Boldly running where I've never gone before

OK, so it wasn’t quite as bad as the time Captain Kirk and company beamed down to the planet Excalbia to conduct a geological survey and he ended up fighting this big ugly creature (a beast named Yarnek).  But it hasn’t been the most fantastic two weeks either.  Training has been up and down:  a couple of days were absolutely excellent and a few pretty much sucked.

Mainly there were some “intestinal issues” over the past week which have finally resolved, and then today I stubbed my toe and might have broken it.  It’s the middle toe on my right foot.  I have it buddy-taped, and I don’t run again until Tuesday.  So hopefully it will not be an issue.  But I sure will be happy when it quits hurting.

Anyway, here’s how it went:

Week 3

Sunday 9/2 —  A day off after the 9 mile Long Run; went with my husband to the Check Please Farm to Table Festival about a 2 hour drive away in Michigan.   The food was great:  “small plate” servings of food prepared by about 30 different chefs along with local brews and wine.  Our favorites were the sauteed pork belly on honey mustard with herb salad and fresh cherries and also a wonderful sweet-potato bread pudding.  I just love good food I didn’t have to cook!

Monday 9/3 —  Labor Day.  I should have done some Cross Training but I felt like lounging instead.  So I did.  It was nice to hang around the house with nothing on the agenda for the day.  You need those days every now and then, even when training for a marathon.

Tuesday 9/4 —  The schedule called for a 7 mile Tempo Run.  It was very hot and sunny, so I was slower than I wanted to be but I got it done.  I’d rate it “so-so.”

Wednesday 9/5 —  A Weights day.  I did one of my favorite DVD’s: Cathe Friedrich’s Push-Pull.  Nice DOMS the day after.

Thursday 9/6 —  Speedwork:  1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400 and then 200 meters with a 200 meter rest interval in between.  A most EXCELLENT outing!  Faster than the training schedule called for, and I really kicked ass that morning.  It was great.

Friday 9/7  and Saturday 9/8 — Sick days.  Did nothing.  Feh.

Week 4

Sunday 9/9 —  A scheduled day off.  I worked at the Urgent Care.

Monday 9/10 —  Cross Training day:  45 minute bicycle ride around the neighborhood with a few hills.  9 miles in 45 minutes.

Tuesday 9/11 —  Tempo Run day:  Again, slower than I wanted to be.  The schedule called for 6.  I managed 5.5.  I still wasn’t back to 100% yet and it showed.

Wednesday 9/12 —  XT again:  30 minutes on the bike; should have done weights after the run but time got away from me and I had to get to work.

Thursday 9/13 —  A “supposed to be Speedwork” day:  30 minutes of run/walk intervals outdoors.   Just wasn’t feeling well enough to put forth much effort.

Friday 9/14 —  Scheduled day off.

Saturday 9/15 — 12 mile Long Run.  It was a nice day, slightly warmer than I would have liked, but I did good.  I followed the pace on the training schedule even though it seemed slow and felt decent afterwards.

So that brings us up to the present day. I have a 6 mile Tempo Run for Tuesday, more Speedwork for Thursday and a 14 mile Long Run on Saturday (with 2 XT days and a Weights session in between).   Hopefully the toe won’t be an ugly beast I have to conquer but if it is, c’est la vie.  I shall slay the monster like Captain Kirk and consider it another successful mission.