: I was having some trouble getting motivated to run in the rain again – but once I got out the door and got wet it was kind of nice. I was planning to just do 5-6 miles easy but ended up in my old neighborhood and kept just going a little further until I realized I was over 7 miles from home. Overall it was a nice, quiet, peaceful run in the rain. Run: 14.3 miles (7:32/mi)

Total Mileage: 54 miles

This week was a bit on the exhausting side, but not in a bad way. Highlights included a great workout on Wednesday leading up to next week’s 5K time trial (I especially love this because there’s no pressure – if it doesn’t go well this week I can just try again in another couple of weeks!), two game nights, cooking/baking adventures, I finished FOUR of the books I’m reading, cat snuggles, helping my friend give her baby a bath (HOW ARE BABIES SO SLIPPERY), and watching Bob’s Burgers.

Sunday 2/26: Chill day! And I made dal with sweet potatoes and coconut chutney and was super proud of myself because I cook like never.

Monday 2/27: Easy day – Monday Loop. Run: 6 miles (7:53/mi)

Tuesday 2/28: Another easy day followed by Settlers of Catan game night! Run: 6.2 miles (7:57/mi)

Wednesday 3/1: Last workout before the “time trial” next week! The goal was to see if a sub-19:00 5K would be a good goal or not. We ran 3 x 1 mile on the track with 90 seconds rest in 6:03, 6:01, 5:58 and I felt pretty okay. Next week we’ll do the time trial aiming for just under 19:00 (a PR for me) – about 6:07 per mile. Run: 6.7 miles

Thursday 3/2: Easy day. Run: 5.5 miles (7:54/mi)

Friday 3/3: Late run due to meetings. I missed my normal Friday run crew : ( Run: 7 miles

Saturday 3/4: Another “wandering around Portland” run. I found a neighborhood with GIGANTIC houses. And then I made macarons for the first time in the evening! Run: 9 miles

Total Mileage: 40.4 miles

This was an uncharacteristically quiet week both at work and with social obligations. It was nice to just do my stuff and chill out and generally feel unhurried and content. Highlights included – my favorite hummus is back at Trader Joe’s, a great workout on Wednesday, running through a giant puddle/pond with a friend who doesn’t mind getting wet feet, movie night by myself with hot cocoa and popcorn, my mom’s apple cake, President’s Day off of work, my first trail run in pretty much forever, the rediscovery of oatmeal + almond butter for breakfast, a narrow game night victory and a new season of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix!

Sunday 2/19: Relaxation and rest day! And I made a delicious quinoa salad with broccoli/spinach/sauteed leeks, etc. from a great vegetarian cookbook I’ve been exploring called “A Modern Way to Eat.”

Monday 2/20: I took the day off of work because I could and ran from my house and did things like clean and hang out with friends and take a nap. Run: 7 miles (7:41/mi)

Tuesday 2/21:  Back to work and an easy run with some gigantic puddles. Run: 6.7 miles (7:46/mi)

Wednesday 2/22:  Workout Wednesdays are back on! I was really nervous about this one as I detest 1k repeats, but I really need to work on my mental game and this was a great opportunity to do so. Overall I was really happy with how it went down. I stuck with the group for the first three and then cut down a bit to stretch myself. Workout – 5 x 1k with 200m jog recovery in – 3:46, 3:48, 3:48, 3:44, 3:39. I really want to do a 5K race or time trial to try and PR, but 5K courses are almost never accurate so I’m thinking about doing it on the track…we shall see. Run: 7.1 miles

Thursday 2/23:  Easy run. Run: 6.2 miles (7:42/mi)

Friday 2/24: And another easy one. Run: 8 miles (7:50/mi)

Saturday 2/25: I met a friend for her long run on roads and trails. The weather was absolutely beautiful (though quite cold) and even though this is the longest run I’ve done in a while and one of the higher mileage weeks I’ve had recently, everything felt great. We went to brunch afterward and it was pretty much a perfect morning. Run: 14 miles

Total Mileage: 49 miles

Do you need a list of happy items? Sometimes I need to just take a minute and identify all of the fantastic moments I am so fortunate to experience. Highlights of the week: Valentine’s  day party with friends on Tuesday, fun and hard workout that left me feeling strong, finding a battery for my dead mouse at work, Lego Batman Movie with adults, Tostada dinner with friends and homemade avocado/mango salsa, my favorite donut for free at work (Blue Star – Old Fashioned), long quiet aimless run on Saturday, new shower heads at the gym with dramatically improved water pressure, Pokemon Go Gen 2 release, a day of beautiful weather after some of the wettest runs I’ve ever experienced, avocados finally on sale. I hope your week was equally enjoyable.

