Training Runs

I have been highly motivated this past week to keep up with my weekday runs, fitting them in whenever I can. I am so close to reaching my goal of 1250 miles in a year and have extended that goal to 1400 miles to finish the year strong and to give me that extra push to keep going.

I've done the calculations and I'm going to have to 1. Stick to my training schedule 2. Get in at least one 2 mile walk every day at work and 3. Get in some running miles after work. It's doable, but I am making myself work for it. 

This past week I was able to fit in three runs before my long distance run on Saturday. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were all ideal days for me to get out and get my legs moving again after the half last Sunday. 2.42, 2.70 and 3.14 miles. I listened to my body on all three runs while still pushing. I attempted some speed training for a short time during each run and both Wednesday and Thursday's run had hills. 

But to be honest, it was just so nice to be out doing what I love to do.

I would like to get better about an actual schedule. Having actual training runs that focus on speed, training runs that focus on hills, cross training and strength training. I know myself though and I know that schedules don't really work for me. I tend to over do it and then feel like a failure when I miss or skip a workout (for whatever reason) and then the entire week and sometimes month falls apart. 

Right now I'm just going out and doing what feels best for me and enjoying it. It makes it easier to want to go out for a run or use the stationary bike. I have been deciding either in the morning or when I get home from work what I want to do, if anything, and it's been working. So, although I do want to do those things and be a more organized runner, for now I have to do what's working and not fall back into old patterns.. At some point the rest will fall into place and I will be able to make a schedule that works for me. Until then, I'm not fixing what's not broken.

This weeks long distance training run was a 7 miler. I woke up early yesterday morning in order to run the 7 miles towards my niece's soccer game. At the 7ish mile mark Patrick would pick me up and we would drive the rest of the way. Thankfully, Patrick was running a little behind schedule and I still had some running mojo left so I continued running down the side street while I waited for him and ended up getting in an extra mile! 

It was a really nice run, mostly because I got to run in my favorite place, the wash. The wash is a bike path that runs from one end of town to the other. I feel safer on the wash than on the streets as I don't have to worry about cars. It's peaceful there. 

I have run many miles on the wash and plan to run many more, including quite a few miles during Tracy's Dose of Dopey in January. It's a great place to reflect on things and to think about why you're out running in the first place. I've had great conversations with myself (not in a crazy way) and I've left a lot out there, mostly sweat and tears. 

Mile 1- 13:07

Mile 2- 13:00

Mile 3- 12:49

Mile 4- 12:59

Mile 5- 12:21

Mile 6- 12:15

Mile 7- 11:32

Mile 8- 12:58

Total distance- 8.03

Total time- 1:41:22

Avg pace- 12:38

I decided to push a little yesterday because it was a shorter long distance run. I'm happy with my overall pace and was pretty impressed with mile 7. I also had some time to think of some other goals for next year including some ideas on how I'm going to increase my intervals and pace. Maybe attempt for a few PRs? 

I wish I could bottle up this motivation for days when it doesn't come as easy. Until then I'm going to enjoy it while it's here.