sidebar | life and training 9.16 – 9.22
‘Twas a Good Week.
Howdy doody, folks. Last week zipped by at the same breakneck pace as those post-advertisement asides when someone’s reading off the terms and conditions or deadly side effects of something. I oft feel like Monday and Tuesday last forever (well, less so Monday since I’m off work and off days always go by quickly), then the rest of the week largely escapes my notice.
But yes, it was a Good Week, and I like Good Weeks because they’re completely precious nowadays. I’ve been busy with various little things here and there: some practicalities, some studies, therapy, bits and bobs. And, of course, content planning for FMG. I am hyped for this season, and am trying my best to really embrace the vibes of autumn and the holidays. I do not want a tumultuous repeat of last year, so I’m perhaps going over the top with my prep.
Hey, whatever works, right?
One of my favorite little autumnal projects is this puzzle I got. I’m making slow but decent progress on it! Puzzling is a lovely way to pass an inane amount of time, without even realizing it – much more productive than scrolling Pinterest. I do plenty of that on a daily basis.
After a couple recovery days from the Oktoberfest 10K, I swung back into proper training for my next adventure in October. I like having structure to my running again. Sometimes I sway into “all easy run” mode, which is good for its purpose, but right now the variation is keeping my brain interested in my athletic endeavors and satisfying my need for self-improvement. I’m really looking forward to what my legs are capable of when the weather improves. I might be pleasantly surprised!
Tuesday and Wednesday followed their typical patterns: therapy and Bright Ice on the former (including a little apple fritter piece to go with my salted caramel ice cream, mmm), studying at Oxford Exchange with Little Miss Ba on the latter.
I stepped out again on Friday for another study session at Shortwave Coffee, one of my favorite nearby spots that I for some reason never get to. I’m usually paranoid that there’s nowhere to sit, since it’s near a school building and tends to get super busy during certain times of day. I got a soy cappuccino and a pumpkin scone; we both quite enjoyed out end of week treat.
Saturday was a strange, blurry day, but not a bad one. I passed a lot of the morning making tomorrow’s recipe (hehe), enjoying some grilled “sausage” and sauerkraut (woo Oktoberfest!) then drove out to my mom’s for a brief spell to pick up some mail, drop off some treats, and hang out. Peaceful but busy. Oh, and she gave me this precious little ghosty to add to my autumnal decor.
Sunday was lovely. The weather dried out a tad and in the shade took on the slightest tinge of cool. My best friend and his fiance drove up to meet me at Grand Central Brewhouse in St. Pete in the early evening. I got there well before them and enjoyed their festbier on the patio, then once they arrived ordered the grouper sandwich. We passed a couple hours chatting and catching up over our beer and food.
We ended the night with a quick drive to Mayday for ice creams. I was ambitious and ordered a scoop each of the pumpkin chocolate chip and caramel apple pie. Holy crap they were good. I couldn’t pass up the fall flare of these flavors and they certainly did not disappoint.
Holding on to this gentle feeling as long as I can. I’d imagine this week will consist of much of the same – including, hopefully, having my pals over for a little cookout on the weekend. I really need to get my ass moving with my studies in order to test out next month. I only just finished the first chapter of the guide and am certainly not confident in my memory quite yet, so I think I’ll bump up my sessions to twice a week.
Hey, it’s an excuse for more coffee and treats, so why not?
Have a good week, kids!
The Fuck We Cooking This Week?
…A cozy meatball skillet.
…A crazy indulgent baked French toast.
A Few Things I’m Digging
Graham crackers…I’ve probably brought this up before, but I have a history with grahams: they used to be our “you’re grounded but can have this for dessert” snack when I was a kid. Nowadays I quite enjoy them with peanut butter and fruit for a snack – even though I don’t get grounded anymore.
Coffee…Trader Joe’s brought out their Autumn Maple coffee again. It’s always my favorite to stock up on this time of year – I usually buy 3-4 bags to keep stowed away for the cooler months. I usually buy the maple oat milk as well, and it’s the perfect pairing.
Favorite Fall Brunches
Cozy up on a weekend morning (or whatever the weekend means to you) with these indulgent treats!
Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Chewy Spiced Sweet Potato Bagels
Better Than Coffee Shop Glazed Pumpkin Scones
Baked Pumpkin Pie Crunch French Toast
Shops & Wish List
Amazon cart…Picked up lots of my Nuun lemon lime tabs since Target hasn’t been carrying them for some reason. Bought these cute autumn stickers, my trusty mini Honey Stinger waffles, and a pair of wire wreath frames for a couple crafty projects.
Week in Training
Monday, 9.16: 5.62 miles, 10:41 pace + 14 minute lift
Hair-of-the-dog run that was maybe a little too hairy – it felt okay out this morning and I guess I was a teensy bit ambitious since my heart rate was higher than I would’ve liked. Gonna take a few easy days, reevaluate, and see how it goes before starting my next 10K cycle.
Strength:
- 3 x 16 alt. reverse lunge 30#
- 3 x 12 ea. underhand row 30#
- 3 x 10 deadlift 90#
- 3 x 15 stir the pot
Tuesday, 9.17: 4.19 miles, 10:45 pace
Actually felt pretty good out! Legs are less janky than yesterday so I think I’m recovering alright at this point.
Wednesday, 9.18: 5 miles, 10:42 pace
Felt kinda crummy, congested, and didn’t much find a rhythm; probably didn’t help that the weather got shittier overnight.
Thursday, 9.19: 5 miles, 9:45 pace + 18 minute lift
First speed foray since Sunday, and it went pretty well! I also managed to dodge the rain before it came tumbling down later that morning – I like running in the rain, but not really with speedwork. 2 mile warmup, 1 mile push (7:44), 5 x 150m descending (:39, :38.7, :39.3, :37.2, :36.7), 1 mile cooldown.
Strength:
- 3 x 10/1 x 8 squat 90/100#
- 2 x 10/1 x 8 shoulder press 15/30#
- 3 x 8 ea. single leg squat 60#
- 3 x 10 pushup 10#
- Core work
Friday, 9.20: 3.18 miles, 10:59 pace
Oof. Legs felt like bricks this morning, so I was quite glad I had a shorter run on my agenda.
Saturday, 9.21: 8.01 miles, 10:51 pace + 13 minute lift
Heavy leg long run, but it felt okay out. My watch claimed my heartrate jumped up to 190+ at one point in the run which certainly skewed my finishing stats. Get off the drugs, Garmin.
Strength:
- 3 x 10 ea. side lunge 40#
- 4 x 8 mid row 60#
- 4 x 6 deadlift 110#
Sunday, 9.22: 5 mile walk (1:16:32)
Total running mileage: 31
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