Changes

Last semester I accomplished some good training runs and decent race times. The two races I ran, the ATL 13.1 Marathon and the Serenbe Hill Country trail 15k, I set PRs. The half I did it 17 minutes faster than my first and the 15k was my first time running that distance. Even though I did have the training in my schedule it was extremely lower than what I was use to before school started. This resulted in a crash emotionally.

The lack of training was not the only factor that made the crash possible, the work environment I was in and also the schedule that both jobs, internship, and class/ class work took up. For this semester I have a new job and new internship. My week is a little bit busier with the travel time included, but I will have my Friday through Sunday open. This gives me time for long runs, which I did not have time for last semester.

With this yesterday I tried a route that I thought about for a while, but yet tried. Its a back road connecting my side of town to the other (so to speak). On the way home shopping I decided to measure the distance from the hospital to the end of the road. It measured about 4 miles one way.

I got home and decided to go run it. I have not ran more than a 5k distance since November 13th and still felt it would be ok since it was flat. This is when I learned that driving and actually running a course is a big difference. The whole route was riddled with rolling hills and at the last mile (I want to say) was an pretty intense incline. Of course the hospital was on the bottom of the incline, which meant my return route started with the "hill."

On the first 4 miles I passed a fellow runner who high fived me. This is the aspect of running I love as a sport. We are on it together, pulling each other up, while at the same time challenging ourselves continually to do better than last time.

With this route I ended up walking a couple of times after I started on the return route. My left knee on the back started to tense up and my right ankle started to hurt. My lower back and hips did too, but just like in a race I had to get back to my car to stop. This helped and I ended up doing the distance in about 1:21:00 subtracting the time spent in the middle of the highway waiting for the walking signal.

I finished the morning with a kettle bell work out, which is part of what I got for Christmas. I got Yoga Blocks/ belt, a new running shirt, balance half mini balls and more that is not related to working out.

This year is going to be different and excited for what will happen with my now weekends!

Nothing to Intense

I have noticed with my schedule making it impossible recently to keep a consistent work out plan that I go from doing nothing to everything full out.

On the 28th of December I joined my good friend who was leaving the next day and two of her sisters for a 13 mile bike ride. We did not plan on the ice and snow that covered the trail, but we road it anyway.

Yesterday, the 3rd of January I tried to go run a 5k. I only made it 2 miles after getting choked on my drainage from a lingering cold I had this past week.

Today, the 4th of January I got home from my first day of my new job and ran 2 miles. I ran it in different speeds of 6.5 to 7. I am usually running it in 5 to 6.5 at the fastest. I finished the 2 miles off on 8 mph in the end with it being 7:34 pace. After running my fastest tempo run on the treadmill I decided to try my new stability ball workout. After that I did a kettle bell (5 lbs) work out.

Intense and feeling amazing!