. . . Comes around
I’ll get to the title in the Favorites of the Week.
Nothing super exciting about this week, again, other than the fact that I survived the workouts Rachel @ Runningonhappy cooked up for me and had a real confidence building long run.
I’m joining up with the Weekly Wrap from Holly @ Hohoruns and Tricia @ Misssipppiddlin so we can all get together and inspire one another to be active and fit. Let’s do this thing!
Workouts update
- Monday: Dogwalk, Pahla B ST
- Tuesday: Dogwalk, 6 miles (4 @ tempo), Dogwalk, JY Post run hip reset
- Wednesday: JY High Mileage Reset, Dogwalk, 4 miles easy
- Thursday: Dogwalk, Pahla B ST
- Friday: 5 TM miles speedwork, Dogwalk, JY Hip & foot reset
- Saturday: DM Yoga Flow, JY Neck & calf reset
- Sunday: 11 Mile LSD, JY
Mileage: 27 (+1.5)
JY = Jasyoga
TM = Treadmill
YFR = Yoga for Runners*
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike
YFPR = Yoga for Pain Relief
YTU = Yoga Tune Up Lower Body*
*Disclaimer: Amazon affiliate links; I will make a small amount of money if you buy through these links
Running updates
Tuesday
What a difference a week makes! The bike path was completely clear — it’s been a long time since I could actually head out for a whole 3 miles on it (and 3 miles back).
This tempo run didn’t feel any easier than last week’s, and yet somehow I managed to take 2 minutes off of it. Actually, I know how: my warmup and cooldown were about a minute faster — and all my tempo miles were actually at the right pace.
These runs are seriously hard for me. They’d be so slow for most of my friends. Just sayin’.
Wednesday
I had every intention of taking a day off running today. The runs are getting longer and harder, and I didn’t want to run three days back to back this week.
Except: insanely windy and almost 60, or insanely windy and in the 30s? What’s a runner to do?
Skirt up and take her dog out for 2 easy miles, then drop him off and finish with another 2 easy miles. I’ll take Thursday off to rest up for my speedwork on Friday.
Friday
More wind and cold. With a lot to do. I retreated to my treadmill, even though it was a beautiful (if cold) sunny day. Mostly for the time savings.
This was kind of a scary run for me — 4 x 800 @ 5 minutes (so a 10mm pace) with 200m recovery. I suppose I could say the treadmill made it easier to actually do it at the assigned paces (although “easy” is relative — it wasn’t easy for me!).
I took advantage of the treadmill run to wear fleece lined tights for a little heat acclimation. Not sure it will help at all, really, but I did it. And I spared you a photo. You’re welcome.
Sunday
If last week’s long run was good, this one was great! Definitely not because of the weather: teens + windy = feels like negative numbers. But it was sunny! Sun makes such a difference. And I have the right cold weather gear.
Unfortunately the downtown reversible skirt from Skirtsports doesn’t really work for a curvy woman — I spent the first 7 miles tugging this skirt down. I have better luck with the toasty cheeks skirt — it can ride up a little, but I’ve done long runs with it and it didn’t really bother me.
I stopped after 7 miles to refill a water bottle, and I ditched the skirt. It did do its job, though — it kept my butt warm those first few frosty miles.
This was my unicorn run. It started when I woke up, put my feet on the floor, took my first few steps . . . and realized that my feet felt normal. And my lower back, which I managed to strain doing the same workout I’d done a few days before, felt good too.
And the run felt . . . almost easy. Some of it felt easy. I ran it faster than my prescribed pace for long runs — by like more than 30 seconds. I wasn’t trying to. I slowed down deliberately at times. I felt strong the whole run, and I felt like I could definitely run a half at that pace — which may just be my fastest 11 mile long run on my own ever. I even ran my fastest mile my last mile. And I felt good afterwards!
Next week’s weather looks so nasty . . . mix of snow and rain, anyone? For 12 miles? I’m really hoping they’re wrong.
It’s easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.— Leonardo Da Vinci
The quote above just might refer to that dessert below . . .
Favorites of the week
Going back to my beginnings: running in Brooks (except my long runs in Newtons, and right now the plan is to run my half in my Newtons), and eating honeystinger chews on the run.
And the running was really good this week. Hard, but good. Could it be the honeystinger chews (not an affiliate link, but I am a Honeystinger ambassador)?
I haven’t ditched real fuel yet. I’m using a combination. My brownie bites went moldy before I refrigerated them (they have pureed butternut squash in them). I was so sad. But I’d made some Fig Crumble bars to try out . . . swoon (also from Rocket Fuel — Amazon Affiliate link). Kind of hard to keep them from falling apart — hello, crumble? But so good. And the chocolate chip cookies from Feedzone Portables (Amazon Affiliate link).
