Last week's workouts continued the steady build of the past several months. Forty-mile weeks feel comfortable now, so I am ramping up long runs and intensity. Whether or not fall races happen (so far, Indy is still scheduled to proceed), I'm enjoying this base-building process - even right now, when the process involves 5 AM alarms to beat the summer heat. Meanwhile, when I'm not running or coaching, I'm chasing around a very mobile baby. Isla learned how to crawl up the stairs and is ...
mile markers
Weekly Workouts: Steady Progression
Last week was one of those weeks where the consistent work over the past few months just clicked. My runs all felt really good and I feel like finally, I may be getting close to my pre-baby fitness. I still have a ways to go before I could get close to some of my PRs, but I also feel like the hard work is leading to sustainable growth. After spending weeks focused on increasing my mileage and improving economy, I advanced beyond easy miles and leg speed work. I did a fartlek run and all ...
Weekly Workouts: Cut Back and Acclimate
Last week I took a cutback week in order to acclimate to summer heat and humidity. I had run three weeks of my highest mileage in two years (38, 40, and 40), so I was due for a cutback anyway. Instead of running higher mileage, I forced myself to do shorter runs slightly later in the morning so I could adapt to the heat. One positive aspect of the heat was beautiful blue skies on most of my runs. It is amazing how uplifting and refreshing blue skies can be. Monday: Rest ...
Weekly Workouts: Refresher
I took a slight cutback week last week. My goal is to reach 40+ miles per week soon and in order to do so, I needed to give my legs some time to refresh. Since I am increasing mileage to levels I have not hit in two years, I am including frequent cutback weeks to make the build sustainable. I was also feeling a bit heavy-legged from the previous weekend's 10K time trial! Isla started crawling this week. She spent most of the past four weeks progressing from rocking on her hands and knees to ...
Weekly Workouts: Little Bits of Progress
Last week's workouts demonstrated that my current approach to training is working. I have been focused on building my base and running economy. I used another 10K time trial to assess my fitness - with good results! Monday: Rest day Tuesday: 7 stroller mile run Approximately one mile into the run, I peer over the canopy of the jogging stroller and notice Isla is only wearing one bootie. I pulled over and stopped the stroller. A quick survey revealed no llama bootie in sight. ...