The Struggle to Fit Running in Around the Wedding

It has been a challenge to fit the running in the past week. I'll just go through it day by day and compare what I was supposed to do with what I actually did.

Week 12, Day 1
This was a scheduled off day after the half-marathon. I didn't run, but I did do 15 minutes of core work and 15 minutes of upper body work with the Nike Training Club on my iPhone. Plus I cleaned the bathrooms!

Week 12, Day 2
I managed to complete the scheduled 30-45 minute "easy run," completing 3.15 miles around the park in 36:43 or 11:30 pace. Okay, it was very slow but the park is hard. The weather was drizzly and the roads were slippery. I felt a little knee twinge, which might have been from the conditions, or maybe a result of the cross-training yesterday. Cross-training = bad for you.

Week 12, Day 3
The schedule said 45-60 easy. I did the EBSE route for 4.85 miles in 51:54 or 10:41 pace. Better than the day before but did get the knee twinge at the start of mile 4. I backed off and it went away, but iced it when I got home. I think it really was from the damn cross training.

Week 12, Day 4
I was supposed to do a 16-20 mile long run. Instead, I drove around completing various wedding-related errands with Susan. Also, I had to take the dogs to the kennel and that was a two hours of driving. This is the first major workout that I have missed and I hope it won't turn out to be a key one.

Week 12, Day 5
The schedule calls for a 40-50 minute recovery run. I do the Madison route for 4.9 miles in 52:56 or 10:47 pace. I had to hustle to get a run in before we had to head out for the mani-pedi party.

Week 12, Day 6
The schedule said off or 30-45 easy. But this was the day of the wedding. So hahaha, it wasn't happening.

Week 12, Day 7
Again, the schedule said off or 30-45 easy. I did 3.15 miles on the treadmill in 45 minutes, using Program 2 mostly on Level 5 which has a top speed of 5.2 mph. Felt really tired but like I needed to do something.

Week 13, Day 1
Was supposed to do a 18-22 mile long run. I went to Lunken in the middle of the day, after the dog walk, with every intention of getting at least 18 in. The first five went well, but when I went back to the car to refill my water bottle, I made the mistake of switching to a shortsleeve shirt. It was pretty windy and not that warm, and I think this apparel switch played some role in my srtuggles the rest of the way. For the second loop, I went down the Otto Armleder trail and connector, then continued the rest of the Lunken loop. This gives you a nice 9 miler. I was hoping then that I could go back to the car and just head out for another 5 and I'd have over 19. But my hips were really sore and my pace was slowing and I felt like crap. So I just went a little way down and back towards the playfield and ended up with just 16.38 for the day. I guess we could consider this a makeup for the 16-20 I missed last Thursday, but maybe the point was to do 16 last Thursday and another 18 on Monday. If so, I have failed.

Week 13, Day 2
Schedule said off or 30-45 recovery. I am bored with my regular 3 mile routes. It was late in the afternoon and I had already walked the dogs around the park. Had agility class in the morning, then some driving around with post-wedding errands. So, went down Erie, then across and jogged a little around the dogwalking area, then did the Victoria-Portsmouth loop and came home, for a total of 3 miles in 31:35 or 10:31 pace.

Week 13, Day 3
Today the schedule called for 45-60 easy. I didn't make it out until late afternoon again, following a morning rally class with Zen, returning vases to the florist, and a dog walk around the Observatory route (scary when the out of control dogs lunged for a pile of dog poop on Erie and Zen pulled her leash out of my hand and I got a knee twinge as i tried to brace myself, hold on to the dogs, and not fall down). I did the Park + Kilgour route, for a total of 4.23 miles in 45:35.

I am bothered that I missed the long run last week and had to shorten the one this week. Otherwise, I guess I am not in such bad shape. But I know the long runs are really key and the area I've been lacking before. And here I am again. Well, if I can run a decent half-marathon this weekend, I'll feel a little better about things. I have one more really long run next Friday, then a fast finish long run the following Wednesday, and that's it.