And then this happened a little while ago. Yes, there was some pasta first, but this was the main attraction and it was totally worth it. Unlike my birthday dessert, we did share this. Maybe a little unevenly.
And that’s a wrap
This week I am also linking up with the Sunday Fitness & Food Linkup brought to you by Ilka @ Ilka’s Blog and Angela @ Marathons & Motivation.
Let’s get the conversation started:
Have you had a confidence building run recently?
How do you shake off a bad run?
What dessert would you order if it were your last meal (and you knew it)?
Chocolaterunsjudy 
Last dessert ever….Black Forest Cake.
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Good one!
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Yay for feeling great on a long run.
I love my fleece lined running tights and would love to wear them on every run if I wouldn’t over heat..haha
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I can’t imagine wearing tights on the treadmill. It’s hard enough to wear a shirt at a hotel gym! Glad you had a good run!
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I have a hard time running in a sports bra only even at home alone (but I’ve begun to do it — right now, not so much, still too cold).
Hey, Wendy did that plus a sweatshirt! At least I’m not that crazy!
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I’ll have to think on that last dessert question a while. So many things to choose from… Congrats on a great 11 mile run. I love a run where everything comes together like that. I can’t imagine wearing fleece lines tights while running on the TM. You are a tough cookie! I also can’t imagine chewing anything while running. I know a lot of people do, but I just don’t see how. I would choke. Thanks for linking, Judy!
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I ditched gels a long time ago. And remember I take walk breaks — but I also chew on the run sometimes too. I don’t run anywhere near as fast as you, maybe that’s the trick . . . works for me anyway.
Nothing better than a great long run!
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I really like your gray and black outfit. Sorry the skirt didn’t quite work out! Love the look of that dessert above! If it were my last dessert ever, I would definitely go for the donuts… chocolate cream filled please!
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Donuts? Interesting choice! I’m not a huge donut person. The one I shared with Karenrunsva in FL after our half was really awesome, though.
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If I were having a “last” dessert it’d have to be a sampler platter. Oreo cheesecake…key lime pie…chocolate chip something…
Nice training week! I hope that forecast is wrong.
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I like the way you think, Marcia. In fact, the restaurant had a sharing plate for dessert — another table got the large one & it included the dessert we had.
I’m probably better off sticking to that one dessert!
The forecast is looking a little better for next weekend, although they still have snow in the forecast for Sunday.
I can deal with the snow showers — although it ain’t helping with that heat acclimation — just please keep away the ice so I can do it outside!
I actually can’t physically do 12 miles on my treadmill. It shuts down after 90 minutes so the engine doesn’t burn out . . .
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The dessert for me might be a Ghiradelli concoction. I’m already thinking i need to do another Disney race just so I can get their brownie ice cream sundae to reward myself.
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Good job on that 11 mile run…running fast at the end, now that’s a challenge! I finally had a confidence building run this weekend (weather was perfect) and went just about 18.4 miles almost continuously and up one extremely steep hill and multiple moderate ones. Hopefully this is a sign that the marathon might be manageable for me in 2 weeks. A bad run? Hmmm..a good hot shower and I guess I just eat something anyway…I love chocolate so anything will do:). But if I could order a ‘last’ dessert…goodness that hazelnut torta looks good (where did you get that?)…I would choose that torta or I would choose a nice layered chocolate cheesecake from the Cheesecake factory. 🙂 Yum. Maybe I’ll do that after the marathon!
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Wow! 18 miles (18.4, no less!) is a whole lotta miles.
You absolutely should get whatever you want after running a marathon! Are you hungry afterwards? Sometimes I’m hungry after a half; more often I’m not.
The torta was from Bellini’s. It’s a chain, but I don’t know if you have one. I definitely enjoyed it. 🙂
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Thanks! I will look for a Bellini’s…sure looks wonderful. 🙂 Surprisingly my eyes are bigger than my stomach after a long run. (For runs 10 miles and under, I eat like crazy, but anything more, not much). I eat but realize later my system has shut down so I actually get sick :0. Usually I start eating like crazy the day after a long run. But chocolate is definitely something to look forward to. 🙂
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I go back & forth between being hungry & not hungry after a long run!
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Congrats on a great week! You know, tho se confidence-building runs seem to appear just when we need them (and, often times take me by surprise). Last fall, I had an absolutely horrible 16-miler run…then the next week I ran 18 miles with very little effort and felt (almost) like an elite LOL Crazy!!
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I haven’t had a really horrible run in quite some time, thankfully! Today’s run wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either.
I could see runs over 13 miles being horrible!
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Great job on the 11 miler! I love when it all comes together like that!! I am a huge Honey Stingers fan as well. I love the chews and gels. I also use their wafers on the bike. Thanks so much for linking up at Sunday Fitness & Food 🙂
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I like the wafers before a race. And they really helped me out in my first half!
This week, unfortunately, was a bit trying.
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