Mile Markers: Rebuilding

Mile Markers: Rebuilding

I started using the Compete Training Journal by Lauren Fleshman at the start of the new year. Each week includes a motivational quote and this past week is pertinent: “You can’t jump over the stadium in one leap. Athletes who approach improvement in that way repeatedly end up in a heap on the ground. You have to build a staircase.”

You have to build a staircase. The week of January 1 through 7 initiated the building of that staircase by rebuilding back up to where I was previously. My mileage was low throughout December after the California International marathon and laparoscopic surgery a couple weeks later. I rebuilt up my mileage this week a bit and finally felt normal again in terms of my pace.  I also did my first real strength training sessions since the marathon this week, making this my first full week of training since the marathon. 

Mile Markers: Rebuilding

Monday: Ski Lessons (3 hours)

We rang in the New Year with ski lessons at 9 AM. After 2.5 hours of lessons, we did a few runs down a green hill. Skiing is so much fun and I am really excited to get out on the slopes again. 

Mile Markers: Rebuilding

Tuesday: 6 mile run & strength training

This was a great run: I felt smooth and strong. The weather was chilly but refreshing, around 35 degrees. Ollie and I progressed from an 8:45 to a 7:45 during a 5 mile run. After Ollie and I finished, I took Charlie out for a quick mile. 

Mile Markers: Rebuilding

In the evening, I did a quick strength training workout. I took some of the exercises from Stacy Sims’ Roar to focus on functional strength. 

2 sets of 10:
Lateral band walks
X-Lunge
Side plank
Medicine ball clean
Glute bridge with alternating leg lift
Kettlebell sumo squat to high pull
Kettlebell swing
Med ball twist

Wednesday: 7 mile run & Pilates

I took advantage of the sunny and chilly morning and ran 7 miles with Ollie. We kept a comfortable pace of an 8:30 average and climbed a few good hills during the run. I feel good building back to my normal mileage and I can tell Ollie does as well – not to mention how much easier a cattle dog mix is to deal with when he has exercised! 

Mile Markers: Rebuilding

I tried a new Pilatesology workout geared for runners. It varied the pace and the order of the exercises for a creative and hard workout. The inchworm pushups at the end were especially challenging!

Thursday: 4 mile fartlek run

Ryan and I had a busy morning of packing, dropping the dogs off at the kennel, and getting to SeaTac early for our flight to St. Louis, so I opted for a quick treadmill workout. I did the 30-minute run I shared last month:

10 minute warm up (8:50 down to 8:30)
4 minutes at 7:13, 2 minutes easy, 3 minutes at 7:03, 90 seconds easy; 2 minutes at 6:55, 1 minute easy, 1 minute at 6:40
~7 minute cool down (until I hit 4 miles)

Mile Markers: Rebuilding

Friday: 3 mile run 

It was bitterly cold and dry in St. Louis, at least compared to what we are used to in Seattle. Ryan and I did a short run to shake our our legs from travel the previous day. I know 15 degrees is warmer than some parts of the country, but we felt the cold on this run! My legs felt cold even with full-length leggings and I had to rely on my Buff to warm my breath. 

Mile Markers: Rebuilding

Saturday: Strength training

When we woke up, the temperature was 4 degrees Fahrenheit. We did not pack enough layers for a longer run in that cold of weather and had plans for the afternoon. I’m not going to get too fussed about missing a run on a short weekend vacation, especially since we don’t see my family that often. There were two 12-lb kettlebells at my parents’ house, so I did a short kettlebell workout indoors:

2 sets of:
60 seconds bodyweight squats
10 kettlebell clean and press
8 kettlebell single leg deadlifts
20 glute bridges with alternating hip flexion 
10 kettlebell Russian twists
10 kettlebell sumo squat to high pull
10 lunges with kettlebell pass

My family took a short trip out to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to see the migratory birds. It was so cold that big chunks of the rivers were frozen, which was striking to see.

Mile Markers: Rebuilding

Sunday: Rest day

We opted not to run and spend more time with my family before our flight back to Seattle. The forecast threatened freezing rain, which solidified our decision to rest – that is one condition that I do not want to run in! 

My goal for this next week is to build up to 25-30 miles and get in a long run, along with two strength sessions and Pilates. 

[Tweet “Rebuilding a base in 2018 with #running, back to strength training, and skiing via @thisrunrecipes #runchat #skiing “]

How was your week in running?
How cold do you consider too cold to run?

 

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14 Responses

  1. Glad to see you have been getting back to your workouts! I ran in single digit temps last weekend but once the real feel was below zero I skipped a few runs. It didnt help that I was still getting over a cold and didnt want to make it worse! We are supposed to get freezing rain this afternoon/evening but then its supposed to finally warm up a bit! Hope you had fun with your family!

  2. BAck in the grove again! And I’m sure Ollie is loving that too. Lol! This past week was a nightmare in temps. I ran outside everyday but only because I didn’t have a long runs. 5 miles was enough in subzero windchills!

  3. Totally building the staircase over here too! And I love that you used some moves from ROAR 🙂 I also love the trip and your ski lesson!! Skiing is amazing and seems like a perfect fit for you too. I hope you enjoy it more and more.

  4. If I have to wear pants (leg prisons), it’s too cold to run. Usually we only have a few of those days each year in Charleston so I treadmill, but now we have tons of snow on the ground and I won’t run in it. Hopefully I’ll be running something again soon because injuries suck majorly. It looks like you had a great week of easing back in and lots of fun in the snow.

  5. Sounds like you are well on your way to getting a solid base of mileage in! This weather is definitely making workouts tough. I’m spending way too much time on the treadmill!

  6. In negative temps I stick to short runs because I don’t want to get frostbite – it’s hard to ensure that every tiny bit of skin is covered. But freezing rain or ice are definitely no gos regardless of temperature!

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