Training Update – Week 8-9

Instead of Motivation Monday, I’m bringing you an overdue training update!

I’m to the point in my training cycle where I’m staring to see ups and downs – yeah!!

Per my last post, the beginning of last week was rough. See the details here :). After taking a day off after those rough days, things stared to look up!

Workouts were:

8 miles moderate: which I NAILED. For the first time, I was able to keep my HR in the moderate zone and clip along at 7:30 mile pace. I actually felt somewhat runner-ish! AHHHH, in love!!!! 🙂

10 mile progression: done at my parent’s farm, which is in the middle of nowhere in SW Minnesota. 10 degrees, 25 MPH winds. Not exaggerating. I thought about scrapping the workout or moving things around, but thought: what the heck? Let’s just do this :). At times I had just ONE eye visible (compliments of my mom’s face mask which I could position to expose the least amount of skin possible!) AND and one point also had a scarf tied around my ears because they were starting to hurt. EPIC. Paces were SLOW, but it was an epic workout that I will call upon often!!!!

Yes, the scarf was from the 3rd grade. Yes, it was tied up around my ears for a portion of the run. Fashionista.

Don’t know if I could have fit much else underneath that jacket!

13 mile long run: on Friday with a growing “training group” in Northfield. Company is just awesome to help the miles fly by! My quads and hamstrings started to come undone around 10 miles.

9 mile moderate run: Fast forward to this week: I had another GREAT moderate run. 9 miles where I clipped along at 7:15s. I had to stop to stretch out the quads and hamstrings a few times, though, so not my best run. They’ve been giving me a little more trouble the back half of the week. Oh, how I am reminded that this will be a long journey 🙂

In other life news:

I went home to help my future sister-in-law (Mary) prep the food for her engagement party. I have never cooked in such bulk before! Wow. We spent the better part of 2 days chopping, mixing, and baking.

Of COURSE, I would slice my finger while chopping peppers. I then had to wear gloves for the rest of our prepping. Is it telling that Mary brought size small gloves, anticipating something like this might happen? Ha! I guess my reputation precedes me.

That’s a LOT of Focassia bread!

9 gallons of pasta sauce!

Bummer, dude 🙁

Grandma = retired nurse. She insisted on helping me bandage it. Luckily I heal pretty quick now that I eat healthier and take Nutrilite’s Double X vitamins.

On Monday, I was given the opportunity to be the featured speaker for the Anoka-Hennepin School District’s staff development day. I love what I do! 🙂 I’d really like to seek out other speaking engagements, so have that on “my list”.

On the coaching front, I had one of my athletes DEMOLISH her half marathon PR. Her subsequent emails made me smile; I could tell she was just BEAMING with excitement. I also am welcoming 3 new individuals to the “team”. Our little training group is growing, which is so much fun!

Until next time! ~Nichole