About Me

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Holy High Mileage!


Yikes, can you say, "High Mileage???"

With my half marathon last Sunday, and my long training run this Saturday (six days later), I finished the week with 39 miles, thank you very much. 39 frickin' miles! I'm pretty sure that's a PR. That is major high mileage, especially for this "moderate mileage" gal. Yikes (again).

Here's some of the details on what went down....

Monday, still riding the endorphins from the Quad Cities half marathon, I did a very brief 1-miler before my day started. I have that #nevermissaMonday thing that will drive me bonkers if I do not oblige my commitment.
Never miss a Monday...in my new Quad Cities Marathon shirt
Tuesday, I was able to persuade my friend, Barb, to rise and shine (prior to any trace of sunshine) to join me for some early morning miles. We knocked out five miles in the dark, meeting up at 5:00AM (which required a 4:30AM wake-up). The temps were cool and crisp...it certainly feels like summer has packed up and vacated the area.

No yawning! The last trace of the waning crescent moon lit our way
Wednesday, was pretty low-key. Even though it's an active recovery day for me (with no running on the roster), I was moving in a bit of a slow-mo pace most of the day. I've been doing the 22 daily push-ups challenge, as well as my own daily planking, so I didn't drag my feet the entire day.

Yes, that's a flannel scarf....it got cold in Iowa this week!
Thursday called for another early morning adventure in the running shoes. I had a "caterpillar run" on the calendar...ever done such a thing? Basically, it's a moderate run (I did a total of 6 miles, including warm-up) with periodic surges of speed (every 1/4 mile or so). It certainly made the run go quickly!

Another brisk early morning run with the Knuckle Lights and gloves
Friday was another day of moderate rest and recovery and prep for the long run (happening the following morning). A new thing I've started doing is posting an outfit of the day on Instagram (#ootd, #Fridayfashion)....not because I'm trying to break into the fashion industry, but because I like mixing it up (with my non-running clothes). I seldom ever wear the same exact outfit more than once....I'm always changing the accessories and color combos with what I already have, creating "new" outfits without adding/buying new stuff. It's a fun challenge! Care to join me? (should I make that our October challenge???)

So what if I'm wearing sandals with a bulky sweater? Fashion before function, and don't forget the lipstick!
Saturday, long run day! I had 14 miles on the roster. Although I have run 14 miles (and much farther on different occasions), I was not too excited for this little adventure. I was a bit apprehensive how my calf muscles would do (remember the nasty cramping at the race on Sunday?), nor had I planned out a good route. Thankfully, Barb (who is also training for Route 66) was eager to get some miles done, so we met up around 5:00AM (which translates to a 4:15AM wake-up) and ran two loops of the 5-mile route (that we had run on Tuesday). We did a potty stop at the 5-mile mark before running the second loop. She had to head home after that, but I continued on and finished the remaining four miles on my own. Amazing how, even after 11+ years of running, I forget the simple "trick" of breaking up the long run into smaller segments (so my brain can take a chill). Mission accomplished!

My longest run in the hydration vest and Vizi belt!
And, last of all, Sunday. It was a pretty meek and mild day. My hip flexors felt a bit achy, so I did a short mile to work out the kinks and felt better when I returned home. I have found that short recovery runs (at a very conservative pace) do my body good. Granted, it's only a mile or so, and the distance is nothing spectacular, but the ease of movement helps with some of the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). An added bonus? This was my first run in the sunshine since the race last weekend, since all of my other runs had been done in the pre-dawn hours. That's a win-win!!

Ahhhh, the sunshine on my face felt heavenly...
 With September coming to a close, I looked over my logged stats (disclaimer...these are probably missing a few random numbers because I wasn't too diligent on writing all of these down immediately after completing the tasks). My planking, an everyday occurrence, came in with 132 (possibly more) minutes, and my push-ups were at 489 (that's an approximation as well). I started out the month squatting everyday, but sadly that kind of went to the wayside. I still did numerous squats, just not daily (nor did I take accurate notes on those either). Oh well. I'm not gonna sweat the (missed) details.

