sidebar | life and training 3.7 – 3.13

I don’t think I’ve quite snapped out of vacation mode since our Colorado trip last month. I switch between homebody and adventure bug phases, and lately the latter dominates my thinking. I’ve drifted back to our glamping over J’s birthday and wish to be back on the lakeside, paddling in the canoe or grilling on the deck.

Instead I slogged for 18 miles against 40 mph wind gusts in a 73 dew point on Saturday. What a contrast.

I’m not one to underestimate the importance of valuing one’s health. Sometimes, these horrible runs remind me that I am in good enough status to complete them in the first place. I don’t exactly want to be doing long long runs right now, and am eager for this cycle to end so I can return to a more casual rhythm of fitness. Very little amplifies my sense of personal power, though, than completing more than 3 hours on the road.

I’m typically pretty good at keeping myself company during these big treks, but this past Saturday, I succumbed to a very lonely period. When I run long I toggle autopilot and tend to let my mind drift while the miles tick by (until the final hour or so when all that courses through my synapses are swear words) but I had to really focus during this one due to the insane wind. Once I hit 13 miles, I was tired, head bowed in a particularly brutal 400 meter stretch, and felt an awareness of my smallness. No one else braved that stretch of road, and all I wanted was to see another soul plod by me. It was rather strange. I’m not one to treasure company on a run. I didn’t need anyone right by me, necessarily, just someone around to wordlessly share the difficulty of the conditions we faced. The trees seemed to glower down on the road, and I shrunk beneath them.

Thankfully, when I switched paths and the tailwind blew at my back, this dark little flicker popped away. The run didn’t get any easier, I just wanted to be home eating my French toast, but my brain turned to a more normal pattern of considerations.

Then I was home, and eventually eating French toast, and all was right again.

Humans crave connection more than anything, and these droughts, no matter how brief or small, remind me of that. I may be extremely introverted and at times even antisocial, but I want to know there are others floating around at any given point in circumstances similar to mine.

It’s funny to me that all of this sludge pulls out of my mental pores during a run, in crazy strong wind, as I wouldn’t call that scenario any particular crisis, but I guess that’s a product of endurance sport. Lots of emotions, and sometimes no place to put them but your footprints.

What I’m Up To This Week

Testing…Shrimp pasta, some fun cookies inspired by my favorite cereal, spicy tacos, a simple pizza, and either a decadent Irish-inspired dessert or a layer cake!

Liking…One final bout of cooler weather. It seems some really nice temperatures hang around for the next 10 days! Might mean less pool time, but perhaps more walk time instead.

Celebrating…Hitting 40 miles of running again! I’ve been hovering closer to 30 lately, and 40 seems like a big milestone this training cycle. Thinking it’s more realistic to max out around 45 miles.

Wanting…These salad plates and this lily pad tea cup. Looking forward to some bright, light springtime recipes. Even though one of my posts this week is a mac and cheese…Oh well.

A Few Things I’m Digging

Sundried tomatoes…These fun jewels have featured in a couple of recent recipes. They’re bright and tart and amp up any dish, especially creamy ones. Try out the 30 Minute Creamy Sundried Tomato Basil Fish and Tortellini or One Skillet Sundried Tomato Oregano Fish and Orzo with Lemon!

Meal prep containers…Got these bad boys to help J with portioning balanced daily lunches! I used to meal prep for him all the time but sort of fell out of the habit. I’m pretty excited to have some new vessels for the task.

Cake…Made the Caramel Macchiato Cake for J’s birthday and it has been a sinful nibble some afternoons. I actually left a fork on the box containing the slab and swipe a few forkfuls when the mood strikes…

Margarita…With my mixing mind back online, these Hibiscus Blood Orange Margaritas will be on rotation over the warmer months. Much as I hate our heat, I do enjoy a good cooling drink to sip on an afternoon I’d rather exist in somewhere else.

Salmon burgers… Trident salmon burgers are seriously dope. They’re the closest thing I can find to Kroger brand salmon burgers, which are J and I’s favorite to get when we visit Colorado. I tend to cook one of these up when I make a recipe sans a proper protein!

Week in Training

Monday, 3.7: 5.41 miles, 10:10 pace + 40 minute strength circuit

The humidity smoked me on this run, but somehow I sped up more than I would’ve guessed given how sloggy and heavy I felt. No access to weights in the camper so I settled for a full-body resistance band and body weight circuit. Not my preferred style of training, but just gotta make do with what you have sometimes!

Strength:

4 rounds of the following with 1 minute rest after each circuit

• 16 band pull-apart with squat hold
• 12 ea. single leg deadlift to standing hydrant
• 12 diamong pushup with arm raise
• 12 ea. curtsy lunge with kick
• 20 triceps dips
• 12 ea. lunging arrow pulls

4 rounds of the following with :30 rest after each circuit

• 20 banded step-out
• 20 plie squat
• 15 pushup

Then I did some random core work I didn’t write down.

