Friday Thrive
Happy Friday! This week was quite the busy week, with Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon all bundled up into one week. Especially since the race is tomorrow, I’m excited that it’s Friday!
Indulge
Fat Tuesday was this week and this time, Ryan and I celebrated it properly with burgers, fries, and beer, followed by chocolate chip cookies (the single serve ones). I was stuffed by the end of the evening, but it’s called Fat Tuesday for a reason. Every time Fat Tuesday passes by and I don’t indulge, the next day (or let’s be honest, the next 40 days) I wish I had. One indulgent meal isn’t going to undo months of healthy eating and, while food is fuel, food is also about celebration and fun.
That beer in the photo is a black IPA from a local brewpub. It tasted like a combination of a good porter and a West Coast IPA and was soooo incredibly good. With my race this weekend, I only had one, but I definitely savored that one!
Run
I like to do tune up workouts early in the week leading up to a race. These workouts are focused on practicing race pace, to give my mind and body one last reminder of what that pace should feel like when race day arrives. My tune up workout this week was 2 x 2 miles at goal race pace (7 miles total) and this run made me feel really confident about race day.
Since it snowed the day before, I almost did this workout on the treadmill, but I waited it out until Ryan could tell me the conditions of the trail from his morning commute. The trail was clear and I was so glad that I did this run outside. I never push myself on the treadmill like I do outside.
For the goal pace miles, I ran 7:18, 7:25 (hello, wind!), 7:19, and 7:15. I honestly could not believe those splits and this workout made me really, really excited to race hard and do my best on Saturday.
Read
“Work Hardest at Rest” from Outside. I try to emphasize recovery as much as running in my training, especially sleep, so this article fascinated me. For example, beyond my need for a constant reminder to foam roll, I found it so interesting that fermented foods are key for recovery. I started including lots of fermented foods in my diet after my stomach troubles at the Portland Marathon in 2015 and I certainly have noticed the benefits, but I never thought about how my homemade sourdough may be helping me recover better from a hard run.
I also love the idea of scheduled vacations after a race and a month of low intensity exercise per year. A vacation after CIM was one of the best things for recovering after the race!
Drink
Per usual, I was late on the trends and only recently tried kombucha. On our way out of Bend, we stopped at a local coffee shop and I picked up a bottle of locally brewed kombucha (Humm Kombucha). Given my love for fermented carbonated beverages (ie craft beer), it’s no surprise that I immediately like the kombucha. I tried the lemon ginger flavor, which was so refreshing with just the right kick of ginger.
As per usual, I was so focused on the kombucha that I didn’t take a photo.
Relax
Washington’s beaches are different than your stereotypical beach: chilly, rocky, and majestic. No one goes to the beaches here to suntan (I don’t even know what a tan is anymore), but they’re always crowded with people bundled up in layers of Patagonia and playful dogs.
Even without any sunshine or much sand (I actually hate sand, it gets everywhere), the beach is super relaxing. There’s something so serene about the beating of the waves and the smell of salt water in the area. Ollie thought the beach was just the most awesome place ever. He was fascinated by the water and kept trying to drinking it…only to realize it was salt water, so then he’d move a few paces down and try again. Sorry, buddy, it’s all the same ocean.
[Tweet “Run, drink, relax, indulge, and read with this week’s Friday Thrive from @thisrunrecipes #fridaythrive “]
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Do you do a tune up workout the week of a race?
Did you celebrate Fat Tuesday?
Where would you go to relax right now?
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18 Responses
I love the beach and that is definitely where I like to relax. I dont like that the sand gets everywhere but I love digging my feet into it. Good luck in the race!!! You will do great!
Thank you so much, Lisa! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Hello my friend! I missed you and your words and it’s good to be back!!
I’m loving your Fat Tuesday feast and cannot wait to have an American burger and a beer this weekend 🙂
Those splits are looking very promising for your race my dear!! And, you know I couldn’t agree more about resting…of which I have been doing a ton of since I currently have a sinus infection. Boooooo.
Looking forward to getting back into training and cannot wait to see what the half has in store for you. Good luck!!!
Hello my friend and welcome back! I missed you too and can’t wait to read your post today! I hope your sinus infection goes away…boo indeed to that! And thank you! 🙂
Good luck this weekend! You will do great 😀 I had a really good beer last night–Oskar Blues Death by Coconut. It is a stout with a little finish of coconut! It doesn’t taste like you are drinking sunscreen–the stout totally balances it 😀
Can’t wait to see you kill it dead this weekend!
Thank you! That beer does sound really good!
I love going to the beach no matter what season it is. It’s especially magical in the winter months here in NH. The crowds and tourists are gone. The grays are calming and beautiful. And Cooper can come with us any time of the day. (Dogs aren’t allowed on the beach during the summer from 8-8). Good luck tomorrow!!
Thank you! I love grays on beaches also – so beautiful! And I bet Cooper loves being able to go to the beach!
I’m not particularly religious so I didn’t celebrate Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday or Lent. I did indulge in a lot of food on Tuesday but I do that every day (zero. self. control.). Even if you guys don’t have the greatest beaches the trails and other pics you post make up for it! Tans are overrated anyway ;).
Good luck this weekend- can’t wait to see how you do!
I love our beaches – they may not be like East Coast or Cali beaches, but they’re beautiful in their own rocky, gray sky way. And thank you!
The ocean is everything! I love the idea of Fat Tuesday. I have never heard of it before though. I’m so excited about your race tomorrow. I can’t wait to see how you do! You’re gonna kill it!
Thank you! Fat Tuesday is another name for Mardi Gras – the Tuesday before Lent when you stuff your face with everything, which is why it’s called Fat. It’s the balance of feast and fast.
So excited for you for the Lake Sammamish Half tomorrow!!
If I could go anywhere to relax right now….I would be okay just sitting in a quiet room alone (well, my boyfriend could come too). But not my child right now. My son is at the age where I am trying to help him build independence (which is extremely hard for me), but this is a struggle. I am overwhelmed with “mom, mom, mom” lately. And work has been so busy, I crave quiet when I get home (maybe that is why I have been enjoying my runs so much lately….)
Have a fantastic weekend!!!
Thank you! Congrats again on a strong and fast race at HC yesterday! I hope you get to savor some quiet time soon 🙂
I am so excited for your race!! You have worked hard and the work will pay off tomorrow morning. Wishing you lots of luck and fast feet!
I love any type of beach and the rocky beaches of Washington look so pretty.
Hooray for Fat Tuesday eating and the beer looks amazing!! xo
Thank you so much, Natalie! I hope Boston training is going strong for you!
And now I’m craving a big burger and fries! That looks delicious. And I’m on a huge kombucha kick right now. I just found my favorite flavor at Costco and stocked up! (gingerade)
Looks like you had an awesome race…can’t wait to hear about it!
Ginger is my favorite kombucha flavor also! And thank you! I hope your training for NYC Half is wrapping up well!