More High Mileage...it's getting real

Another high -mileage week is in the books.

Would anyone believe me if I confessed that I'm feeling a tad bit fatigued? This marathon training, though fun (at times), is not for sissies.

Mondays have become my favorite (training) day on the schedule because they are just easy miles. No paces/splits/speed work. Just good old-fashioned running. Barb and I have started calling them "5 at 5" (and I have coined the hashtag #5at5AM).

I love my easy Monday runs! Five easy miles always feel so good!

Tuesday was a pleasantly warm and sunny day. I expected a light load at work, so I allowed a little extra snoozing in the morning, and did my run in the afternoon. Hill repeats...back and forth...five times total. Just my luck, the (hilly) county road I use is right by the golf course, and there were some guys working on the greens. No cat calls, but they probably wondered what my problem was going back and forth numerous times.

Post-hills...feeling accomplished

Wednesdays are typically an active recovery day, with no scheduled running on the agenda. However, I am not allowed to lounge on the couch, eating bon bons. Instead, I took it to the stairs, 100 flights up (and down)...some double-steps, and some triple-steps. With a side of planking.

stairs and planking...my two favorite forms of cross-training

It done got chilly overnight, and there was frost on the ground in some places on Thursday morning. Yikes. I do not mind winter, but I certainly am NOT in a hurry for it to get here. So, yes, this was my first layered-up-with-a-stocking-hat run for the season.

Although it was a mere 30-degrees, it actually felt great!

Friday was another active recovery day, prepping for my weekend. Also, Friday is #Fridayfashion on  .my Instagram page......

The IMT Des Moines Marathon (and all subsequent activities) kicked off on Friday with the expo. I headed over to get my race packets and check out the vendors and festivities. A highlight of the expo was listening to a local friend, Susie Duke. She was one of the featured speakers, having won the women's half marathon in 2014! She also qualified for the Olympic Trials this past spring (for the marathon distance).

With Susie

Saturday morning was the first racing event, the Mercy Live Up Loop. This was the inaugural year for this 5-mile race. I have done a lot of 5-mile runs, but not many races of that distance. We had moderate temps (low 60's), clouds, and some wind. Somehow, I pulled off a 5th place AG finish...crossing the finish line in 45:08 (recap coming...#staytuned).

After finishing the 5-miler (on the left), and after finishing the 13.1 (on the right)

Sunday, I ran the Half Marathon. I had to treat this as a training run (and not a race) to honor my training plan (which I sort of, inadvertently, violated with my faster-than-prescribed race the day prior). All went remarkably well considering the heat and extreme humidity (and a few nasty hills)...giving me my second fastest 13.1 finish time this year (2:12:45) and a substantial negative split (that race recap is also in the works...#staytuned). I also had an extra five miles to run (to hit my long run goal of 18 miles for the day), so I did a 2-mile warm-up and finished the remaining three miles a short while after the finish line.

This is the second year that they have medals that are magnetized for the full marathoners and half marathoners who do the Combo challenge (the Saturday race and one of the Sunday distance races). Aren't they pretty? 

So, this week ended with 40 miles logged. I think that's another weekly mileage PR. And, this weekend, I am finally starting to feel the effects of all this crazy (though necessary) mileage. My feet are achy, my back is cranky, and my entire body is ready for a good nights sleep. Other than that, things are just peachy!

In other news, we became grandparents to a little fur baby this weekend! Our daughter (in Pennsylvania) adopted a sweet little Shih Tzu, named Lola. Life is, indeed, quite good!

Speaking of family dogs...our little Max loves his dental sticks!

Have you ever done a series of races all on the same weekend? What''s your weekly mileage PR? Have you had frost on the ground yet?

As usual, I'm linking with my gals Holly  and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. I highly encourage you to check out their awesome blogs, as well as the numerous linked blogs.