The week I took taper to a whole new level.

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 7.4 mile trail run – happy my legs were still working after peak week
Wednesday: 18 mile trail run 5.2 mile road run

I had planned on getting my longest run of the week done before leaving for a mini-vacation (!) but I had a feeling it wasn’t going to happen.  It was just too close to the previous big weekend and I was tired.  I had a hard time getting out the door and when I finally did, I didn’t make it far.

The rest of the day was spent flying to Arizona and driving to Sedona!

Thursday: ~7 mile trail run with Chris
Friday: ~5 mile/3+ hour hike with Chris.

I am counting this sucker as time on my feet.  Being in high elevation (for this sea-level dweller) plus hiking 2,000’ up a mountain definitely has to count towards something!  It was the perfect day for this hike and I am so glad we went.  The views were incredible and it was so fun to explore somewhere new.

Saturday: drive back to Tempe to meet up with our friends and get ready to spectate!
Sunday: Ironman Arizona spectating!  If any of you have ever spectated at an Ironman (or any event really) you know it’s pretty exhausting.  I thought about running, but it would have been running just to run, and would have been on a hot, flat, paved road that just didn’t sound enticing to me. 

I sure missed my friend but that just means I will be even better at spectating an Ironman the next time around.

Totals for Week 16
Miles: 25ish
Hours: 7ish (including hikes)

I think my body was very happy with this week.  I got a lot of sleep, was able to recover from 4 weeks of big training and was able to enjoy being with Chris and friends without being a freak about running.  It was so nice and I came back home extra excited for my last 2 weeks of training and really excited for December 1st.  

Week 17 – Week of November 19th

Monday: 5.4 mile trail run.  Back from vacation, straight to the trails. 
Tuesday: 8.1 mile road run
Wednesday: 7.1 mile road run
Thursday: 6.5 mile Thanksgiving trail run with Kristin!
Friday: 12 mile trail run
Saturday: 10 mile trail run
Sunday: rest (and wondered what on earth I do on the weekends when I am not training for an ultra).

Totals for Week 17
Miles: 49.1
Time: 8:26:09

And now it’s race week!  If you want to make taper go by really fast, go on vacation and then throw a holiday week in there while you are at it… it will fly by without any time for the taper crazies to appear.   

This week I have 3 short runs planned, then the big one on Sunday!  I will probably do a goal post later in the week to wrap up this training cycle.  It’s been an incredibly fun, challenging and rewarding 18 weeks.   

Now that my peak weeks have come and gone and it’s practically race week, it’s probably time to finish recapping all this running I have been doing that kept me from blogging.  Weeks 14 and 15 were my last 2 big weeks of training and were piggy backing off of 2 previous big weeks.

Week 14 – Week of October 29th

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 8.1 mile road run
Wednesday: am 8.9 mile road run, pm 6.1 mile road run
Thursday: 11.3 mile road run
Friday: 8 mile run Drive over 500 miles in the span of less than 24 hours to hold my brand new nephew for a couple hours.  This dropped my mileage a little bit (goal was mid-90s for the week), but I was more than happy to not run this day.

Saturday: 26 mile trail run/5:07:27/4806’ gain

I was reunited with Jojo after way too long.  We ran about 18 miles together in the headlands, including a new favorite trail and a ridiculous sunrise, then I tacked on another 8 to finish day 1.

Sunday: 26 mile trail run/4:56:53/3847’ gain

This run was tough for me.  I knew going into this weekend that the back to backs of the same distance were going to be a challenge and I was right.  I really think the 25/25 or 26/26 back to backs are a big test during 50 mile training and harder mentally than say 24/32.  There is something about having one day be less mileage than the other that just makes it a little easier on the brain.  I made this a little tougher on myself as well by purposefully making Day 2 solo.  Yay mental training!  On top of the mental aspect, my body never really warmed up and I just never really found a good groove… but I finished and kept myself together pretty well for not feeling great.

I have personally found that there is always at least one run during a training cycle where you really have to battle it out and dig deep.  Usually this is the run that you look back on during future training cycles and when times get tough during races.  This was that run for me.

I also happened to run into the Mt. Diablo trail half marathon that I ran last year as my “test run” before signing up for AR50.  That half marks a turning point in my trail running and it was fun to compare where I was last year to what I was doing this day.

