Miles, miles, and more miles

The training continues.

May is already almost halfway over (how did that happen?) and my training is approaching its peak in regards to mileage. I received an email from Grandma's Marathon...saying that race day is five weeks away. YIKES!


Here's what went down this past week....

I did a quick recovery mile Monday morning (recovering from the pretty awesome Des Moines Womens Half Marathon the day prior). I know the race went well when my finish time was legit, the race felt pretty effortless, and the body bounced back within 24 hours.

Back in the training grind, I headed out early Tuesday morning for a solo #5at5 in the pre-sunshine hours. Actually, it was more like pre-sunshine minutes...I had "slight" darkness when I left the house, but had substantial natural light within 15 minutes, and almost total daylight by 5:30. Life is good!

Nothing major on Wednesday, but a definite recovery/rest day. We all know rest and recovery are necessary components to a successful training cycle, and I totally respect them and embrace their arrival. Oh, and it was my little furry grandbaby's first birthday. Isn't Lola just the cutest?

I met up with Barb (my main running partner-in-crime) on Thursday for a (somewhat) fast and furious #5at5. Seriously, these early morning runs are such a fantastic way to start the day! Especially now that the days are getting longer, it's awesome to get an early start to my day and have the entire evening completely open.

I spent all of Friday morning with our son, being his escort to the oral surgeon to have his wisdom teeth extracted. Fun times (don't be jealous)! Although I had worked late on Thursday, a lot of stuff had come in that evening and Friday morning, so I camped out at work until closing time.

Saturday was a long day, full of fun and adventure. A team of us from work had a relay team of runners, and we were on the road by 5:00 (do you see a pattern here?), headed to Jefferson, IA (just over 2-hours down the road) for the Market to Market relay. Our wave didn't start until 8:15, and we arrived there with ample time to for me to get ready for the start line (I was the first runner). We had near-perfect weather (though it did get a bit warm later on), and finished the 76-mile course in 11:35:59. I contributed about 15 total miles (over the span of three legs of the relay). Stay tuned, there's a recap in the works with a lot more details.

The ASI Running Team

I felt pretty good, though very fatigued, Sunday morning. No alarm was set, and I woke up at 8:05...that goes to show I really was legitimately tired. I did a short 1-mile recovery run before we headed to church. My afternoon was spent outside...garden-squatting and lunging.

Oh, and it was Mother's Day! Although the oldest daughter is out in Pennsylvania, I'm thankful we can stay in pretty close contact with her. The son is home for the summer from college, and the younger daughter is still in high school. Look closely, there's a turtle in the pic (we've been babysitting him since the older daughter went off to college)...and you all know Max. He got distracted by the sound of another dog...so, yeah. Smiling for the camera was NOT a priority.

Over all, it was a solid week of training. My mileage (Monday-Sunday) came in at 27. I have three more weeks of increasing (long run) mileage, then I'll be entering Taper Town with open arms. My long runs probably should be an itsy-bit longer at this point, but I am not worried. As I have said, this is not my first merry-go-round. If I don't get my long runs to the 20-mile mark, the world will not come to a crashing halt. I have a solid endurance base, and that will carry me through to the finish line reguardless. I'd rather approach the start line slightly under-trained (and eager) than over-trained (and injured).

In other news:
My May goals are going well! I've been knocking out the 5-minute planks on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and am still alive (and able to talk about it). I don't love them, and they don't happen without a bit of extra effort, but they are possible.

And that little Max. Someone left the spare bedroom slightly ajar, and he made his way in there and had some fun with my left-over prom decorations.Can you say excess glitter and icicles everywhere?

In case you missed them, last week's posts:

Spring Has Returned!

Why do a #5at5?

Des Moines Women's 13.1:Balancing Racing with Training


So, talk to me! How was your week? Any races coming up? Have you noticed the days getting longer (in the morning and evening)?

 As usual, I'm linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. Please join us!