I ran 40 miles last week! I also ran 40 miles the week prior as well (and skipped posting due to the holiday). This week felt a little harder due to a sharp spike in the heat and humidity. Summer arrived in full force in the Midwest, although the weekend was milder and pleasant.
Monday: Rest day
Ryan and I took a couple long walks. Indiana is now in Stage 3 of reopening, so we walked Isla and the dogs one mile each way to the new dog park. In the afternoon, we took a long walk with just Isla, for a total of almost five miles of walking in the day.
Tuesday: 8 mile easy run
This run was warm and humid! Since I did not have the stroller, I opted for a hillier route (at least by Indiana definition of hilly, which was roughly 230 feet over 8 miles). I deliberately restrained my pace knowing that the heat would inevitably slow me down. I averaged an 8:54/mile and was still drenched in sweat by the end!
Wednesday: 4 mile run & strength training
It was already hot when the sun rose on Wednesday morning. Since it was Ryan’s last day before starting his new job, we ran a short run together with the stroller. We kept our pace super easy, because running in 72-degree temperatures is no easy feat when it was in the 40s just a couple weeks ago!
I finally got to strength train in our finished home gym! We spent the previous week cutting and laying down rubber gym flooring. The original floor was ceramic, which was not a functional surface for a home gym. I completed a modified single-leg focus workout from Running Rewired. Even with modifications, it was the hardest strength workout I did since before pregnancy! It feels good to lift heavy (for me) again, even if I am nowhere near my previous levels.
Thursday: 7 mile stroller run
The humidity adds another element of challenge to stroller running. It was 68 degrees with 88% humidity – not super hot, but certainly warmer and muggy. I ran 7 miles with Isla and focused on controlling my effort. I averaged a 9:04/mile pace and never felt like I was overreaching for an easy run.
Friday: 5 mile easy run
The heat broke, so I took Ollie on an early morning run. He had a thrill trying to chase all of the fauna out at 6 AM. I was sore starting (from the strength session and stroller run), but the soreness subsided by the end of the run.
Saturday: 12 mile long run
Long runs have become my favorite run of the week. I took some fuel (Honey Stinger Plus+ Performance chews) and electrolytes (Nuun Performance) and set out for my longest postpartum run yet. 12 miles felt good! I averaged 8:39/mile, which is funny to me because all of my recent long runs have averaged 8:34-8:39/mile. I do not aim for a certain pace, I simply run by effort.
We took a 3 mile walk in the afternoon to enjoy the beautiful weather. We walked downtown, where we saw and gave a shout of support to the #BlackLivesMatter protest at the courthouse.
Sunday: 4 mile stroller run + strides & strength training
This was a really great run! With stay at home orders lifted, we feel more comfortable driving to a different location for a run. We drove to our alma mater campus, which is in town but felt like a huge deal after months of not venturing beyond our neighborhood area. It was a great option for stroller running and for running Ollie: no cars and no people to dodge. (If anything, this was the better option for social distancing!)
I ran a set of strides after the run, which felt super snappy. My pace has been improving on these; all but the first one were in the 5:xx range.
After getting Isla down for her nap, I completed the hip circuit from Running Rewired. It was short and simple, yet some of the exercises were challenging enough to make me aware of imbalances I need to correct.
We wrapped up the weekend with another long walk!
Linking up with Weekly Rundown!
How was your week of running?
6 Responses
Congrats on the big miles this week! You have to feel so good about your progress. I know it’s hard with nothing to train for.
The heat and humidity arrived in full force here as well. I’m so accustomed to my early morning runs where it’s usually cooler but now that I’m running at odd times, I need to remember to bring water or I’ll bonk big time. Congrats on hitting 40!
I am rather impressed that you built your gym on your own. enjoy it! Nice mileage you racked up this week. Have a good one and thanks for linking
It really got hot and humid quick! I definitely felt it on my runs this week, but the weekend felt so much better. Your home gym is looking great!
As you can guess, we had similar weather in Iowa. It was chilly for yesterday’s bike ride (51F when we left the house around 6:00), but the drop in humidity was welcome. Great week for you!
congrats on reaching 40 miles week.
I accidentally also reached 40 for the last couple of weeks.
do you think it’s okay to not have a “rest” day but an easy day (2-3 miles) instead?
i love the feeling of running and because I’ve been locked up for almost 3 months, now that I can run outdoor, I want to do it everyday.