Sunday 2/12: We drove back from the beach and I did all of the stuff that you do when you’ve been gone for the weekend (groceries, laundry, cleaning, cat maintenance, etc.).

Monday 2/13:  Lovely lunch run with my friend. Run: 6.3 miles (7:34/mi)

Tuesday 2/14:  Workout Tuesday (directly preceded by a donut) – 16 quarters with one minute rest between intervals. I love running quarters – this is probably my favorite workout. It’s nice to get to take a break after every lap ; ) Maybe this summer I’ll run some 5k’s and finally break 19:00! 16 x 400 (Set 1 – 88, 89, 87, 89; Set 2 – 87, 86, 86, 88; Set 3 – 86, 85, 86, 84; Set 4 – 85, 83, 83, 80) Run: 7.8 miles

Wednesday 2/15:  POURING RAIN. Run: 5 miles (8:00/mi)

Thursday 2/16:  POURING RAIN AND EVERYTHING IS FLOODED. Run: 6 miles (7:47/mi)

Friday 2/17: A beautiful day after all of the rain! Run: 7.5 miles (7:44/mi)

Saturday 2/18: My shin has been a bit sore so I was going to take the day off, but I think I found the spot in my calf that was causing it and after attacking it aggressively with a lacrosse ball it felt pretty ok so I decided to go for a short run…which turned into a long run. Run: 12.5 miles (7:45/mi)

Total Mileage: 45 miles

I would like to take this moment to celebrate another lovely running-for-the-joy-of-it week. It’s amazing how much less stressed out I am by changes to my schedule when there’s not a race looming in the horizon.

Sunday 2/5: I left you in suspense last week as to whether I would actually go running in pouring rain at 34 degrees – the answer was a lazy and resounding no. I cooked some food and sat on my couch and read a book and it was very nice.

Monday 2/6: Monday Loop! And I’m officially 31.5 years old! Run: 6 miles (7:39/mi)

Tuesday 2/7: Another WoT. This time around we did my friend’s favorite track workout but with really long rest (beacuse winter). 1600 (6:07) – 800 jog – 1200 (4:30) – 600 jog – 800 (2:57) – 400 jog – 400 (:77). This workout felt super easy and nice other than my arms going numb after I took off my layer and ran in a t-shirt. I’m really happy that my whole running group is in a similar fitness place and we can all ease back into speedwork together! Run: 7 miles

Wednesday 2/8: Easy day with friends. Run: 6 miles (7:40/mi)

Thursday 2/9: Another chatty easy day  Run: 5.5 miles (7:51/mi)

Friday 2/10: I took today off of work because I was planning to give some friends a ride to the beach in the afternoon, so I slept in (until 6:30) and ran from home on my favorite loop and then went out to brunch! Run: 8 miles (7:39/mi)

Saturday 2/11: At the beach! I tried to trail run but forgot my trail shoes and it was super muddy and steep and rooty (the trail gained 400 feet in the first 800 meters – with no warm-up) so after a couple of miles and many close calls I carefully descended and ran along the beach….through the edge of the oncoming tide. I felt like a small child splashing everywhere and it was really quite enjoyable (though my shoes are still quite wet). Run: 5 miles (let’s not talk about pace)

Total Mileage: 37.5 miles

Ugh – this Winter is THE WORST. I’m currently sitting inside contemplating running – but it’s 36 degrees outside and pouring rain. It has been raining nonstop since the ice melted and now the streets are flooded in freezing water and BERTHA IS STRONG. I do NOT want to go out in this. Blah blah blah, I know, suck it up and go running because at least I can. Be watching for next week’s training log to see if I actually manage to motivate into action.

Sunday 1/29: I ran to meet my parents for brunch at Petite Provence (they have AMAZING croissants). Run: 4 miles (7:10/mi)

Monday 1/30: Monday Loop! Look at me running easy on an easy day! : ) Run: 6 miles (7:55/mi)

Tuesday 1/31: The second workout Wednesday of the new year – once again on a Tuesday. The original plan was to run 800 (3:05) – 1.5 mile on Hollister Trail (10:00) – 800 (3:00).  My friend revised this to 800 (3:00) – 1.5 miles (9:45) – 800 (3:00). The first 800 went down in 2:59 – a bit of a fast start but it evened out after the first 200. The 1.5 mile was faster than planned which caused a bit of dissent in the group (9:29). The last 800 felt super easy (hooray!) and was right on track until the last 200 (2:55). Run: 6.5 miles

Wednesday 2/1: Easy day (but 25mph winds). Run: 5.5 miles (7:57/mi)

Thursday 2/2: Another easy day (with extreme wind) Run: 5 miles (8:00/mi)

Friday 2/3: Another ice storm. Hooray. I was stuck inside ALL DAY and was literally pacing. If only I had a treadmill for days like this!