Totals for Week 14
Miles: 86.4
Time: 15:29:21
Elevation Gain: ~9,000’

I ended up being glad that this week was a tiny bit of a step back mileage wise (especially since it was week 3 of 4) and gave me some good momentum going into my last big week.

Week 15 – Week of November 5th

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 8 mile road run
Wednesday: am 11.1 mile road run, pm 5.1 mile road run
Thursday: 7.3 mile trail run
Friday: 8.1 mile trail run, 4.4 mile road run
Saturday: 24.1 mile trail run/4:39:29/4275’ gain

This was such a beautiful day for a run in the Headlands.  I met up with Jojo and Jessica to run a bunch of the North Face course.  We all ran about 14 miles together, then I tacked on another 8.

Sunday: 32.7 mile trail run/7:01:34 (moving)/7,697’ gain

Inside Trail Mt. Tam 50k!  I ran the first 18+ with Jessica and Jojo, then the last 14+ with Jojo.  It was an awesome, tough day on the trails where I finished off my peak training and my biggest mileage week.  I think this weekly mileage will be standing for a while!

Totals for Week 15
Miles: 100.9
Time: 19:11:21
Elevation Gain: 14,580’

And just like that, I started to taper (and actually took tapering to a whole new level for me).  I promise it won’t be another 3 weeks for those recaps.

Monday
rest

Tuesday
8 mile road run

Pre-work run with the coworkers.

8.2 miles/1:19:17/9:40 avg

Wednesday
am: 7 mile road run
pm: 7 mile road run
1 hour yoga

I met up with Cate very early for a rainy morning run.  I didn’t look at my watch once until the end and was shocked when I saw the average pace.  I never run that fast anymore, and the best part was I didn’t even really notice!  I guess that’s what happens when you run with fast people.

7.0 miles/1:03:32/9:02 avg

At lunch I went to yoga for some stretching and I did my first “real” (assisted) handstand!  I am not a big fan of being upside down, but was proud of myself for trying and staying up as long as I did (with help, but still!).

I went out that evening for my double day and felt so great that I kept on running.  I do NOT know where this run came from either – I guess my legs just wanted to run a little faster than normal.  It reminded me of the days when I used to run sub 9s all the time.  It was fun for a few miles.

7.0 miles/1:02:27/8:55 avg

Thursday
12 mile road run

Part solo, part with friends.

12.0 miles/1:52:15/9:20 avg

Friday
6 mile trail run

Ahhh the trails!  My legs were feeling all the pavement miles this week and were achy, knotted and stiff come Friday.  I was so happy to get out on the soft dirt and it was even better than expected.  The rain from earlier in the week made the dirt so soft, it felt like I was running on pillows.  My legs were so happy.

6.1 miles/1:04:49/10:37 avg/802’ gain

Saturday
23 mile trail run

I have reached the point in training where the low 20 mile runs don’t seem so long anymore.  Hah!  I just wanted to get out and have a good run without pushing too much since I knew the next day I would be running really far.  I felt really strong and my achy, tired legs actually felt better half way through this run.

23.0 miles/4:14:39/11:03 avg/3082’ gain

 
(photo by Derrick Tsang)

Sunday
30 mile trail run

Inside Trail Lake Folsom 50k!  A strong run I was very happy with.

30.4 miles/5:36:45/11:04 avg/2050’ gain

Totals for Week 13
Miles: 93.8 – a new weekly mileage PR!
Time: 16:13:44 (+ 1 hr yoga)
Elevation Gain: 7,142’

Two more big weeks of running between me and the already dreaded taper.  I am feeling strong and continuing to just make sure I stay healthy.  Vitamins, sleep, rolling, yoga, ART, etc. are all very high on my priority list right now.  I am hoping to really focus my long runs on elevation gain over the next two weeks to get these legs ready for a ton of climbing come December 1st!

Week 11 – Week of October 8th

Monday: 1 hr yoga, no running
Tuesday: 8 mile road run (8.6 miles/9:40 avg)
Wednesday: 11 mile road run (10.8 miles/9:23 avg)
Thursday: 12 11 mile road run (11.0 miles/9:36 avg)

I had planned on running 12/18 for my back to backs this week, so I had planned this was my first long run of the week before work… it does look weird since it was following my ML run on Wednesday.  This week clearly made no sense.

Friday: 18 12 mile trail run (12.0 miles/11:41 avg/1947’ gain)

I met up with Jessica, Alyssa and Jojo for an early morning run in the Headlands!  I was so excited to have some company after the prior week’s long solo runs.  I was not feeling fantastic though and could just not convince myself to go out on another 6 miles after the group was done so I called it a day.

