If you’re going to have a crazy roller coaster anxiety and emotional filled week, I guess cutback week is a good time for it. It was just one of THOSE weeks. The cold snap really got to me this week on top of hormones and anxiety rearing their ugly heads and I struggled. It happens, it’s life, but still sucks when you’re in the throes of it. Tuesday evening was probably the worst of it, where I ended up flipping out about something small (I actually threatened my watch to flush it down the toilet) and just couldn’t shake it and it snowballed into being worked up about actual life things. By the time I got out for my run well later than planned, there was just no way I was going to get my workout in. I mustered up about 30 minutes in cold wind and getting pelted in the face while trying to use the run to “cool off” mentally (didn’t work).

Wednesday I felt a little better but still not great. Hormones really picked up piling on, and when I started my evening run again I knew it wasn’t going to be a good time for my tune-up still so just ran easy. Finally on Thursday I was able to have a good run. I didn’t want to do the original workout since I was now 2 days closer to the race. I changed it up and did 5 mile easy progression and then finished with 4 x 400 just to try and bust off the rust. Friday was easy miles with some strides as race prep.

I’m still kind of processing the race, but overall it was a big success. Less about the time (though, it was an all time 2 second PR) but more about how I got there, where I am currently at, and what it means to me going forward. The short story is that I ran hard and consistent, and came in a very unexpected 2nd place (usually I’m lucky if I crack top 10 at this race).  I had so much fun, and was surrounded by friends and family (My mom ran too!) and got to share my medal with the cutest cheerleader ever.

I had to work all weekend at my part time job, so it meant a lot of time on my feet after the race and the day following. While it does make me more tired, it does help prevent me from getting too stiff or tight after hard efforts. I woke up Sunday feeling good post race, and went for my afternoon long run with a goal of finding all the hills. I ended up with about 994ft of gain (per Strava) and was faster than I anticipated but ran easy and controlled so I don’t feel like I over did it on that end. Then again, went to work later in the evening which helped my legs recover walking around.

Monday: 4 post-work recovery treadmill miles (8:36 avg)
Tuesday: 3.5 blergh miles (8:34 avg)
Wednesday: 4 Easy late evening treadmill miles (7:48 avg)
Thursday: 7 post-work treadmill miles (7:33 avg) – first 5 easy progression, then 4 x 400 (89,88,88,85)
Friday: 4.1 Easy miles (8:01 avg) + Strides (5:02 avg)
Saturday: Warm-up + Johnny’s 5 Mile Race (31:01)
Sunday: 15.5 mile long run chasing all the hills (7:36 avg)
Week Totals: 45 Miles
Beers Drank: Innis & Gunn Kindred Spirits
Baby Milestones:  Third Tooth, First St. Patrick’s Day, more progress on standing solo!

Good Riddance to last week though, so glad for a new week and back to building!

This was a slightly more ‘exciting’ week of training than it has been in a while. It wasn’t anything crazy, but I got a race in (first since November) so that was a nice change of pace in addition to another good week of miles.

The week started off on a bit of a salty note with running for me, I was out for my usual recovery jaunt and was planning on tacking on a bit around the block but when I got about 1/4 mile from home I was bit by a dog. It was almost 9PM, dark besides street lights, luckily I had no music or anything on so I had a LITTLE bit of warning hearing it running up behind me but there still wasn’t much I could do. What can I say, runner thighs just look tasty to animals! The good news was, it didn’t break the skin and something made it run off quickly after so I didn’t have to fight it off for long. Bad news, obviously not ideal and I was pretty shaken up afterwards. A house I have run by hundreds of times and never issues, and of course it had to happen at night. As someone who runs at night a lot, I’m usually pretty cautious and aware but don’t spook quite as easily…. but this rocked me a bit more than I would have liked.

The week only went up from there in terms of running (was a rough work week, but that is when good running weeks come in handy). I had a great workout on Tuesday (in shorts and a tank top!!!), and rounded the week out with easy stuff until the race on Saturday. It was a low key race as part of the local Freezeroo Series, but was the perfect chance to bust off the rust from not racing in a few months. I ran strong and consistent even with the rolling elevation but waited a bit too long to change gears. I finished with a 6:10 average which is still right about where I had hoped/expected to be based on training, it was advertised as 4.4 but was definitely more like 4.3- but again, a great low key way to shake things up. I have one of my favorite races in a few weeks (Johnny’s 5 Mile), so this boosted my confidence for that as a PR attempt.