Saturday 2/4: The ice melted overnight and I snuck out in between rain storms! I just ran for fun wherever I wanted to go and it was fantastic. Run: 11.5 miles (7:37/mi)

Total Mileage: 38.5 miles

The snow has melted. The floods have receded. The new year has begun!

Saturday 1/21: Rest Day!

Sunday 1/22: I ran to a friend’s house with the plan of running back – but we ended up going to get sushi so it was a short short run Run: 3 miles (7:24/mi)

Monday 1/23: Monday Loop! Run: 5.8 miles (7:29/mi)

Tuesday 1/24: The first workout Wednesday of the new year! Well – workout Tuesday I guess due to meeting conflicts. We did 16 x 60 seconds on, 30 seconds easy and it was a great intro week back. We shall see what next week has in store! Run: 6.75 miles

Wednesday 1/25: Easy day Run: 5.5 miles (7:57/mi)

Thursday 1/26: Another easy day Run: 6.2 miles (7:52/mi)

Friday 1/27: Hour run Friday was shorter than usual because we ran our usual route a bit on the quick side! Run: 8 miles (7:12/mi)

Total Mileage: 35.25 miles

I’m not sure that I can actually call this a training log as I’m not training for anything. Between an unpredictable work schedule, crazy weather and not having a goal race, my running has been sporadic, without purpose and generally enjoyable.

Last summer I had big goals and a coach and an intense training plan and I stuck to it religiously and everything went great and it was wonderful…but at the same time I missed out on just running with my friends and going on adventures that didn’t comply with “the plan.” I did most of my workouts alone. I did most of my long runs alone. And that was fine. It served a purpose. However, this year is different. This year I am running with my friends, my goals are more along the lines of “run consistently and enjoy it” and “go on long trail adventures” and “don’t be afraid of workouts,” and it is less structured but still pretty great.

I’m sure the racing fire will be rekindled at some point, but for now I’m happy being an easy-going runner person. My “training” logs may not be the most exciting…but sometimes it’s good to just run for life and for joy and because it’s something that just feels right, because isn’t that how running should be?

Saturday 1/14: Second day in LA away from the wintermageddon in Portland. We were there for my cousin’s wedding and stayed on Venice Beach. I ran toward Santa Monica, past the pier, and then up through Palisades Park. The terrifying moment of the day came in the evening – as we were walking back from dinner I was hit by a transient on a bicycle. Uber is highly recommended when walking through LA at night. Run: 6 miles (7:45/mi)

Sunday 1/15: Same route as Saturday, but added on along San Vicente Blvd. Run: 8 miles (7:54/mi)

Monday 1/16:  Last day in LA – I got a quick run in before we flew back to icy PDX. Run: 5 miles (7:44/mi)

Tuesday 1/17: Work and schools were cancelled again today (the 9th snow day of the season) as Portland roads were compacted snow/ice – so this run was scary and slow and I was kind of sore afterward from all of the sliding/stabilizing.  Run: 6 miles (9:50/mi)

Wednesday 1/18: After a terrifying commute, this was my first day back at work with my running friends since the previous Tuesday. We had to backtrack to get around some flooding and went slow due to ice, but it was a WONDERFUL run. Run: 5.7 miles (8:45/mi)

Thursday 1/19: THE SNOW HAS MELTED. Run: 6.2 miles (7:37/mi)

Friday 1/20: Hour run Friday with six friends. The trials of winter have passed (for now). Run: 7.7 miles (7:44/mi)

Total Mileage: 44.6 miles

Another crazy two weeks. I love all of the things that I’m doing. I love my job and running obviously. And the church groups and book clubs and family time and activities with friends and music. All of it. I love it all. But sometimes I get overwhelmed and the past couple of months have been teetering on the edge of “is this really fun right now?” because I haven’t had time to just sit still and think. A few things have been sacrificed as a result – cooking, trumpet practicing and most notably for this training log – any type of training plan or running goal. I really want to set a new goal and get after it, but with the way things have been going I think it will be more stressful than exciting. So for now I’m running for fun, going on adventures, and surviving! : )

Monday 9/5: Labor Day! Started it off right with an easy trail run with friends followed by coffee and pastries! Run: 5 miles easy (trail)

Tuesday 9/6: And BAM just like that, crushed by busy-ness again. Fortunately I got in Core/Strength in the am and a run in the afternoon. Run: 5.75 miles

Wednesday 9/7: Made time for a workout, phew! I actually was pretty happy about this as it’s been a while since I felt solid in a workout. Run: 7.5 miles with 2 x 2 miles (@ 6:17 & 6:18, 6:20 & 6:17)