That night was a big night for my house, a night we have been waiting years for.  Chris graduated from fire academy with his new department and I proudly got to pin his badge on him. 

The rest of the weekend was spend celebrating with family and recuperating from the incredibly busy, stressful last 4 months. 

Saturday: rest
Sunday: 12 mile trail run rest

Totals for Week 11
Miles: 42.4
Time: 7:10:49 + 1 hr yoga
Elevation Gain: 2,985’

Week 12 – Week of October 15th

I took off the beginning of the week to hang out with Chris since he didn’t have his first shift for a few days.  I struggled really bad mentally through the beginning of this week.  I didn’t want to run and felt like crap whenever I went out.  I eventually found my motivation and ended up having a really great week by the end.  It’s funny how quickly they can turn around!

Monday: 6 mile trail run (6.0 miles/11:06 avg/708’ gain)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 11 mile trail run (11.1 miles/10:27 avg/1,329’ gain)
Thursday: double day… am – 8 mile road run (8.0 miles/9:39 avg), pm – 4 mile road run (4.0 miles/9:56 avg)
Friday: 6 mile road run (6.5 miles/9:44 avg)

Saturday: 28 mile trail run (28.2 miles/11:32 avg/5239’ gain)

I knew I needed some help getting my butt out the door and on the trails for 5.5 hours that day, so I met up with the Run 365 Training Group (associated with The San Francisco Marathon) since they are training for The North Face too!  I know the coach and had met a few others before, but didn’t know that many people.  Everyone was so friendly and welcoming and it was great to be out there with a big group of runners.  I ran parts with different people and some on my own, and I felt really strong the whole time including coming out of Muir Beach where I “left my soul” back in March.  

We ran a nice chunk of the course for North Face and I was reminded how tough this race is going to be.  The hills are unrelenting and very long and just don’t stop.  

The views and scenery are worth every painful, wonderful second though.  It’s going to be an amazing race and although this run was a nice little wake up call, it also got me really excited for December 1st.

Sunday: 22 mile trail run (22.4 miles/11:05/3,187’ gain)

I happily headed out on this run by myself with sore legs from the day before, but a newly motivated spirit.  It was one of the first days it really felt like fall and I relished in every second.  I stuck to my favorite go to route and just cruised along.  I was so surprised at how strong I felt and was very happy to finish off the week feeling so great when I started feeling so not great.

Totals for Week 12
Miles: 86.4
Time: 15:39:08
Elevation Gain: 10,463

Weeks 13, 14 and 15 are all planned big weeks and then it’s time to taper already! 

Monday
rest

I skipped out on my Monday yoga class to make sure I took a full rest day.  My body thanked me for it.

Tuesday
7 mile road run

Run to coffee!! 

7.2 miles/1:08:30/9:29 avg

Wednesday
7 mile road run + 1 hour yoga

I met up with my early o’clock friend for a dark run.  She had things to do after 7 miles and I wasn’t feeling any more.  I would usually do my double day on a day like this, but I had dinner plans with a friend that night. 

7.5 miles/1:11:42/9:35 avg

I went to yoga at lunch which was so great.  I am really enjoying yoga (even though I am awful) and really look forward to going.

Thursday
am: 10 mile road run
pm: 5 mile trail run

Medium long day and double day.  Wow I missed the trails.

am: 10.0 miles/1:36:47/9:38 avg
pm: 5.0 miles/51:22/10:15 avg/717’ gain

Friday
6 mile trail run

Easy solo run.

6.2 miles/1:03:40/10:20 avg/478’ gain

Saturday
26 mile trail run

My solo marathon!  I really wanted to use this weekend of not having any friends to run with to my advantage and get some mental training in.  It can be really hard to run that far alone but it’s always good to have that practice come race day.  Turns out I didn’t need much mental strength, I just happily kept on running and never really hit any lows.  I hoped I could continue that trend through the next day. 

26.5 miles/4:57:20/11:13 avg/3580’ gain

Sunday
20 mile trail run

More solo miles!  I left from my front door and figured out a way to connect to my favorite trails by using other random trails, and it worked!  Although it wasn’t the most scenic route (and when I realized how spoiled I am when it comes to trail running), I was really excited to have accomplished this by only running on pavement for about 2 miles.  I had planned on an out and back, but couldn’t make myself turn around.  Instead I texted Chris lovingly asking for him to pick me up a couple hours later, which he did.  I had another strong run, both physically and mentally, but was wiped out and completely useless once the afternoon hit.   