But my mileage in the running shoes? I hit the 95 mile mark for my September miles (gulp), and so far everything feels pretty good. The last time I had a similar (high) number like that was back in May, when I cranked out 100 miles...and, subsequently, welcomed in a brief gig of Plantar Fasciitis. I am working with a coach this time around, and she has me doing a myriad of daily stretches, PT, and warm-up routines to combat all the wear and tear of marathon training. So far, so good. And, no, I did not feel the need to lace up and polish off an additional five miles to hit the century mark. The bragging rights are not worth the potential consequences.

And the latest? I caught a glimpse of some of my pics from the Quad Cities (half) Marathon....and, again, I am at a total crossroads on purchasing any. My husband captured some good ones (of myself and the relay team), and those cost me ZERO dollars. Some of the professional pics are nice, and they show the race course....but, Holy Crazy Cash Droppage, Batman!

to buy or not to buy? 
How did your September play out? Any great races or training runs? Any early morning miles? How do you feel about race pics?

I'm linking up with the lovely Holly and Tricia  for their awesome Weekly Wrap linkup. This little linkup has grown to become a major big deal. Head over and check out all the blogs!












65 comments:

  1. Congrats on running so many miles while staying injury free! The daily stretching, foam rolling, and strength a few times a week really help me too.

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    1. I'm also doing some foam rolling before each of my runs....that's been a great little trick!

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  2. Congrats on a great high-mileage week!

    I have issues with my IT band,but I've found that stretching and foam rolling twice a day has really helped me. I also use a lot of KT tape lol

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    1. I use a lot of athletic tape as well...for most of my longish runs. I'm a paranoid freak the PF will return, so I tape my arches

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  3. Great job on all those miles!

    I don't think I'll be be joining you on the fashion challenge. I'm sure not very fashionable.

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    1. You should join the fashion challenge! It's probably only gonna be on Fridays (at least for now LOL). It's a great opportunity to shop in your own closet and piece together tops and bottoms differently than you normally would ;-)

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  4. Great weekly and monthly mileage! If someone else catches a decent picture of me, I do not by the professional photos. It's just not worth it. If it is the ONLY photo, maybe. September turned out well for me. It wasn't my highest mileage month (135) I think because of the added (and sometimes replacement) cycling, but it came pretty close. Cool idea with the fashion posts. Thanks for linking, Kim!

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    1. Your mileage and training has gone great! Care to get "fashionable" with me?

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  5. Sounds like a good month. I would purchase pictures for important races, otherwise, just go with what someone else took or my post race / pre race selfie.

    I ran 22 miles this past weekend and I have to break it up, mentally it is the only way to get through it. I chose to run through the city and the monuments were what helped break it up. I took pictures at most of them too. It worked great. When I got back near my house, I only had 3 miles to do.

    Have a great week.

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    1. I saw that you broke up your run, too! Great minds, huh!!! We do what we gotta do ;-)

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  6. Congratulations on your race. I never buy the pics. They are too expensive. Unless it is an extra special race (Boston) I bought. Great job on your high mileage wk. I have never done a catapult at run.

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    1. I had never done a caterpillar run either, nor had I even heard of such a thing. My coach has me doing lots of new and different things to keep the training interesting ;-)

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  7. OH, that Marathon Photo close-up is pretty cool .... I've bought a few photo packages but often they don't have any of me anyway. My running mileage has gone down but I'm doing other things. When my hips are tight they love yoga - happy baby, spinal twists and pigeon pose.

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    1. My hips don't hurt very often, but they were slightly on fire Sunday...thankfully it was short-lived ;-)

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  8. I love race photos.. I just don't always love the price. Catepillar runs sound like a great way to make a run go by fast, I haven't heard that term before.
    My hips really benefit from yoga. I used to really suffer from tightness but it seems a lot better when I do yoga regularly

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    1. I haven't been to a yoga class in awhile, but I do some yoga on my own. Yes, the hip openers do feel good!

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  9. I wish I could run in the morning, but my neighborhood is a little TOO quiet as it is and I'd be running solo at 5 am...not a good look! I have so many race photos I'm just waiting to purchase when they go on sale...sooo pricey!

