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!
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