About Me

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Back in Training Mode


Extra! Extra! Read all about it! I'm back in training again!

Yes, indeed. Marathon training officially commenced this week. In all actuality, my marathon training isn't really that different from other training except for the rather lengthy training runs in the final weeks before taper. But I digress.


Here's a review of what all went down this week:

#nevermissaMonday
With the R'n'R Chicago not even 24-hours in my memory, I was back on the streets of my hometown. I did an early morning walk through the 'hood before heading to work.....
#medalMonday had me showcasing my haul of hardware from the weekend
...and then knocked out three miles (with pick-ups!) in the late afternoon, after a long day at the office. Look closely...there's plentiful "moisture" dripping from me, but my mani is dry (multitasking at its finest).

Typical Tuesday
Ahhh, finally a rest/recovery day! After the previous three days (almost 20 total miles), I was ready for a day of active recovery. No running, but there was plenty of walking, planking and leg-lifting.
Early morning walking with Max
Wednesday workout!
How about another Front Porch HIIT workout in the early morning hours? Always eager to mix things up, I created an intense circuit involving hill sprints (around the block, 1/3-mile) with burpees, push-ups, and some strength work for my arms (bicep curls, tri-dips, hammer curls, tri extensions, lawn mowers, and cross-body curls). 

Hill Sprint HIIT (6 sets)
*20 arm reps
*15 push-ups
*10 burpees
*1 lap around the hilly block (1/3 mile)

6 sets of the circuit netted me: 
-120 arm reps
-90 push-ups
-60 burpees
-2 total miles of hill sprints with negative splits (2:37 / 2:33:07 / 2:30:78 / 2:29:56 / 2:29:12 / 2:25:84)
All of those negative splits felt SOOO good!
#5at5 on Thursday
Another five miles at 05:00 with my friend, Barb. Seriously, I look forward to this run every week! Although the first 1/4 mile starts off a tad bit darker each week, we still have daylight for the majority of those five miles in the early morning hours. It's pretty nice having most of the city streets all to ourselves while the rest of the town is still deep in slumber.
Yes, this is MY street in the wee hours
The Friday finale...
As with most Fridays, I'm ready for a little rest and recovery leading into the weekend. I still log a few miles of walking (and maintain the daily planking, etc.), but the running shoes get a day off. No exceptions.

Sensational Saturday!
With marathon training officially underway, there are long runs to be run. My training plan (that is still scribbled in pencil, just saying), showed a possible 13ish miles. I was going to meet Barb at 6:15 (for about 90 minutes of running, netting us 9-10 miles), so my game plan was to leave early and run a couple of miles before the meet-up. Best-laid plans, be damned. I finally got out the door at 6:00, so I was able to get an extra mile before meeting her.

Over all, the run went well. We had a decent pace, but the first couple of  miles were a little challenging (#hills), but things felt great otherwise.  She had to head home just as we were about at the 9-mile mark, but I continued on and took the scenic route back to my house...ending with 12 total miles.
Those 50F temps felt a bit chilly!
Sunday (recovery) Run Day
I allowed myself a little dozing after the 5:15 alarm, and the sky was a bit cloudy when I headed out around 6:00. Wouldn't you know? I made it almost all the way back without getting wet until the final 1/2 mile or so. The sprinkles were nothing in comparison to the downfall I'd experienced in Chicago, but still. Two easy (sort of tempo-ish) miles, and all was well in my world. I'm a strong believer in a short shake-out run the day after a long run, and this one felt great.

Over all, it was a pretty solid week in terms of fitness. The recovery from the R'n'R half marathon seemed to be a non-issue, and I felt back to "normal" by the next day with no DOMS lingering around. My running mileage (Monday - Sunday) totaled out at 24, and the walking miles (at the time this goes to press) are at 16. Wednesday's HIIT was such a fun endeavor with the hill sprints...I plan on doing that workout again.

In case you missed out, here are my posts from last week:
Much to Smile About
Chicago R'n'R Remix Recap
Runfessions - Recent Reality Checks

In other news:
Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair post on my Instagram? I may have a small obsession with the cold shoulder tops (I think I have five different styles of them in my closet). They are comfy...kind of a funky fashion twist, but they give my arms a little warmth (for all those freezing-cold air-conditioned places). If you want to play along, join me on Fridays...post a featured outfit, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and drop me a tag (@runningonthefly).

As mentioned, there's a marathon happening in October! I'll be headed to Greensboro, NC for the Cannonball Marathon. They just released a pic of the finisher medal recently.