Tuesday, 3.8: 4.34 miles, 10:23 pace + 50 minute upper body

Made up for yesterday’s missed shoulder day by splicing it into a full upper-body superset workout. Felt pretty good on my bridgey run and once again knocked down to faster paces than I intended. Gotta keep an eye on that!

Strength:

• 3 x 6 row to underhand row 35#
• 3 x 8 triceps extension 40# SS 10 dip 40#
• 3 x 10 bench press 25# SS 8 pull-aparts 20#
• 3 x 5 curl to wide curl 20# SS 8 cable hammer curl 32#
• 3 x 10 mid row 80# SS 10 narrow press 25#
• 3 x 10 kickback 15# SS 10 side raise 20#
• 3 x 10 ea. oblique bend 45# SS 30 swivels
• 3 x 20 jackknife SS 15 leg drop 30# OH
• 3 x 20 plank side reach SS 10 dumbbell drags 30#

Wednesday, 3.9: 7.2 miles, 9:27 pace + 55 minute legs

Really dreadful workout. Hot, stifling, and my breathing as completely off. My face was nearly purple by the end of the workout. Speedwork and I just aren’t friends right now for whatever reason and I’d imagine the conditions did not help. I ran an informal fartlek over 4 miles with intervals ranging :20-4 minutes, with variable recoveries.

Strength:

• 3 x 8 ea. single leg deadlift 80#
• 4 x 8 ea. single leg hip thrust 40#
• 4 x 8 ea. single leg extension 70#
• 4 x 10 ea. donkey kick 30#
• 4 x 12 diamond squat 70#
• 4 x 15 ea. banded leg drives with 10# weight
• 4 x 10 ea. single leg calf raise 110#
• 3 x 10 ea. banded hover hydrants
• 3 x 12 rollups 10#
• 3 x 20…I don’t remember what I did!

Thursday, 3.10: 35 minute elliptical + 50 minute shoulders & triceps

Holy hell the gym was HOT. Idiots keep the room at 78 degrees no matter how much I complain to them about it. I was drenched by the end of my session even though I only plugged in 5 x :30 intervals, the rest was very normal easy spinning. Put me in a foul mouthed mood.

Strength:

• 9/9/8/7 shoulder press 25#
• 4 x 6 chest press 70#
• 4 x 7 triceps pressdown 41#
• 4 x 10 lying pullover 40#
• 4 x 8 upright row 25#
• 3 x 10 ea. single arm triceps extension 15# SS 10 diamond pushup
• 4 x 10 shrug 45#
• 4 x 8 military press 20#
• 5 minutes core work

Friday, 3.11: 5.12 miles, 10:44 pace + 40 minute back and biceps

Humid and hot, and my body is not used to those conditions at the present. Not an enjoyable run. The wind was insane by afternoon so my walk was rather interesting. In the headwind my glasses were plastered against my face, in the tailwind I thought they might fly off!

Strength:

• 4 x 9 curl 25#
• 2 x 10/2 x 6 underhand row 40#/45#
• 2 x 9/2 x 8 preacher curl 65#
• 4 x 6 lat pulldown 80#
• 4 x 10 hammer curl 20#
• 4 x 10 kneeling face pull 54#
• 3 x 10 ea. plank rotations 8#
• 3 x 20 weighted deadbugs 8#

Saturday, 3.12: 18.03 miles, 10:49 pace + 40 minute legs & core

I knew I was in for war well before this day came. The forecast called for serious wind and eventually storms, which I timed to dodge. I immediately went into eco mode and chugged along with 25+ mph gusts slapping me across the face. In some ways, though, the tailwind at the turnaround was worse, maybe because my effort was so difficult to control as my legs fatigued. At mile 13 I turned right into the wind again, now around 30+ mph with gusts around 40, and howled louder than the air blowing between the trees. Flipped a switch and decided that tailwind was the way to go. You can imagine the relief when I was off the big island and on the home stretch.

Fuel: Maurten + Cafe Mocha Huma Gel.

Strength:

• 4 x 10 ea. cable single leg extension 24#
• 4 x 10 ea. single leg calf raise 110/120#
• 4 x 16 plie squat with dumbbell handoff 40#
• 4 x 12 ea. kickstand deadlift 80#
• 3 x 12 ea. banded hydrant
• 3 x 16 ea. band around the worlds
• 3 x 20 plank rocks
• 50 crunches

Sunday, 3.13: 3.12 mile walk (48:00)

39 degrees! I was quite bundled up and comfortable and the movement loosened up my tired legs really well.

Total running mileage: 40.09