Happy August! What better way to start off a new month than with week 2 of training for the Route 66 Marathon! This week was busy and very tiring. BUT I’M STILL TRUCKING! I’ve been hitting the treadmill pretty hard; actually, every workout this week was on the treadmill. I just hate running alone outside, so the treadmill is starting to feel like home. Hopefully, that will all change once school starts. I also hit the sauna pretty hard this week. I needed some relaxation in the form of more sweating. There’s lot’s of pictures from that.
Monday (7/29/13): Started off the week with another 3 mile run. I must have felt pretty good, since I averaged a 7.0 mph pace for the run. I was very relaxed and comfortable and just felt like pushing the pace. The run was faster than usual, but I finished at a happy 25:43.
Tuesday (7/30/13): Oh the dreaded tempo runs! This one was definitely tougher than last week’s tempo. I picked up the pace changing speeds every 5 minutes. Only this time my speeds were 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, and 7.5 mph. I had to take a small break after running 8.0 mph to catch my breath. Other than that, there were no stops. This run barely got done thanks to work, but I’m glad I made time for it. I may have felt like crap, but it’s those workouts that make you stronger. Getting better every single day is key!
Crunched for time, lifting was a no go. I really hate skipping an sort of workout, but skipping running is not an option. Therefore, my lifting had to suffer. Trying to keep this from becoming a habit, though.
Wednesday (7/31/13): I didn’t do a whole lot on Wednesday. I was really exhausted from working pretty much all day the two previous days. I took my day off as an opportunity to catch up on some sleep. That meant my run got pushed back to 9PM. I’m not a fan of running that late, but I sucked it up and hit the gym. I finished the run in 26:28, which is right about where I should be running anyway. I felt slow, but honestly, I just think I’ve been running too fast. It felt really good to relax and just feel a nice run.
Thursday (8/1/13): Pace run! My pace runs have probably been a little fast lately, but I’m really pushing for that 9:00/mile pace for the marathon. This was a little closer to 8:47, but I am still trying to get into shape. I pushed it a little, roaming from 6.8 mph to 6.9 mph. It actually felt good to hold a constant pace for once. Usually, I’m trying to push until I feel like I’m working too hard. This was a nice run to just relax and be consistent.
Another week. Another full body lift. Again, I followed the same routine with the same weights. I will remind you of what that was, though. I did 5×5 bench, squats, back rows, and shoulder press; I lifted 55 lbs, 95 lbs, 55 lbs, and 40 lbs, respectively. Then I finished off with 1×10 for alternating seated dumbbell bicep curls and skull crushers, lifting 12.5 lbs and 20 lbs, respectively. I still felt like I was pushing myself, but it was definitely easier than the week before.
Friday (8/2/13): Thank goodness for rest days! I worked all day Friday, and then celebrated Madeline’s birthday with her and some friends. I needed a rest day just to fit all that fun into one day!
Saturday (8/3/13): Again, I got up early enough to run before work Saturday morning. Luckily, this time work didn’t start until 10:30, so I got to sleep in a bit after a late Friday night. I ran 5 miles pretty easily on the treadmill. I think I finished in 44:43, but I’m not positive. I logged the workout later on in the day, and that time stuck out to me. I’m not 100% positive if I actually ran that, though. It seems about right based on the pace I was running.
Lifting didn’t happen, but that was probably for the best. The 5 mile run took enough of a toll on me. I worked all day until about 3am, and needless to say, I was pretty exhausted.
Sunday (8/4/13): After finally dragging myself out of bed, I hit the gym later in the day. I started out at a 6.0mph pace and increased the pace by about .3 mph every 3 miles. I finished the last 2 miles at about a 6.9 pace. I may have even amped up the speed a little to finish a little faster. It was a slow but comfortable run at the beginning that finished at a faster and more aggressive speed. I felt good about it, but I still was exhausted the entire next day.
Stay tuned! I’m working on posting more throughout the week! Question away!
The Road to 26.2 