I recently learned (many thanks, Linda!) of the built-in pedometer that comes on all iPhones. I'm not especially gifted with technology know-how, so this was such a nice discovery. I took my phone along with me for my 12-miler on Saturday, though...and it didn't quite match up with what my Garmin indicated. Has this ever happened to you? Anyone?
Where did those extra 2.2 miles go?
Finally, this memory popped up on Facebook this weekend. A year ago, I had reached another milestone in my surgery recovery...saying goodbye to the PICC line. Crazy how that was my reality a year ago. Sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago; other times, it seems like it was just last week.


So, that's a wrap! Tell me a little something about YOUR week...any great workouts? Training runs? Ever done much HIIT'ing?

I'm linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. This weekly check-in is such a great place to connect with fellow fitness-minded peeps. Please join us!

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50 comments:

  1. Glad you recovered well from your race! I usually rest the day after a long run but this week I did a recovery run and it felt good. Hope your marathon training goes well!

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    1. I got in the habit of doing a short recovery run after a long run (or race). Nothing crazy...usually only 1-2 miles. Just enough to work the muscles a bit. MOre often than not, I feel better afterwards ;-)

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  2. wow you sure did have a solid week this week! I am looking quite lazy next to you. :) Love that cold shoulder top on you. Have a good one!

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    1. Ha! You lazy??? Not quite...You are always on your bike, or swimming, or running, or kick boxing, etc. ;-)

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  3. Great week and what a nice feeling to come off of a race feeling fresh! I'm impressed that you do HIIT workouts at home - I kind of need an instructor/class environment to keep my intensity honest :). I go back and forth between recovery runs and rest days after a long run, though lately I have been taking rest days.

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    1. Well, my at-home HIIT's are probably not quite the caliber as those at a gym with an instructor leading the group. Having never done them before, though, for right now they seem pretty intense, though ;-)

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  4. This is the first half in a long, long time that I had serious DOMs from -- but they still only lasted a few days, thankfully. And while I was sore immediately after my 15 miles yesterday, today I'm back to normal (and happy to just be recovering).

    I'd say you got in a rock solid week for your first week of marathon training!

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    1. I thought I was gonna have the DOMS stopping by, but they were a no-show. My calves felt pretty tight on the train home, but I kept flexing/pointing and that must have done the trick.

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  5. Wow, you really had a killer week!! Awesome job!!

    And yes, once upon a time I wore a Fitbit but it didn't work so well for running. So, I would strap on my ancient Garmin for the runs while still wearing the Fitbit. To say the two didn't match up would be an understatement. How can that even be? They're both on the SAME WRIST?!!! I'm going to say the iPhone was off because you likely weren't carrying it in your hand and it doesn't register the same way? Who knows. It's all relative anyway, I think.

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    1. I was wondering about the position of my phone...I had it in the shoulder strap/pocket of my hydration pack and not really "moving" like the Garmin was. Although, when in Chicago, I had the phone in my purse....I'm wondering how accurate those miles were? That's really odd about your Fitbit and Garmin both being side-by-side and not in agreement.

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  6. I love your never miss a Monday and 5 at 5 tradition. Impressive week overall!

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    1. Thanks!!! I'm debating making my Monday run ALSO a #5at5 run as my mileage builds with my training.

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  7. Oh, Greensboro! That will be fun, I have heard great things, though I've never been. Will this be your first marathon back after the 'big injury' last summer?

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    1. Yes, this will be the first 26.2 with the lovely scar across my knee ;-)

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  8. Training started for me too. Mine's a shorter distance, and it's October too. Let's hope for some good weather on our race weekends.

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  9. You started your marathon training with a fantastic week! I love the flowers in your last running picture. Thanks for linking!

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    1. Thanks!! Hoping this training cycle goes off without a hitch....main goal is to remain injury-free and cross the finish line smiling ;-)

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  10. Glad you recovered easily from RnR. I did too. Maybe there's something about running in the rain? Curious, how did you pick this marathon?

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    1. That rain certainly had an odd effect on some of us ;-) A group of Barb's friends from her hometown are doing it, so they invited us to join them. A guy from the group has a sister there, so we have (essentially) free lodging ;-)

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  11. Great week of training!! I'm so excited for you to start marathon training. And how crazy that a year ago, you had your PICC removed. I first came to your blog the week after you had that surgery. What a journey you have been on! Glad to see you back out there running strong! So nice meeting you last weekend!

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    1. Thank you, Sara! Yes, this past year has been quite a journey ;-) It was fun meeting you and the hubby last weekend, too!