    I think you've got the right idea about keeping it conservative on mileage. I like your idea of a shakeout 1-mile run to recover, I've never tried that!

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    1. A friend (who is much faster and has done several more ultras than myself) told me that doing a long run (or a long race) kind of throws your body into shock...and then not dong anything the day following is almost as bad (his words). So, I usually do just an easy 1-miler the day after a long or difficult run....I do not go fast, and one mile certainly is not very far. Just enough to loosen up the over-worked muscles a tiny bit ;-)

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  10. Occasionally I purchase race photos, but not too often. And yes, Mr. Judy sometimes gets good ones (but start and finish only, usually only start). He's gonna have to get up mighty early in AZ.

    Never heard of a caterpillar run! Interesting.

    I keep wanting to do some fashion posts, I got some cute stuff at Target recently, but time . . . maybe I'll shoot for TOLT.

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    1. You have such a great collection of running skirts! I always love seeing those "fitness fashion" pics on your blog ;-)

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  11. Congrats on finishing September strong! Before I was a running/fitness blogger, I was a fashion blogger. I still occasionally post OOTD on Instagram, but because I work from home, it's a crapshoot of when I'll be in normal clothes or just yoga gear! But maybe I'll join the challenge. I've done caterpillar runs, but never heard them called that. Good name for it (I guess it's kind of similar to a fartlek but slightly more structured). I'm jealous of your fall weather! It's still really humid here.

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    1. I think the term comes from a group of runners running in a straight line. The last runner surges ahead just fast enough to pass the group, then the "new" last runner follows suit, etc. I'm kind of just doing the "surging" with an imaginary group of other peeps in front of me LOL. Like you said, it is very similar to a fartlek.

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  12. I've not heard the term caterpiller run but sounds like a great way to mix it up. Congrats on the great month of running you are crushing it

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    1. Thanks! I'm learning all kinds of interesting ways to add variety to the training runs ;-)

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  13. I love caterpillar runs! They're a great way to break up a run into little chunks. I'm also pretty anti purchasing race photos. The only time I bought them was when I did the Dopey Challenge because it was such a fun experience and they really got some good ones! Way to go with all the miles!

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    1. Thanks! All of these high miles are not the norm for me...but so far all is well and my body is tolerating everything the coach has me doing. I'm really good about doing tough things when someone else tells me to do them LOL

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  14. Wow you finished the WEEK with 39 miles! That is awesome lady!
    I so get the #nevermissamonday and great job on your 1 mile I would have done the same thing!
    My husband leaves before I do in the AM so he never saw me dressed. He made a comment about this and for awhile I would get to work and take a picture of me with my normal clothes on. Corny I know but it really helped me plan outfits so I wasn't wearing the same thing week after week! I need to get back to this!
    Your right this little linkup has grown up, thank you for being a part of it!

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    1. Well, I did have a half marathon AND a long training run both happen within the same seven days....I doubt I'll have very many more weeks with these kinds of numbers (and I'm quite alright with that!).

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  15. Wow. What mileage. I am happen if I get over 20.

    Never tried a caterpillar run. My runs are simple...run!

    Congrats on your race. Teams runs are great. I run a marathon relay with a friend in VT but you don't finish together.

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    1. The relay was a total blast! I did the same race last year, but on a different relay team. It was great doing it with my cousins ;-)

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  16. Oh and looking forward to #FashionFriday

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  17. Great runs! I am trying to get my milage up this month, I've been slacking a little but nothing like a new month to get back on track.

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    1. Exactly....each new month (and even each new week) is a great chance to get back on track ;-)

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  18. Congrats on the mileage PR and your race! Still not much in the way of running for me, but hoping that I can find my motivation somewhere. Oh, and I love your outfit!

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    1. I think your motivation will return when the time is right for it ;-) You're a beast knocking out all of those planks!

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  19. 39 miles! My hip flexors would be SCREAMING! Good for you!

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  20. Congrats on your runs. I am so envious that you can get up early in the morning to run. I used to be able to do it, but for some reason I am having a hard time right now.

