Coming off of last week’s great mileage, I wasn’t sure what to expect from my legs. I was also battling what I thought were allergies, so my body was feeling pretty sluggish. Turns out it wasn’t allergies, but an awful sinus infection. It really held me back this week, so much so that I skipped Body Fusion to try to get some extra sleep.

Tuesday I still wasn’t feeling too good, but I knew I had to get a run in. With the much colder temp, but body was tight, and something in my knee popped within the first half mile. I thought about turning around, but hoped it would shake out, and it did. I didn’t run long, but ran a short 2.62 miles for Boston.

Wednesday I wanted to do a track workout, but unfortunately two of the closest tracks were taken by teams, so I was out of luck. Instead I parked in a new development and ran in a new area. It was some what of a struggle to run, and I’m almost certain my nose ran more than I did. I only got three miles in, but it was better than nothing.

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 2.62 Miles

Wednesday: 3 Miles

Thursday: Off

Friday: Off

Saturday: 12 Miles

Sunday: Off

Total Miles: 18 Miles

Saturday’s long run was up in the air most of the week. I had struggled all week with the sinus infection, so I wasn’t sure what I’d be able to do. I finally decided to join the MCRR group run at Hinckley and tackle my first 9 mile loop and the famous Effie Hill. I knew running with a group would help keep me going, especially since I knew it was a tough route.

We started out together and were met with a mile of straight up hill. My pace was way down, but I knew I needed to conserve energy, especially if I wanted to make it past 3 miles. As the road leveled out a bit, I bounced around between groups, and running by myself. It was a nice way to focus on my running, but also distract myself from the hills.

The 9 mile loop goes mostly around the Hinckley Reservation and covers back roads and rolling hills. The views were beautiful, and if I wasn’t running with a group, I would have stopped every 5 feet to take pictures. My legs were feeling pretty good despite the hills and I felt like I could keep going for miles.

We stopped right before Effie to fuel up and wait for the rest of the group. I figured I’d test the water, run as much as I could, and walk the rest if I had to. Luckily we ran the first half as a group, but I wanted to see if I could run a little more. Amy ran right next to me and pushed me to the top, and I somehow made the hill without needing to stop. We kept going and stayed with each other the last 3 miles of the run.

The next three miles were full of rolling hills, and Amy and I kept up conversation the entire way. My legs were still feeling great, and although pace was slower than race pace, I really want to work on form, and getting the most out of my run. I knew my biggest benefit would be the hills and making sure I ran them smartly.

We finished up the 9 mile loop, and knowing that I still needed a little more, we waited for a few more runners before we started the 3 mile lake loop. At a much more relaxing pace and easier terrain, we ran the lake and finished up with 12 miles for the day.

Even though I had a rough start to the week, I’m glad I was back to my normal self for Saturday’s run. I decided to take Sunday off and rest my legs after the shock of running hills. This week, I plan to take it easy because I’ll be racing back to back over the weekend. Hopefully my legs can stay fresh enough for some PR’s!

 

Two short notes this week:

• Friday I announced a Nuun giveway, find out all the details and how you can win here.
• There are still 6 weeks to donate to Team JDRF to help cure Type 1 Diabetes. If you’d like, you can donate here.