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  12. Great week Kim and way to kickoff marathon training. Isn't it crazy how they show the medals way ahead of time these days? Remember in the "old" days they were kept very secret until you actually finished the race?

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    1. I agree...it's exciting to see the medals, but I do like the element of anticipation of having to cross the finish line to get a glimpse...

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  13. That's a nice medal! I am toying with a fall marathon as well. Not sure which one. There are too many to chose from!

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  14. Your front porch HIIT workouts always sound so good! I usually waited a day or two after a half marathon to do my next run, but definitely walked as much as I could between.

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    1. I used to take an entire week off from running after a half marathon...you know, WAY back in the day LOL

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  15. I need to start training for something! It was too easy to hit the snooze button today without a plan. It's amazing how far you've come since last year. Do you feel 100% like it never happened?

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    1. I think I do feel like it never happened...I just wish I didn't have that ugly 6-inch scar LOL

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  16. Woo-hoo! How does it feel to be back to training? Excited to follow your training journey.
    You always have such a great mix of workouts, especially your HIIT workouts.

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    1. Thanks, Kim! It does feel good to have a "big" race on the horizon....I've done so many half marathons, they don't challenge me much (but I still LOVE them dearly).

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  17. Wow. Another Marathon!

    I still haven't done my first and I'm not sure I will ever but I love following other runners' training.

    As usual, you've had an active week even after 16 miles racing last weekend.

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    1. The crazy thing about doing marathons (at least for me), is that now that I know I can go the distance, I feel like why not keep on doing them (but in moderation)? ;-)

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  18. It's hard to stay out of the game for too long, isn't it?

    I got to SUP this week, which was so needed. Other than that, I'm keeping my miles up there. The heat and humidity is absolutely oppressive and so if we can't go fast, we'll just go far. It's all we can do right now.

    So exciting to have another marathon on your calendar! Can't wait to follow your training!

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    1. It's going to be weird doing another marathon with so much elapsed time since the last one...first world probs,right? ;-)

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  19. Have you written a post on how you just keep going and going? What motivates you to design incredible workouts and stick to them? You are so consistent and I am really inspired by the fact that you keep kicking these workouts out of the park!

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    1. ha ha ha, thanks!!!! I think my motivation is to be creative with my workouts...I've never liked "strict or regimented" stuff. If I can design a workout that is unique and fun (for me), I'm a lot more likely to do it all the way to the finish.

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  20. You had a great week - nice way to kick off your marathon training!

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    1. Thanks, Michelle ;-) It's exciting to have another 26.2 conquest on my roster

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  21. I wonder if your phone pedometer is doing the same steps-to-miles conversion for running as for walking? My smartwatch does that...so of course my running mileage comes up short since running strides are longer than walking strides. But if I turn on an actual tracker like Strava, the phone tracking is usually pretty accurate.

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    1. That's an interesting thought! I'm not much of a tech gal...so I usually just shrug my shoulders (or scratch my head in wonder) when these things happen LOL

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  22. How exciting that you've started your next marathon training cycle! The later sunrise is already making me sad even though it's still getting light quite early...

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    1. I know! I can already tell the sun is rising a little later, and it's already getting dark before 9 p.m. ;-(

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  23. Good lord woman! you don't stop! marathon training already in beast-mode!! YES!! The medal looks AWESOME by the way - that'll be a great one to earn!

    last week was reasonably good :) it's still way too hot here with no airco. now we've got some lower-pressure systems moving in so we are back to HUMID Dutch summer weather. Don't get me wrong. I love summer. But I already don't sleep well! Even my husband is struggling with sleep (that is saying something - if he's sleeping a nuclear bomb could detonate next to him and he wouldn't hear it or wake up). I do like HIIT training though, but generally don't make my own one up!

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  24. A great week for you and I do love your front porch workouts: can anyone see you? I have a front garden that's about 6 foot deep and 12 foot wide with a flowerbed and a bay window - I suppose I could hide behind the bushes and do pushups!

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  25. North Carolina in October should be beautiful with nice temps! Cool medal too! Hard to believe your surgery was a year ago ...time flies doesn't it? The way you've been running, you'd never know you had had a setback! Go get that marathon PR!

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  26. Wow, what a great week of training! I'm looking forward to following your training for your fall marathon. I'm sure you will kill it!

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  27. Such a great week training and glad to hear you recovered well from your race! I can't wait to follow your marathon training!!

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  28. Wow! Time flies! It's crazy that your knee issue was a year ago already, although, I'm sure you're very glad about that! And it sounds like you had a really good week of marathon training!

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