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    1. I used to do a lot of early morning runs, but kind of got away from it. This summer, I got back into that routine...and (so far) I've kept it up for the most part. My body functions on little sleep, so the early wake-ups are much of a problem.

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  21. I'm so over race pics. I think the last ones I bought were from NYCM. Great month for you!

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    1. I wish the pics would simply just be a part of the "free" swag (that we all pay for with our registration). I could seriously take a pass on the race shirts...I think those should be optional.

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  22. Congrats on all of the miles! I'm still getting out pretty early for my runs. I like seeing the moon and stars.

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    1. Aren't the stars beautiful in the wee hours? I LOVE those mornings just after a full moon, you don't even need a flashlight because the moon is so bright ;-)

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  23. Just thinking about that many push ups makes my arms want to fall off, hahaha. Way to go!!

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    1. ha ha...keep in mind, I'm just doing 22 each day...not all 489 of them at once.

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  24. Congrats on 95 this month! Hopefully you can hit it without the bat of PF! Good luck!

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    1. Thanks ;-) I'm staying pretty consistent with my foam rolling and warm-up routine and post-run stretching (most of the time). That has made a big difference in preventing new aches and pains (and keeping the "current" issues at bay).

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  25. That's a lot of running! 5 am runs...woah...I'm not sure if I could do that. I've done 6am runs which means up at 5/515 but that was hard! I love race photos especially when they are free!!

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    1. My body usually wakes up around 5:00 on its own, so setting the alarm for 30-45 minutes ahead of that isn't a big deal (most days).

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  26. I'm so glad everything is going well and feeling good! You are rocking it!

    Breaking long runs into shorter, more manageable pieces makes all the difference in the world. Running is so mental, and that trick proves it.

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    1. No doubt, it's a mental game. I am usually at a cross roads...do I do it the hard way (run the long runs as one long run) and build my mental game, or do I do it "easy" (break it up into smaller segments) and rejoice in getting it done. Both have benefits ;-)

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  27. Congrats on the high mileage. I'm happy if I can hit in the low 20s for my weekly total.

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    1. Typically, I'm more than content with low 20's for weekly mileage...I'm doing things a bit differently for this marathon, though, and it's been an eye-opening adventure. There have been some all-out tough runs, but those tough runs have showed me that I can do things that I'd never though possible.

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  28. Wow, impressive mileage for one week! These days, I'd consider it a miracle if I could get that many miles in one month! Great job! By the way...way to rock the pigtails!

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    1. Ha! Thanks ;-) I'm not a boring pony-tail-type of gal....I have to jazz it up a bit ;-)

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  29. Great job on the 39 miles, thats an awesome #!!!!
    What a fun challenge, I wish I could join you! I had a teacher in HS who had this thing she never wore the same outfit twice in a single year. I loved her she was awesome, and had a ton of clothes:) I just moved almost 2 months ago and I didn't bring my entire wardrobe with me, I can definitely go 2 weeks, because I always do that, but not sure if I have enough to mix it up for an entire month;) Have fun with it!!!

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    1. Well, I will probably only be posting the outfits on Fridays (if it goes well, I may continue after the month ends LOL). I just do not understand people who have five favorite outfits (one for each day of the week, I assume), and they never deviate from how they wear them. I guess not all of us enjoy mixing & matching, huh ;-)

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  30. Awesome high mileage week!!! And love your race photos 😍 Race photos are my favorite, especially when someone from my "cheering squad" takes them. Buying the pro ones sure is spendy!

    Your plank and push up routine inspires me! I'm no fashion blogger either but the ootd posts are fun 😀

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    1. I agree....I think the pics from friends/family often turn out much better than the professional ones.

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  31. Holy Batman! that is a lot of miles! I love fashion posts- keep posting!

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  32. Great job Kimberly! The last time I came close to 100 miles was 2 years ago. I love your daily planks, pushups and squats, that's a great goal! Here's to another great month!

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    1. The 100-mile months are tough...you get bragging rights and all, but often times with consequences if not done smart #beenthere #donethat

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