Monday: 3.6 Recovery miles (8:35 avg) bit by dog
Tuesday: 9.4 Miles total w/ 2 Tempo (6:40), 8 x 400 (5:46 avg), 4 x 200 (5:43 avg)
Wednesday: 5 treadmill recovery miles (8:19 avg) + 15 minutes core/PT/Loop Bands
Thursday: 7 Late evening treadmill miles @ 0-4% inclines (8:25 avg)
Friday: Easy 3.6 miles (7:49 avg) + strides
Saturday: 9.5 ish miles for the day with 4.3 mile race (6:10 avg)
Sunday: Easy 14.6 mile long run (7:47 avg)
Week Total Miles: 53 Miles
Total Strength/fitness time: 15 Minutes
Beers Drank: UFO Apricadabra
Baby Milestones: Crawling furiously, Pulling herself up on things more

Hooray a running week that started in the first half of the week- progress! It’s so funny how I was very much in the mindset of just run whatever the next few weeks because of job transitions… and I actually ended up running more consistently. Running is a good stress reliever that way though, so maybe the next few weeks won’t be as lax on running as I originally thought. Though, I am not stressing about the miles if they don’t happen either.

Tuesday and Wednesday I didn’t get out until after 8 both nights but was able to get miles in regardless. Wednesday night was a progression run on the treadmill, started at 10:00 pace and increased pace .1 every 2 minutes until the last quarter mile which I just ran at 5k pace for a little turnover. Not an official workout but great pace work for negative splitting. Treadmill is amazing tool for pace work.

Thursday and Friday, stroller miles with my mini and nothing of note otherwise. Strides on Friday for a little shakeout as I planned on a 5k race Saturday morning.

I ran my warm-up and cool down with Hannah in the stroller for the 5k on Saturday, and was lucky to have a friend come cheer/watch Hannah during the race (Mr. Barley had to work that morning). Going into the race I kind of had the goal to break 20 since I was so close last week and knew I would have more competition/people around me to help. I went out and enjoyed myself and ran 19:45, I never felt 100% but I was super happy with the time and strong finish.

Sunday morning I was up without an alarm (or Hannah for that matter) pretty early. I think my body is slowly preparing itself for earlier wake-ups with new job and other things going on. I stopped trying to go back to sleep and finally just got up to pump and then run. It was great to get out early and get my miles in so I still had the rest of the day to get things done. 13 solo miles starting in the dark and finishing in the nice morning sun. <—-One of the many reasons I love long runs. Just feeling so at ease with the miles.

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3.6 late evening(8pm) recovery miles (9:14 avg)
Wednesday: 5 late evening(9pm) treadmill progression miles  (8:25 avg)
Thursday: 5 afternoon stroller miles (9:00 avg)
Friday: 5.1 afternoon stroller miles (8:43 avg) + 6 x strides
Saturday: Scare Away Brain Cancer 5k (19:45) + WU/CD(done with stroller)
Sunday: 13.1 mile early AM long run (8:08 avg)
Week Totals: 36.8 miles run
Beers Drank: Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, Naked Dove Octoberfest, I also tried a sip of Brians Sierra Nevada Seasonal(I think it was an Octoberfest)

Goals for coming week: Keep the consistency, get a speed workout in (I won’t be racing again for a few weeks so I want to prepare for that!), CORE/PT (I’ve been SOOO bad and I have no excuse)

Something about the last few weeks has me starting the weeks slow and then piling my miles into the last 4 of 5 days of the week. It’s not necessarily planned, it just seems to be consistently happening. Whether it be unseasonably warm days, job interviews, busier schedules, or just opting for family time…getting runs or workouts in on those days seems to be more of a challenge for me or simply just the days I’m making a conscious choice NOT to do something.

So my running week started on Thursday, I had every intention of running Wednesday but had some pretty bad bouts of vertigo on and off and figured probably best to lay low. I did go to the doctor on Thursday just to make sure everything was okay, was told to just be careful and play things by ear (I cannot take the medication for it, because Hannah is drinking my milk). It got better as the week went on which was good. Postpartum changes are fun y’all.