20.1 miles/3:37:05/10:49 avg/2587’ gain

Totals for Week 10
Miles: 82.5
Time: 14:26:26
Elevation Gain: 8324’ 

After 3 weeks of building, week 11 is a much needed cutback week (and technically my last one)!  It’s getting closer.

Monday
1 hour yoga

I broke my rule this week of taking one complete rest day and did yoga on my non-run day.  This wasn’t a very leg intensive class and was just a lot of stretching.  I do not plan on making this a habit, but this week it just worked out that way.  I just couldn’t get myself to run after the big weekend of runs and it made me realize how much I just simply enjoy Monday as a rest day.  I am figuring out how to make this work better for me going forward.

Tuesday
am: 7 mile road run
pm: 5 mile trail run

Morning road run straight to coffee. 

7.0 miles/1:05:49/9:21 avg

Followed by an evening run on the trails.  The evening daylight is quickly disappearing and I know I won’t get many more of these runs in after work.  So sad.  I stuck to the fire roads this time as well because I didn’t want to venture on the single track with the sunlight leaving.  Bye bye summer.

5.0 miles/49:06/9:48 avg/506’ gain

Wednesday
10 mile trail run

I met up with Sima for a morning trail run.  We ran the first 6 together, then I tacked on another 4.  It’s becoming very dark in the morning too, so I don’t know how long these are going to last.  It does make for a pretty incredible sunrise though!

10.0 miles/1:51:43/11:10 avg/1302’ gain

Thursday
7 mile road run

Another morning run with Sima on one of our old routes we hadn’t done in forever.  I can’t say I miss these road routes at all, but it’s always worth a run with a friend.

7.1 miles/1:06:37/9:26 avg pace

Friday
8 mile trail run

I had Friday off of work and was being wishy washy all week on whether I wanted to do my long runs Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday.  Most of the weeks coming up I need to run Saturday/Sunday and switching back and forth can just get complicated with my routine. 

I decided to not set my alarm and let myself catch up on some much needed sleep.  By the time I got out to run it was warm and I just was trying to convince myself to make it 4 miles.  Each mile I started feeling better and each mile I talked myself into going a little further.  Then I had to make myself stop because I had things to do!

8.6 miles/1:32:08/10:42 avg/1149’ gain

Saturday
20 mile trail run

Inside Trail Berkeley Trail Adventure race!

20.2 miles/3:37:43/10:47 avg pace/3,245’ gain

Sunday
24 mile trail run

I was nervous about this run because it was going to be a hot day in the East Bay.  I didn’t want to drive anywhere to get the cooler temps so I knew I was just going to have to suck it up.  I got up really early to get myself out the door as soon as possible.  While getting ready, I checked my email and I got some really sad news from a very good friend of mine.  My heart hurt for her and I kind of didn’t even believe what she was telling me was true, so I went about my morning and headed off on my planned run.

This day I was going solo and it turned out to be a good thing.  Most of the time, I love having my friends with me, but this day it was good to be out in the hills in my own thoughts.  My heart was very heavy thinking about my friend, and I thought about her and her family for hours on end.  Anyone who runs knows running can be a very emotional thing.  When you are out there for a long time, it just forces you to think and feel, rather than let life’s distractions distract.  It lets you think deeply for a long time and just get lost in whatever you want to get lost in.  I felt helpless and heartbroken for her, but strong in my running. 

Energy wise I felt much better than the day before and just made sure to take it easy.  Between the heat and all the miles, I knew not to push it too hard and it made for a good solid run.  A long, solo, therapeutic trek through my favorite hills is just what I needed that day. 

24.0 miles/4:37:25/11:33 avg/3,556’ gain  

Totals for Week 9
Miles: 81.9
Time: 14:50:33 (+ 1 hour yoga)
Elevation Gain: 9,939’

Next week will be another week of increasing miles and long runs before my last step back week of the training cycle (besides taper).  It’s getting closer!!

I have to remind myself that it’s ok to say no, and that what needs to get done will get done, the rest can wait.  I also have to remind myself that rest and sleep are very much at the top of my priority list when running a lot so I can recover and not dig myself into some hole of exhaustion.  Plus, the end is very near to a lot of the craziness (Chris’s academy) in my house!  Life will start resembling our new normal very soon and I can’t wait.    