Thursday 9/8: Too many meetings so I did a pool run before work. The worst music. No friends. The longest 45 minutes. Pool Run: 45 minutes

Friday 9/9: Short and easy run before an adventure on Mt. Hood on Saturday! Run: 5.5 miles + Short Core/Strength

Saturday 9/10: Initially I planned to run all the way around Mt. Hood this weekend, but decided that I really wasn’t trained for that amount of distance and elevation (39 miles with 8000 ft. of elevation gain). We ended running/hiking up to the Timberline Trail, up Gnarl Ridge and then down Tilly Jane. It was a beautiful day and an amazing escape. Run: 19.75 miles trail (4,500 ft elevation gain/loss)

Sunday 9/11: My Quads. Oh My Quads.

Total Mileage: 43.5 miles

Monday 9/12: Still so sore. Quads. Ow. Run: 5.75 miles so so slowly

Tuesday 9/13: All day meetings = no running.

Wednesday 9/14: I tried to do a workout but was exhausted and stressed from work and my quads were still sore, I ran one 400 and realized a workout was just not in the cards – trying to listen to my body and be smart. Run: 6.8 miles + short core/strength

Thursday 9/15: All-day training so I ran before work. Run: 6.5 miles

Friday 9/16: Another all-day training. Another early run. Run: 5 miles

Saturday 9/17: Escaped to Mt. Hood again. We were trying to capture the last days of summer, but it ended up rainy and cold. I especially enjoyed the moments when we would get to what looked like just another chunk of trail and my friend who actually knew where we were would say, “That’s Mt. Hood! Right There! Behind that big white cloud that is enveloping everything!”

In spite of the rain/clouds we still had a great time. We ran/hiked up Hidden Lake trail and then came back down via Paradise Park. We were totally incredibly soaked by the time we finished and I ended up totally stripping down and driving back in just sweatpants and a sweatshirt and then I ate a pop tart and took a hot shower and it was a pretty great start to my Saturday. Run: 16.5 miles trail (3,600 ft elevation gain/loss) 

Sunday 9/18: No time to run – but I wasn’t sore! Yay!

Total Mileage: 40.5 miles

What a month! Three deadlines at work compounded with a bunch of other stuff made me kind of drop off the map. But now that August is over I am on my way back! Overall, running took a back seat this month due to general busy-ness and just needing a break from training. Also, I am really excited that the hottest part of the summer is over and fall is on its way!! I wore pants today and it was THE BEST!

August 1-7

Highlights: I turned 31!

Run Highlight:The annual Salt and Straw ice cream run! To celebrate summer birthdays my friends and I run about 9.5 miles from work to the Salt and Straw ice cream shop! The weather was wonderful and they even had my favorite flavor – Green Fennel and Maple!

             Miles Run: 41.5 miles with one not great workout to try and get ready for Hood to Coast (2 miles @ 6:38, 1 mile @ 6:26, 800 in 3:05)

August 8-14

Highlights: Saw The Lion King with my mom as a late Mother’s Day present!

Run Highlight: This was a crazy busy and stressful week that unfortunately did not have a run highlight.

             Miles Run: 36.5 miles + some biking and pool running and no workout

August 15-21

Highlights: Much needed camping trip with my parents to the Oregon Coast!

Run Highlight: Trail running on the Oregon Coast!

             Miles Run: 31 miles with one last-ditch-effort workout (1600 @ 6:00, 800 @ 3:00, 400 @ :85 & :84)

August 22-28

Highlights: Hood to Coast Relay

Run Highlight: Hood to Coast Relay – I was very nervous about H2C this year – I did not feel prepared at all and was unsure if I could hit my splits given my current fitness. And I must say it was quite a memorable year – with temperatures up at 99 degrees many teams struggled in the first half of the race. We lost a runner to heat exhaustion halfway through her first leg (she’s okay). This led to me running four legs for the first time instead of the usual three (I feel like this is a rite of passage). It went better than expected – (Leg 1 – 5.5 miles @ 6:45 (95 degrees), Leg 2 – 6.8 @ 6:35, Leg 3 – 5.3 @ 6:34, Leg 4 – 4.1 @ 7:03). Our team placed first in our division and 20th overall and had a great time.

             Miles Run: 38 miles

August 29-September4

Highlights: Returning from a work trip to San Francisco and taking some serious relaxation and introvert time with my kitties.

Run Highlight: Finally got back on the trails on Sunday. It wasn’t a great run or a long run, but it felt amazing.

             Miles Run: 26.5 miles

So, in conclusion, August was good, but I’m really happy it is currently September. Now I just need to figure out what’s next!