Mid-week I started looking around for upcoming races though, as I want to do a 2-3 5k’s this month and then try to “race” a local 5k on November 4th (where my current PR is). I won’t be in PR shape, but think I have a good shot with a fast field to try and inch my way back below 20 and potentially closer to 19. My friends kids were running a 5k at their school, and I ended up jumping in that on Saturday morning for some practice. It was rainy dreary morning, but comfortable temps for running actually. I was happy to come in a hair over 20 minutes. It was over a 30 second improvement from my first postpartum 5k back in August.

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Rest- Yay vertigo!
Thursday: 3.2 Stroller miles (8:57 avg)
Friday:  6 easy evening miles (8:45 avg) + 6 x strides
Saturday: {AM} Devil Dash 5k (20:09) {PM} 3.6 recovery miles (8:45 avg)
Sunday: 13.5 mile easy LR with my sister (8:45 avg)
Week Totals: 30.8 miles run
Beers Drank: It was a wine kind of week

Goals for next week: Not wait until Wednesday to run or workout, get back into habit of PT/Loop bands, stay on top of hydration!

The next few weeks are going to be a bit nutty as I wrap up my current full time job, and prepare for the transition for my new job (YAY!). I’m going to have slightly longer hours than I currently do, and less flexibility- so we are going to be working on shifting Hannah’s schedule a bit too. It could be an interesting few weeks to say the least. I’m hoping to stay consistent as possible with running/training as it helps me mentally- but priorities are definitely shifted at the moment (and that’s A-OK).

In Hannah’s “training for life” workouts this week, she rolled over for the first time! She’s showing AWESOME head and neck control, and she’s still the cutest baby ever. Not bias. Not at all.

This time you get a twofer for this post, two weeks for the price of one! Though, they do blend together pretty well as the first was race week and the second was recovery from said race.

Week of 9/11-9/17

RACE WEEK! I’ve been excited for a while about getting into my first half marathon postpartum. Yes I was excited for Bergen 5k which was my first postpartum race back in August, but being a distance lover- this was going to be more of a test for me and I loved that. It was a low key week just getting some base miles in with strides to keep turnover rolling and legs fresh.

Wednesday was just a long day of work, then last minute dinner with my Dad and Sister, so I didn’t get out to run until after 8 and I had my workout to do. Not a bad thing, just makes for a long one and legs were definitely dragging a bit. I probably should have cut the workout a little shorter since it was so late but it all worked out. I did 5 x k repeats (around Tempo pace) and then finished with 4×200. I got home and showered, snuggled Hannah, pumped and crashed. I was still feeling a bit wonky Thursday so I kept it short stroller miles and opted to take Friday off.

Saturday morning’s pre- race shakeout was a run with one of my good friends, I had Hannah in the stroller and her daughter rode her bike with us. It was a great way to get the legs moving but relax and chat as to not stress about the race. Finished the run with 5 strides.

Sunday was race day, and I did about a mile long warm-up and then it was go time. The short recap is that I started too fast (I was running by effort and not pace), and I knew it but I decided to go with it anyways. I was excited to be racing, I was excited to be doing “my thing” again, and even if I crashed and burned it would be a good experience. I didn’t crash and burn per say but I definitely slowed on the back half of the course. I still enjoyed myself though, and didn’t really get down on myself about it- more than anything it felt good to be working hard and remembering what to do when things get tough in the later stages of a race. I finished 7th female and in 1:33.

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 4.8 Evening miles (9:03 avg) + 5 x strides
Wednesday: 8 late evening miles w/ 5 x 1k @ T, 4×200
Thursday: 3.1 stroller miles (9:20 avg)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 4 Stroller miles (9:12 avg) + 5 x strides
Sunday:  1 ish mile warm-up + Rochester Half Marathon 1:33:34 (7:09 avg)
Week Totals: 34.6 miles run
Beers Drank: Cold Pressed Coffee Pumking

Week of 9/18-9/24

I initially planned on taking at least Monday off and maybe doing a short recovery yog on Tuesday, but it turned into me taking Monday-Wednesday off for recovery. My fitness is not build up enough yet obviously and I needed a little more time. Oddly my legs felt great even on Monday regardless of the race and hilly terrain. But I simply felt tired. Hannah was awesome about sleeping good the night before the race but she did have me up a few times Sunday night after the race. Navigating this mom life thing one day at a time, I’ll never turn down her snuggles but yes I kind of would have liked a little more sleep post race. Oh well! I was happy to take a few days off and felt infinitely better by the time I got around to running Thursday evening.

