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!

Let's connect : Facebook Instagram  Pinterest Twitter