Monday
8 mile trail run
1 hour yoga

Alyssa was hanging out in the Easy Bay for a couple days, so I was so excited when she said she would run with me Monday morning.  I picked her up and we headed for the hills.  It was really dark when we started, but the sun started peaking through the trees so we could see our footing.  It’s always a pleasure to run with this girl.

8.3 miles/1:35:29/11:31 avg/948’ gain

Tuesday
7 mile road run

Work run straight to coffee.

7.0 miles/1:07:16/9:38 avg

Wednesday
11 mile road run

Early run with my early morning friend.  We always have a lot to discuss which makes the miles fly by.

11.1 miles/1:41:48/9:11 avg

Thursday
am: 7 mile trail run
pm: 6 mile trail run

Ahhh double day of trail runs.  Exactly what I needed this day. 

I met up with Sima and Kim for an early trail run turned venting/therapy session.  Some runs you just need to release all the stress and anxiety from the week, and running through the hills with friends is the best way to do that.

7.1 miles/1:16:27/10:47 avg/937’ gain

That evening I went for my 2nd run in the hills.  It was one of those runs that I just let go of all the stress I had been feeling during the week and enjoyed the beauty that was happening around me.

(Sorry if you have seen all these pics on Instagram already, but I couldn’t help but posting them!  It was a beautiful week on the trails.) 

My legs felt strong and my mind felt clear.

When I was done, I felt completely calm and happy, and all those things that were creating anxiety during the week didn’t matter so much any more. 

6.0 miles/6:00:35/10:05 avg/696’ gain

Friday
rest

Rest day prepping for a big weekend of running!

Saturday
20 mile trail run

This weekend was my first set of back to back 20(+) mile runs of the training cycle.  I was very much looking forward to spending a lot of time in the hills.

Jessica met up with me for the first one and I took her on my standard loop in the Diablo foothills, but we extended further to get the mileage in.  I hadn’t taken parts of this route since last November and it was fun to be changing up the trails a bit.

We talked the whole way, never pushing too hard and made it through a pretty warm last couple miles.  These trails can get pretty exposed at times, and when you are running along through the dirt and direct sun, it feels like you might melt.  

20.2 miles/3:49:24/11:22 avg/2960’ gain

Sunday
20 mile trail run

This was a big test for me.  Not only was it another 20 mile run, but I had planned out a pretty tough route and I was going solo.  I was really excited though because I have wanted to do a point to point run and this day I was going to do it! 

I started on one side of Mt. Diablo and run up (not to the summit) and around the mountain.  I took some new trails I have been wanting to try out and connected them to my old favorite trails as well.  I am really starting to know the trail system on this mountain well!

I ended up on the other side in the foothills.  I stopped to refill my pack and check in with Chris, then did a very familiar loop.  It was getting really warm by this point and I recognized that and made sure to take it easy.  Hills I usually run up, I walked part of and just made sure to drink enough water and keep up on my salt caps and other fuel.  It was cooking! 

I made it to the end of my run and Chris picked me up and brought me back to my car.  I spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch, except for going to get pizza.  I was wiped!  

This also ended up being the run where I ran my 10,000th mile.

20.5 miles/4:00:25/11:43 avg/3501’ gain

Totals for Week 8
Miles: 80.1 (62 on trails)
Time: 14:31:23 (+ 1 hour yoga)
Elevation Gain: 9,548’

Next week is more of the same!  Building up my long runs and mileage bit by bit.

Week 7 was a cutback week for me.  It worked out well because it coincided with a trip to my parents house for my sister in law’s baby shower (I am going to be an aunt!).  Plus, after 3 weeks of building my miles, my legs and body were ready for a down week.  I knew it was going to be hard to get as many trail miles in as I would like this week, but I did my best.

Week of September 10th

Monday
no running
1 hr yoga

I am still kind of struggling to find a natural way to fit in yoga and run.  Mondays are the day I like to do yoga, but I am also tired from the weekend’s long runs and usually I just want to sleep and not run!  This Monday in particular I was wiped out from the race the day before and knew I needed a day off of running.  Yoga felt so good though.  I figured, especially since it was a cutback week, that 2 rest days from running would work!

Tuesday
am: 8 mile road run
pm: 5 mile trail run

I met up with my running group at work for an 8 mile road run. 