My mileage ended up being shorter than planned since I took extra rest days but I’m okay with that. I think it’s better to have a lower mileage than planned during recovery week than higher, it’s worth it for peace of mind knowing I didn’t overdo it. Especially coming back after extended time off, more miles or adding workouts/race that first week seems like more risk than reward. I finished the week feeling really good so ready to start building up again for a fun fall.

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 4.4 evening recovery miles (9:28 avg) + 20 minutes core/PT/Loop Bands
Friday: 7 afternoon miles (8:34 avg) + 15 minutes core/PT/Loop Bands + 2.8 miles of walking in evening
Saturday: 8 Stroller miles (8:43 avg) {longest stroller run yet!}
Sunday: Early AM 3.1 miles run (8:55 avg) + 20 miles biking (bike sherpa for sisters long run)
Week Totals: 22.5 miles run, 2.8 miles walked, 20 miles bike, 35 minutes fitness
Beers Drank: None? (I had some moonshine and some sangria though…)

Next few weeks are no set goals or plans really so just looking forward to consistently running and getting some workouts in. I have a few races penciled in, some I may run and some I’m planning on spectating and cheering (Let me know anyone who is running Wineglass, I’m planning on being around mile 9 with Hannah and then at the finish!).

RACE WEEK?! What? This was my first race week in a looonggg time, and to be honest….I loved it. I talked during pregnancy about how I realized that my love of running was tied to competition so this felt like a big turning point for me to pin a bib on again. While I have actually found myself enjoying running lately even without specific goals/training plans, it was still nice to feel those pre-baby feelings again.

The week as a whole was good though and not just race weekend. I got in a little bit of everything this week between stroller miles, a mini speed workout, some walking, easy running and then the race of course. I cut back on strength a bit the second half of the week for the race, and recovery on the weekend.

II will recap the race in another post, but the short of it: I went out too fast (6:16), but somehow held on for 6:47-48 miles for  2 and 3. Finished in 20:47 for what will be by now 5k postpartum PR! Having Hannah at the race was honestly the best feeling, I loved finish lines before but babies at finish lines- hard to even describe!

This was a slightly lower mileage week (again), but with the race I kind of wanted it that way. I have been hanging between 25-28 miles for a few weeks now and it seems to be a good spot. While I want a bit more, I also like the loose plans I have and flexibility with my running schedule. If I get more in, great. If I run a little less that is cool too. Now that I have done a race though, I feel a bit better about maybe putting a few fall goals on the calendar but still nothing crazy- I don’t see myself getting into a rigid training cycle for a few more months at the least. I’m enjoying flexibility and balance that I have at the moment and want to continue that in hopes to keep it going even when I do start officially training for something.

Monday 8/7: late evening 12 min core/PT, my ancient loop band finally snapped so I had to order some new ones

Tuesday 8/8: 5.2 stroller miles (9:05 avg) + 15 minute strength circuit (w/kettlebell & dumbells @ home)
Wednesday 8/9: 20 minutes upper body strength at gym + Evening run with 4 x 3 minutes with 2 minutes recovery
Thursday 8/10: 1.9 mile evening family walk
Friday 8/11: Evening 20 minute shakeout run + 6 x strides
Saturday 8/12: 1st Postpartum race! Bergen 5k/USATF Niagara Champs
Sunday 8/13: 7.6 easy miles
Totals: 24.9 miles runs, 47 minutes fitness/strength, 1.9 miles walked
Beers Drank: Sam Adams Summer Ale, Sam Adams Golden Hour (Still working on that Sam craft pack obviously)

Goals for coming week: 25-30 miles, 2-3 strength/fitness sessions, at least 10 minutes of recovery work each night this week, Also finish any remaining SA beers in the fridge to make room for some new ones!

