Boston Marathon, week #5

First peak week, dominated. Okay maybe not quite dominated, but over with. And I can sigh a big breath of relief.

The goal was to get in about 60 miles total, with an 18-19 mile long run and a 4x2-mile threshold workout. The weather wasn't too cooperative... half my runs were on the treadmill. (Boo.)

Thanks to my buddy MLK Jr., I had last Monday off school, so I tackled a beast of a threshold workout on the treadmill. The wind chill was near 0*F so there was no way I was battling crazy winds and extreme cold with that long of a workout.

My torture of the day was 4x2-mile @ 6:32 with 1-2 minutes standing recovery. Basically, I set the treadmill to 9.2mph with a 0.5% incline and ~~ran~~ sprinted 2 miles... and then hopped off for a minute while the belt ran on wildly without me. I didn't want to waste time slowing down and then getting back up to speed. After a minute of standing awkwardly on the treadmill rails (trying not to fall and make a fool of myself), I would hop back on and start sprinting again. Repeat X 4. It really wasn't too bad, until the last 1/2 mile or so of each repeat. I hit my splits pretty consistently - 12:57, 12:55, 12:55, 12:55. (It's not too hard to be consistent on a treadmill, just don't give into the temptation to press the 'STOP' button.)

Due to a miscommunication with a cupcake order pick-up, I did not have time to cool down on the treadmill. Once I got home and straightened that out, I headed out for a 2-mile death march cool-down. In the 0*F weather. Might have been the longest, coldest 2 miles of my life.

Other notable workout - 18.5 mile long run. On the treadmill, yet again. It was snowing and torrential wind-blowing outside and I didn't want to deal with it by myself. For some reason, I can deal with crazy weather as long as I'm running with people, but by myself, I'm a complete pansy. Oh well, I still got it in, and my legs felt good.

Weekly Rundown 1.21.2013-1.27.2013

Mon - 4x2-mile @ 6:32 (12:57, 12:55, 12:55, 12:55); 12.2 miles total

Tues - 8.1 miles easy

Wed - 7.7 miles easy AM; 3.2 miles easy PM

Thurs - Off

Fri - 18.5 miles LONG (7:49 avg)

Sat - 4.3 miles easy

Sun - 8 miles easy

Total - 62 miles

Random exciting tidbit of the week -

I have discovered the joy of COMPRESSION SOCKS! Oh my goodness, why did it take me so long to find these? I've always shied away from the $$ price tag, but they popped up on my new favorite website - Steep and Cheap. (They post outdoorsy-type athletic gear deals throughout the day, and stuff is way marked down. It's kind of a game of chance though, but I love checking the site throughout the day to see if there's anything exciting.)

I got these socks (originally $50) for just $17. And I wish I would have bought 3 pairs. They felt so good on my legs after my long run... and I swear they helped me recover faster. (But it could all be in my head... who knows.) And the pink is so much fun. Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Happy running!

Hot Off the Press... [Chicken Bacon Bleu Panini]

So I totally forgot to post a panini recipe last Thursday... whoops. I'm sure you were all waiting with bated breath and were very disappointed. Well, never fear, because I've got a fabulous panini recipe tonight! Tangy bleu cheese and salty bacon come together to form a delectable sandwich. It comes from the panini cookbook I received for Christmas, 200 Best Panini Recipes (thanks Mom!) . The Chicken Bacon Bleu panini : grilled chicken, crisp bacon, and bleu cheese on sourdough with a spread of barbecue sauce and sliced red onion. I had never thought of putting bleu cheese on a panini before I saw this recipe. I feared there wouldn't be enough ooey gooey cheese! But bleu cheese actually melts pretty nicely. It's no Velveeta, but it added a great tang to the sandwich. First, spread the bottom piece of bread with a bit of barbecue sauce, and top with some grilled chicken. I actually used my panini press to grill my chicken for the first time, and it wa

The Arrival of Something New...

Woo hoo for the last Friday of the school year! And only one more day of school next week. (And then a couple teacher workshops...) Another reason to be excited? Our fridge came today!! Isn't she a beauty? It is so nice to have a fridge again. You don't realize how much you miss a full-size refrigerator until you go a couple weeks without it. A bit bare... but that can be solved easily. Bottom-drawer freezer, containing the essentials: moose tracks & Diet Dew trying to get cold asap. Anyways, I'm just popping in to share my beautiful new appliance. The baking monster has taken over, and I'm in the midst of making 150 cupcakes for a graduation party tomorrow. First big baking project in the new kitchen! I'm loving all the counter space. Mmm... chocolate buttercream! Making good use of the baking nook! :) Adios!

Boston Marathon, week #3

Last week was a great week for training - lots of easy runs, a V02-max workout, and my first long run that actually felt 'long'. The goal was to get in 50-55 miles, and I ended up with 56ish, so right on target. Saturday's long run was glorious ! Temps in the 50's in January (!) makes me a very happy runner. I headed out for 16-17 miles and ended up with almost 18. And I remembered to bring fuel! I tried out the blueberry-pomegranate Gu chomps, and they weren't my favorite. I ate one every 2 miles once I hit the 8-mile mark and they left a strange aftertaste. Pretty much as soon as the aftertaste went away, it would be time to eat one again. I'm thinking I will try something else next time. This was the week of the 8's... what a monotonous bar graph. I'll try better next week to make it a little more exciting. Weekly Rundown 1.7.2013-1.13.2013 Mon - 8.2 miles easy Tues - 8.3 miles easy Wed - 4x1200m @ 4:29 (4:32, 4:31, 4:31, 4:34);

Livin' the Dream in Lima

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