One of my favorite books about running is the Happy Runner. Megan and David Roche know their sh*t and can talk circles around the average coach when it comes to physiology and history of training theory. However, what really makes their book stand out is the primary thesis they present: your running goals really don’t matter to anyone but you, so you might as well run what makes you happy.
The grit and grind of racing makes me happy. Of course I’m bummed that my fall marathon won’t happen especially since it’s been so long since I raced one due to a foot fracture, pregnancy, and postpartum, but I am also relieved that Indy made the right choice. Marathons are not just an outdoor event; people travel, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, etc. Public health matters a lot more than my desire to run a marathon. We can’t choose what times we live in, just how we react. I have chosen to react by enjoying some non-racing personal goals, and I am really enjoying my running as a result.
Summer weather has a sense of humor to it. My rest days usually have pleasant mornings. My long run days are often the hottest mornings of the week. This builds resilience, right?
I really enjoy off-road runs through the municipal golf course by us, and it was about time I swapped some road miles to make them a weekly staple. The grass provides more variety than the roads but is faster than a technical trail. I took Ollie for the first 4.5 miles. He does best with runs in the park, far away from any car traffic. After I dropped him off at home, I finished my miles and included some strides.
Tracksmith shares weekly workouts and this particular one appealed to me. Tempo runs are challenging in Midwest summers. Breaking it into small chunks at 10k to half marathon effort provided a similar stimulus without the cardiac drift that comes from doing a lactate threshold workout in 70 degrees with high humidity.
I warmed up with a solid 20 minutes of light running before starting the workout. I followed each 3-minute tempo segment with a 2-minute float at easy effort. This was not a recovery jog, so it maintained the intensity a bit and provided a solid aerobic stimulus. I averaged 7:14-7:24/mile, with the first interval as my slowest and final as my fastest.
This run was not the smoothest of runs. The main street from our neighborhood is under construction. I spent the first mile re-routing due to construction trucks and walking through torn up patches of sidewalk. I was nervous about dust and noise irritating Isla. I tried to take a different route home, which was a bumpy and narrow sidewalk.
I ended up getting out later than usual, as I got wrapped up in work. It was hot and sunny and we encountered more road construction. I kept it short and easy, completing just three miles with the stroller.
65 degrees felt comfortable compared to previous weeks, even with 98% humidity. I used the first couple of miles to warm up and then settled into a comfortable pace in the 8:4xs. It feels really good to get back into 2+ hour long runs.
We had family in town, so Ryan and I were able to run together without the stroller. The dew point was uncomfortably high. We included some walk intervals because it was just so hot and neither of us wanted to push the intensity too much.
Linking up with Weekly Rundown!
How was your week in running?
6 Responses
I was really impressed when I saw that you ran 15 miles on Saturday in this ridiculous heat and humidity! Very nice work.
I think I need to read The Happy Runner, altho it sounds like with me they’d be preaching to the choir! I just love to run and I’m so glad i found trail running. It really fits where I’m at right now.
wow super impressive to get that 15 miler in with this heat and humidity. Everyday I think it cannot get much hotter! Stellar workout week this week thanks for linking up
Awesome job on that long run! I love what you said about the book…running is about our own personal happiness, as are our own individual goals. Social media can really mess with our minds, when we see all the other stuff other runners are accomplishing…many of whom do not live exact duplicates of our lives.
Nice job with that long run! I agree that we need to run in a way that makes us happy, otherwise what’s the point?
65 degrees sounds like a dream!!!! Even with humidity!
You had another solid week of runs – great job out there!
Ugh on humidity! But great job on the runs this week!