8.0 miles/1:15:39/9:26 avg

After work I hit up the trails for a beautiful evening.  After the first mile, my legs felt bouncy and fresh and I had so much fun running around the trails.  It’s like the dirt gives them life.  I saw a ton of deer that night (including a buck!) and a bunch of turkeys!

5.5 miles/54:30/9:51 avg/569’ gain

Wednesday
11 mile road run

I met up with my early morning friend for 6+ miles, then tacked on a few more to get my mid-week double digit run done.  I did not feel great on this run, but got it done. 

10.5 miles/1:40:30/9:33 avg

Thursday
7 mile trail run

So happy to be on the trails with my friends!

7.0 miles/1:16:27/10:55 avg/896’ gain

After work I loaded up the pups and drove down to my parents house, and got there pretty late.  I had plans the next morning to meet up with my friend Jessica to run a new route so I got to bed pretty quick after settling down from the drive.

Friday
16 mile trail/road run

I picked up Jess around 8am, happy to get to sleep in a little bit and excited for a new route.  It’s so nice getting to run somewhere where you don’t have to get up super early to beat the heat.  It was a standard foggy day in Santa Maria and we drove out to Pt. Sal, a little hidden local gem.

I hadn’t been there since I was a kid, but have very strong memories of hiking there with my dad and brother and getting run down by my yellow lab as I tried to run around a big rock at high tide.  It looked a lot different than it did in my memories, but it was still gorgeous.

We had to run up hill for a couple miles, where we got above the fog for a little bit.

Then we had to run all the way back down to get to the beach.

Pretty much the only way you can get to this beach is on foot.  It was high tide so we couldn’t get around the points on either end, but after some rock scaling we made it down to the beach.

We ran on the sand (which proved to be kind of difficult) to the other end to check it out.  We also stopped to look at the tide pools (starfish!).

It took a few minutes to figure out how to get back up out of the beach, but we figured it out.  We ran back up and over the hill again and were back at our car around 12 miles.  We decided to just add the other 4 on by running on the road out and back instead of running all the way back up again.  The road portion ended up being downhill and tailwind for the first 2 miles, which meant uphill headwind on the way back.  Wee!

16.0 miles/3:09:18/11:49 avg/2234’ gain

Saturday
~11 mile road/trail run

Baby shower day!  We had to leave for the shower pretty early, so I got up and was out the door at 6.  I ran to meet Jess again and we hit up some local trails at the other end of town.  My garmin died .2 miles into this run, so I just had to let it go because I had no time to deal with it.  It was about 2.5 miles to Jess and 2.5 miles back, and we ran about 6 together.  I was gone for 2 hours, so I called it 11 for the day. 

~11 miles/~2 hours

The baby shower was in such a fun, beautiful setting out in San Luis Obispo, and it was a perfect day for it.  We spoiled Erika and my little nephew to bed, and it so fun to be there.

Erika, me and my nephew

The day was filled with a lot of food, wine and family.

Sunday
rest

I stayed up late Saturday night and woke up early to make the long drive home Sunday, and was very thankful I pre-planned this rest day. 

Totals for Week 7:
Miles: 58.1
Time: 10:16:24 (+ 1 hour yoga)
Elevation Gain: 4,452’

A solid down week heading into a big 3 weeks of running.

So, let’s recap last week so I can get back to that training plan…   

Monday
rest

No labor on labor day for me!  First, no work means no Monday yoga, so that was out.  I had grand plans to take advantage of my day off and hit the trails, but I ended up sleeping in and being lazy on the couch for an extended amount of time that morning.  Then it was just too warm and I didn’t want to go.  Rest wins!

Tuesday
7 mile road run

Road run with the work crew.

6.5 miles/59:53/9:16 avg

Wednesday
am: 10 mile road/trail run
pm: 4 mile trail run

One thing I am working on this training cycle is not having set things for each day of the week.  A double day one Tuesday might not work the next Tuesday, so I just try to plan each week depending on what is going on and go from there.  It’s really nice to have the flexibility to plan around life’s happenings.

That morning I headed out for a run and felt awful.  It had been a long time since I felt that bad on a run.  My energy was just gone and my legs didn’t want to move.  I just kept going and really considered calling it quits a few miles in.  I made it back to my car but had started feeling better, so since the sun was coming up, I ran to the trails and ended up getting 10 miles in for the day (3-4 on the trails).  It was a very big reminder to me that those first few miles really can suck and sometimes you just have to keep running and you will feel better (but not always).

