This week was a bit different than the rest of my training for two reasons – first, I was heading to Atlanta for labor day weekend to visit my cousin, so I had re-arranged my long run schedule so that I would only have a 10-miler to do, and I planned to do it Thursday night instead of Saturday or Sunday. Second, my mom was sick, so my morning run support was more limited than usual.
Because of the travel I had planned, my calendar for the week looked like this:
Monday: 3 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles
Wednesday: Cross train
Thursday: 10 miles
Friday: 4 miles
I planned to run after work on Monday, to give my body a little extra time to recover after Sunday’s long run before getting back into things. I wound up with a giant blister on my big toe after Sunday’s long run, and that was my biggest concern when I headed out to run Monday night. I had it wrapped up with a blister band-aid, but still spent most of the run nervous that it had popped. It was a humid night, and I was drenched with sweat by the time that I finished my short three-mile run (remember in week one, where three miles felt like a lot? We have apparently made it to the point in marathon training when I can call three miles short again).
Tuesday Mike and I coordinated for an evening run, and I headed from my house to his house on foot, as he ran towards me. We found each other around the half-way point and continued local loops as the sun began to set. We chatted as we ran by the local library and the highschool, and l clicked on my light up vest as it got darker. We passed my house at mile 6.5, so I continued with Mike for ¼ mile as he started to head back to his house. With the little out and back at the end of the run, I managed to get in a even 7 miles.
I wasn’t really planning to run on Wednesday morning, but dad pushed me to get out there again. I worried that my legs would be tired after Tuesday night’s run, but the weather was mild Wednesday morning, and I rolled myself out of bed and drove over to my parent’s house. I just wanted to get in 3 miles, and dad and I took off on our usual 3 mile loop, chatting as we went. In September my parents will be travelling and unable to meet me for morning runs, so I wanted to take full advantage of having morning run company while I could.
My original plan for the week was to do my long run Thursday night, but Dad offered to get up super early with me on Friday morning, so that I could run 10 miles before work. Since I knew I would have company Friday, I opted to take a rest day on Thursday, which gave me the time I needed to pack and prepare for my weekend trip to Atlanta.
10 miles before work meant a very early morning on Friday – My alarm clock went off at 4:30 am, and I was at my parent’s house before 5 am. Dad and I got out on the road just after 5, and since we were keeping it local, we began the first of many loops around his neighborhood. I wore my light up vest, as it was pitch dark when we started running, and the headlight on his bike blinked brightly. Eventually the sun started to come up, and I pulled on my sunglasses as to not be blinded any time we ran east. Slowly but surely I made it through the 10 miles, taking in a some U can before and about half-way through the run to stay fueled. I felt good, although a little tired, when I finished the run. I did have a reward waiting for myself at home – a delicious duck donut, as a little prize for getting up and putting in the work.
Mike had gotten in his long run on the treadmill Thursday night after I went to bed, and we were surprised when we learned that even though we did not run together, and I did not know his pace while I was running Friday morning, we had covered the same distance (which was planned) at the EXACT SAME PACE. I guess that bodes well for our plan of running the marathon together in November.
After work on Friday Mike drove Dennis and I to the airport, and we met my brother Tommy there. The three of us flew into Atlanta together, and Jen was waiting for us at the airport with her husband Will to pick us up when we landed. We had such an amazing weekend together, between just hanging out and chatting, going into the city to explore restaurants on the beltline and heading north to some vineyards. It was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time, and I was glad that I got all of my runs in earlier in the week so that I felt comfortable just going with the flow, and not worrying about trying to squeeze a run in.
Enjoying a much needed break in Atlanta with my brother Tommy and my cousin Jen!