The last few weeks I have talked about working more hours and juggling training with two jobs. This week was different, I only had to work one of my jobs- but had more social engagements in one week than I have in a loonnnggg time. It made fitting things in a little tricky, but was much more manageable mentally because I was making room for fun events. Mileage wise it ended up being on par with the last few weeks (last 6 weeks have all been between 45-47 miles), but was a bit lower on the strength/fitness end. I’d say that the mental break and extra “life” outside training more than made up for that though. I think I’ve finally turned a corner a bit with my fitness, and look forward to building more in the coming weeks. I also think I’m ready to start looking forward to making my fall goals a bit more concrete.

Monday: The only night of the week we were actually at home- got out late evening for a 4ish mile recovery run while Brian walked Pepper. Finished with 10 minutes of yoga before bed.

Tuesday: Afternoon treadmill workout, 60 minutes total. 2 miles warm-up followed by 4 x 1 mile at 6:35-45 with 90 seconds recovery, cool down. 10 minutes of yoga afterwards. This was a decent workout for some turnover in prep for half marathon on the weekend. Evening plans was a dinner date with 2 great friends who came in from out of town.

Wednesday: Scheduled rest day, I almost threw in a short recovery jog but I didn’t end up making it happen- and that was totally fine. Spent the evening with Brian’s family for a rehearsal dinner.

Thursday: Started the day with 6ish mile morning run, nothing crazy. After work, enjoyed a birthday celebration dinner with Brian and his family.

Friday: Half day of work, followed by Chiropractor appointment. Snuck in a 6ish mile run again before getting dressed up for a wedding and dancing all night.

Saturday: Slept in (thank goodness!), and got in 5ish miles for a shakeout in the afternoon followed by 6 x strides

Sunday: Birthday & Oak Tree Half Marathon (1:29:05) {16+ mile day with warm-up and cool-down}. This was a great morning, and was VERY happy with the race. This course is challenging as there are 2 major climbs (with the second being placed between 10-12), and about 8 of the miles are on gravel dirt road. I have run it twice before, so I was prepared but also knew that it would be a good test to see where my fitness is after rebuilding this summer. I expected to be around 1:31, but the miles clicked off a bit faster and when 3rd place was in reach the last few miles it pulled me along on the chase (ran a 6:15 last mile, and 5:35 pace to the finish to take over 3rd). I felt really good, and was happy that I mentally hung in there better than I have all summer. The race was made even better by having Brian there cheering, and a few other good friends racing as well. Can’t complain about friends/running to start your Birthday!

Weekly Total Miles: 47.1 miles

Cross training: None

Strength/Fitness totals: 20 minutes (2 sessions)

Beers Drank: Dos Equis, Shock Top Lemon Shandy

Another week down in the road back to running. Overall it was a good week, and almost 50 miles of running which is definitely a step from where I was a few weeks ago. I wasn’t as good about my strength training this week- being consistent about that can be kind of hard for me for some reason. I need to keep reminding myself that even 10 minutes makes a difference. I need to practice what I preach, damnit. BUT I won’t beat myself up too much, again it was still a pretty good week-and ended with a “race-workout” to bust off the rust a bit. I think after this week, I should probably stop labeling my logs return to running- I think at this point, it’s just running.

Monday: Rest Day!

Tuesday: 8 mile evening run

Wednesday: 9 treadmill miles at the gym after work with 12 x 1 minute intervals (2 min recovery) mixed in. Then went to chiropractor for some more tuning up afterwards- we’ve made a lot of good progress so far! Later in the evening I did 25 minutes of at home strength while watching TV with Brian.

Thursday: 7 mile HOT afternoon run (my own fault for not running in the morning)

Friday: 9 mile early morning run before a busy day, nothing crazy just time on feet. Saw Chiropractor in the afternoon as well.

Saturday: Sauerkraut 20k (as a workout) 1:30:16. It was a much needed chance to push myself a little and rip off the bandaid to pin another bib on. Total of about 14 miles for the day, and a race win.

Sunday: Rest Day! This wasn’t a planned rest day but I was admittedly exhausted. Saturday was the race/workout (longest run in months), then time with Brian before heading to work for the evening. This left me sleeping in Sunday before working for a few hours on my feet and then playing hostess to his parents for dinner. Life and rest took priority over running, and I think it was the best choice.

Weekly Total Running Miles: 47.1 miles

Cross Training: None

Strength/Fitness Totals: 1 session (25 minutes)

Beers Drank: None (I did have some wine though).