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. Thankfully, as I was searching, a passing runner asked me if I was looking for a white baby bootie. He had seen it on the ground, about 1/2 mile back. I backtracked with the stroller and sure enough, there was her other bootie! It was warm enough to not need them, so I stashed that in the Thule’s compartment and we finished the remainder of our run. (Her blanket also almost fell victim, but I was able to stop and snatch it from her before she tossed it out.)

Wednesday. 45 minute surges run & strength training

I almost hit snooze, but I knew this run would feel best if I ran outside without the stroller. I ran 5.2 miles total, with 10 x 30 seconds surge, 60 seconds easy in the middle. It rained throughout this entire run.

After some warm coffee, I finished up the last day of my ReCore2 exercises! I am excited to resume more intense strength training. 

Thursday: 7 mile treadmill run

High winds and minor flooding made it an easy choice to run on the treadmill. I picked iFit’s Boston Marathon final stretch course and listened to Desi Linden’s recap of her 2018 Boston win on a new episode of the Rambling Runner podcast. I kept a comfortable pace (averaging around ~9 min miles) and the hour flew by.

Friday: 4.2 mile stroller run

Stroller runs feel amazing when the tires are freshly pumped. I tried to keep my pace on the slower end, but even at a very light effort I ran in the high 8’s. The weather was perfect also: sunny, mild, and only a light wind.

Isla enjoyed this run too, giggling and babbling the entire time. 

Saturday: 10K time trial (8.3 miles total)

Saturday was full of activity! 

I woke up early to run a 10K time trial. I opted for the same location as last month. Coincidentally, the wind was almost the same also, at just over 10 mph. Any change in finish time would be due to fitness alone, not better weather. 

I ran a 46:35 – almost one minute (53 seconds to be exact) faster than last month! My Garmin alsp recorded my fastest postpartum mile at 7:16. It’s still a long way off from my pre-pregnancy paces but I am really pleased with the progress, especially off of just easy miles and leg speed work. 

After the run, we took a long stroller walk. The weather was beautiful!

Once we returned from the walk and put Isla down for her nap, we spent a couple hours gardening. I loved gardening last year, but I realize in retrospect how much harder pregnancy made it. It was fun to garden without needing a break every 20 minutes! 

Sunday: 3.3 mile recovery run

I really enjoy these Sunday family runs! I ran with the stroller and Ryan ran with Ollie. Ee kept the pace easy at a 9:23 average. 

I spent more time gardening in the afternoon. I planted wildflowers in our front garden and tore out some shrubs that I disliked. 

Linking up with Weekly Rundown! 

How was your week in running?
How do you track progress when not racing?