Mile Markers: Seattle Summer

Mile Markers: Week in Running and Hiking for July 18-24

Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? Did anyone race? 

Summer officially arrived this week in Seattle, with sunshine, brilliantly blue skies, and the summer heat. Temperatures shot up into the mid-70s (with even predicted temperatures in the mid-80s next week!) and rain only happened once (of course on my long run day). 

Today I am one week out from starting training for the California International Marathon, and I am so eager to finally begin marathon training. While I focused on my neuromuscular fitness again this week with hill repeats, drills, and strides, I keep my mileage manage to take it easy, both mentally and physically, before the 18 hard weeks of training begin. 

Mile Markers: Week in Running and Hiking for July 18-24

Monday: 20 minutes of recovery yoga

My body needed rest after 5 days of running, two days of backpacking, and zero days of rest last week. But my mind thrives upon the creative boost of Monday morning miles and my body just feels the extra drag of the start of the workweek without running. I tried yoga to stretch out (backpacking worked my core hard so I didn’t want to do Pilates) and while the stretching felt relieving to my muscles, it just didn’t give me the same mental benefits as running. 

Tuesday: AM: 6 mile run with 8 x 45 sec uphill repeats; PM: Drills, weight lifting, and core/mobility work

I was drenched in sweat when I completed my run. The sun was out and the temperature was above 65 degrees – which is downright hot for a summer run. I don’t know how all of you who live east of the Cascades handle the heat. I used to live and run in the Midwest…but that was two years ago. My body has adapted to temperatures in the range of 35-60 degrees and cloudy skies. 

I’ve started dividing at least one strength training workout per week into focused sections. I begin with dynamic stretching and drills (butt kicks, high knees, carioca) before doing this weight lifting workout, and then I end with core work or mobility work such as MYRTLs. One of my goals for the second half of the year is to improve my running form, which for me includes improving my hip mobility. 

Mile Markers: Week in Running and Hiking for July 18-24

Wednesday: 7 mile easy run + 6 x 100m strides

My favorite runs each week are the hour-long easy runs. I don’t run with music, even though music has been shown to help you run faster. Outside Online published an interesting essay on how running without music which captured in so many ways why I don’t run with music. Beyond issues of safety, I believe it’s beneficial to connect with nature and the world around me, tune into my effort, and let my mind wander, and enjoy the present moment. 

“Letting the mind wander” may be a tired cliché, but one of the principal delights of solitary endurance sports is that, even if you’re doing that five-mile loop you’ve done a thousand times before, you never know where your imagination is going to go. In this sense, running is like a daily microadventure for your brain. To infuse that with an element of predictability would defeat the purpose.”

Thursday: 4 mile run with Charlie + 20 minutes Pilates

Running makes Charlie so incredibly happy, which is just the cutest thing ever. To keep Charlie cool in the summer heat, we ran on a shaded trail along a nearby bog. 

Mile Markers: Week in Running and Hiking for July 18-24

Friday: 10 mile long run

Even though it was raining harder than the usual Seattle rain, I enjoyed this run quite a bit. I don’t mind running in the rain as long as it’s not freezing cold outside. Of course, if you lived in the Seattle area and did not enjoy running in the rain…well, you either learn to love rain or become best friends with the treadmill. 

Funny enough, I used to always run on the treadmill back in college and grad school. Even up until last summer, I enjoyed running on the treadmill. Now, I only run on it if running outside is truly inconvenient or dangerous. Maybe it’s because Seattle has such mild weather, but the rain here always feels liberating and enjoyable to run in. 

I also passed a flock of Canadian geese twice on this run, once at mile 3 and again at mile 7. The first time, they allowed me to pass. The second time, they flocked around me and chased me for several yards. 

Saturday: 3 mile recovery run + 3 mile hike

Ryan and I both did 3 miles on the treadmill early before meeting up with some family visiting town. I maintained a very easy pace, just under 10 min/miles, and set the treadmill incline to vary 1-4%. For our hike, we did a short three mile loop at Deception Pass, stopping to take in the views and let Charlie run along the beach. 

Mile Markers: Week in Running and Hiking for July 18-24

Sunday: 1 mile run + 1 mile walk

The road back from injury seldom follows a linear trajectory. It took me weeks to resume normal running after my sprained foot, and now Ryan is finding he needs extra time off to heal the chipped bone in his foot. We headed out for a 3-4 mile run but decided to walk after one mile, rather than risk aggravating his foot and delaying recovery further. 

[Tweet “Weekly workouts and summer running in Seattle #summerstrong #sweatpink #running via @thisrunrecipes”]

Linking up for Weekly Wrap

Have you ever been chased by an animal on a run?
Do you run with music?

 

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19 Responses

  1. I was laughing at the geese chasing. I’m terrified of geese! When I was little we went camping and there was thousands of geese at the lake. You could buy corn kernels to feed them. But no one warned me that when you do that, you get basically are attacked by thousands of pecking birds! My dad had to rescue me. I can laugh about it know but it freaked me out so bad back then!

  2. omg I would have freaked if the geese chased me! omg. I can’t. lol. I am glad you are okay! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! ugh, I am not one for the animals out there. it can get scary if I stop to think about it. luckily the squirrels and bunnies that I see when I am running leave me alone! and yes to letting my mind wander. it really is a journey each morning for me!

  3. My favorite runs = your favorite runs. And every time that I seem to change them up right now, I seem to end up with some other inexplicable ache or pain, so I’m kind of sticking to them right now. I really need to get back to doing my PT and working on hip mobility, but every time I do, that also creates some sort of ache.
    I should probably never run again, is what it is…

  4. Geese can be very ornery. I love running in the rain (I’d pick that over a treadmill any day) but not freezing temps and wind. I can’t handle that. But spring/summer rain? YES!

  5. Oh my goodness! I’ve only been chased by a goose once and it was because I got too close to the nest. That’s so funny though. or scary?! I only run with music when I’m by myself and it’s going to be a “boring run”. Like by myself or in an area that’s not exciting or pretty.

  6. I’m a little jealous of temps in the mid-70s and happy that I’m visiting Seattle next month to experience summer there. We’re leaving temps in the mid-to-upper 90s here in SC and pretty excited about that ;). I guess it’s all relative though because you guys get actual cold weather there and we don’t.

    I’ve never been chased by an animal before on the run, thank goodness! But I have had a few dog encounters and those are no fun. It looks like you got some good training in this week though!

  7. i don’t run with music for the same reasons as you, but occasionally I will listen to a podcast. I am also hoping to work on my form as I start running again. I figure its good time since I am running so little and doing all easy runs. I need to start working on mobility again- thanks for the reminder!

    1. Podcasts are good for running, especially long runs on trails away from cars. There are so many good ones to listen to that running gives the time to do so! Mobility is always a weak are for me – hopefully we can both work on it more 🙂

  8. I am accustomed to running with music (and cycling too). However, no music is allowed in triathlons. I thought it would feel odd but I don’t miss it at all. I guess I’m too busy focusing on other things during the race. It’s funny those geese left you along on your first encounter. I’ve only been chased by a few neighborhood dogs. I know you will be excited to begin your marathon training next week. I look forward to following along. Thanks for linking, Laura!

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