10.0 miles/1:35:43/9:33 avg/602’ gain

I didn’t have anything going on that evening so I headed out for a quick trail run.  There is something about putting my feet on dirt that automatically gives my legs life.  I was so happy to be out there running and it was such a beautiful night.  The clouds were awesome and the sunset that evening ended up being one of the best ones I have ever seen.

4.1 miles/41:14/10:03 avg/436’ gain

Thursday
11 mile trail run

I took a couple friends who wanted to get their long run in for the week on my favorite trail loop.  It was another gorgeous morning.

10.9 miles/1:59:00/10:58 avg/1304’ gain

Friday
6 mile road/trail run

Another run starting on the road while the sun finishes rising and then hitting the trails for a couple miles after the sun is up.  I am still figuring out how to adapt to the darker mornings while clinging on to as many trail miles as I can get.

6.0 miles/1:001:18/10:13 avg

Saturday
18 mile trail run

Alyssa has been asking to go to specific places that I post pictures of (I want to go here! and shows me a picture), so we made plans to do a long run on the trails together.  I was so excited to play tour guide on my favorite trails.  We turned it into a slumber party and Page and Cate joined for dinner, beers and catching up… it was so great.

Alyssa and I made it to the trails early and took our time running around.  I had so much fun watching her expressions as we would reach the top of a hill and she could experience all the beauty I get to see so often.  It was a very fun morning. 

18.1 miles/3:26:46/11:25 avg/2309’ gain

Sunday
22 mile trail run

Inside Trail K2 Summit 35k race with Jessica!

21.5 miles/4:13:57/11:47 avg/2533’ gain

Totals for Week 6
Miles: 77.1 (61.4 on trails)
Time: 13:57:51
Elevation Gain: 7,677’

That week finishes off 3 weeks of building and it’s time for a cutback week! 

This week was a big week in back to back runs and I am so happy with how they went!  Overall, I didn’t have as many miles on the trails throughout the week due to daylight, but that’s just something I am going to have to get used to as the days keep getting shorter.  I still was able to get a good chunk in on the dirt, I just had to be a little more creative at times.  I also wasn’t able to squeeze in my double day the way my schedule ended up laying out, but I was still able to hit 70 miles for the week for the first time this training cycle!

Onto the details…

Monday
1 hour yoga
6 mile road run

I moved a short/easy run to Monday since I wanted to do yoga that day.  I ended up going into SF and running with Jojo!  It was nice to get a run in the city and catch up with my friend.  My legs were dead this day and would barely move, but it felt good to shake them out.

6.0 miles/1:02:49/10:24 avg

Tuesday
rest

After my run the night before I could tell it was time for a full rest day, so that’s exactly what I did.

Wednesday
11 mile road run

It’s very dark early in the morning now, so I my friend Nicole and I stuck to the pavement this morning.  I missed the trails, but was happy to get a good run in!

11.0 miles/1:42:51/9:21 avg

Thursday
7 mile trail run

After 2 road runs already this week, my legs were craving some soft dirt.  I met up with Sima for a run on the trails and was so happy to be out there.

7.1 miles/1:15:52/10:40 avg/885’ gain

I briefly considered doing my double day this day since I typically do them on a day I run 6-8 miles in the morning, but with the big run on tap for Friday, I knew rest was a better choice.

Friday
21 mile trail run

My first run of training that started with a two!

21.0 miles/3:49:00/10:54 avg/3406’ gain

Saturday
16 mile trail run

Running above the clouds on Mt. Diablo.

16.0 miles/4:04:23/15:13 avg/4513’ gain

Sunday
9 mile trail run

This was one of those runs where I just wanted to keep running forever.  My legs and body felt fantastic, but I made myself stop at 9 like a good following-her-training-plan runner.  It made me wonder if I will ever be able to throw caution to the wind and just run however far I want to on a given day.  Maybe if it hadn’t been the day after such a big back to back?  Maybe if I wasn’t so scared?  I am sure it will happen someday, but probably during the “off season” or at least not the day after a big back to back.  Either way it was a great run.

9.1 miles/1:35:43/10:33 avg/1010’ gain

Totals for week 5
Miles: 70.2 (53.2 trail miles)
Time: 13:30:30 (+1 hour yoga)
Elevation Gain: 10,046′

One more week of building before another cutback week.