This week was pretty much perfect. I got everything in that I needed to do, and I felt great the entire week. I’ve been waiting for a week like this for such a long time, I’m still feeling the runner’s high. Or maybe it’s the allergy medicine….

Body Fusion was the perfect way to start the week. I actually wanted to skip it, and lounge on the couch all night, but forced myself to get out the door and I definitely didn’t regret it. It was probably the hardest, but most rewarding class yet. I was sweating within two seconds of lifting, and my body was taking a beating, but I was lifting heavier weights than normal and I could feel myself getting stronger. By the time we got to yoga, I was ready to relax, and somehow I managed to hit every pose on point.

Tuesday’s run was everything I hoped it would be. I was a little nervous about the possibility of pain in my knee, but I had fresh legs and kept dipping well under a 9:00 pace. I was able to get four miles in and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I even got to run a few hills while watching the sun set, talk about a perfect run.

Wednesday I took off to work on a spring project, but Thursday I was right back out there. I headed over to Buckeye Woods to work on a tempo run. I needed to make sure that I focused on staying consistent and wouldn’t get interrupted by traffic or too many distractions. But really my biggest distraction was the wind.

I headed out on the Chippewa Inlet trail and had a goal of getting to Chippewa Lake and turning around. I made my way out and was a little thrown off by the cross wind. I was supposed to stay at a 9:16 pace, but I just couldn’t do it, I’m horrible at being consistent. So I stuck with what I could, and tried not to get blown over. I managed to keep an ok pace despite the winds, and found some amazing views. Unfortunately the path was completely flooded about a half mile from the lake, so I had to turn around. But that gave me a chance to take this video, which pretty much sums up my love for the country. After I got back to the park, I finished up my cool down on the limestone trail and felt pretty satisfied on how my run went.

Monday: Body Fusion Class – 30 minutes of lifting/abs/squats & 30 minutes of yoga

Tuesday: 4 Miles

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: 5 Miles Tempo, 1 Mile w/u-9:20, 3 Miles at 9:20, 9:10, 9:15, 1 Mile c/d-9:45

Friday: Off

Saturday: 12 Miles, 9:22, 9:49, 10:06, 10:00, 9:46, 9:49, 10:09, 9:55, 9:52, 10:01, 9:57, 10:26

Sunday: 3 Miles, 8:45, 8:58, 9:03

Total Miles: 24 Miles

Saturday was my long run day, and I was a little nervous. It would be my longest run in 6 months, and after last week’s struggle to get 11, I had my doubts. I met up with Mike, a member of MCRR and we decided on an out and back route. The plan was to run a 10:00 minute pace and see how we felt from there. Our pace started out a little too quick, but by mile two we were able to slow down. We headed out through town and onto Lester Trail, hoping the soft ground wouldn’t be too harsh on our legs. We talked most of the way, and stopped every four miles to stretch and take in fuel and water.

We hit the 6 mile mark a little under 1 hour, so we knew we could slow down a bit on the way back. By this point, it was starting to warm up and more people were out on the trail. Around mile 7 my hips started to get a little tight, but once I stretched at mile 8, I felt fine. My biggest concern was making sure my knee didn’t have any pain, which at this point was feeling fine. Despite setting the goal of a 10:00 minute pace, there were numerous times that we kept dipping under to 9:52. Better to be a few seconds fast, than way too slow.

When we got back towards town, we had about 2 miles left, and naturally those were the hardest miles of the day. Our pace started to pick up until we were faced with the last mile, which was about 95% gradual incline. Our pace slowed way down, but we managed to make it back to the square and finished in under 2 hours. I felt great afterward and although I was pretty worn out, I felt like I could have put in a few more miles. But instead, I headed home for some food and relaxation, and spent the rest of the day recovering on the back deck enjoying the beautiful weather.

I woke up Sunday struggling to breathe from allergies, but when I noticed how warm it was and how fresh my legs felt, I couldn’t help but get a short recovery run in. I didn’t have a plan for how far or how fast I would run, I just wanted to go by how my legs felt.

I headed out towards the back roads, and ran 1.3 miles before even checking my watch. Even with the rolling hills, I felt amazing and my pace was well under 9:00. I turned around before I got too far in case my legs decided to stop working and was hit with some strong head wind. I definitely had a tough time coming back, but my legs kept going. I finished up and felt stronger than ever. After Saturday’s long run I was able to run a speedy 3 miler with rolling hills and a strong wind.

I’m still not quite sure how, but every run this week was exactly where it needed to be. I enjoyed every single run and honestly feel the strongest I have all training. So maybe I’m not running as long or as often as others, but there is a method to my training madness, and I’d say it’s working.

 

Facts about Type 1 Diabetes: This week I wanted to focus on two major events that occur each year to help find a cure for Diabetes.

Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes: The signature fundraising walk of the American Diabetes Association, which has raised more than $175,000,000 to stop Diabetes. 120 walk events are around the US each year to help cure Diabetes. More information can be found here.

Tour de Cure: A series of cycling events that are held in 44 states to benefit the American Diabetes Association. The tour has multiple lengths for riders and has raised more than $89,000,000. More information can be found here.

If  you’d like to donate to Team JRDF and help find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, check out my page here.