Summer!

School's out for the Summer! "I ain't got not class, I ain't got no principles" Alright I won't recall every word of Alice Coopers song, but I am done! Wohoo! I only have one, count it one more semester in this sucky marathon I have called college. Yea! Almost done! I also did okay on grades this semester. Not awesome, but I did okay and I'll take them all.

Well for the week of April 26- May 2 I ran a grand total of... wait for it... 16 miles! Bummer dude. But that was an awesome number compared to last week. I got a big fat goose egg for last week. So I am trying to make up for it big time this week.
Monday: Trail run, Hike up the 1.8 miles in 36:36 which was pretty fast especially for not running it. Then I ran down. for 21:19. However I think that was my last run down that trail. It is really populated and getting more rocky and worn down by the week. I was really focused coming down, and kept reminding myself to be careful and to focus, but I slide on one part, slide not tripped so I think that says something about how careful I was, and came within inches of hitting my head on a very large rock. However I felt this workout the next day and not cuz I was injured or anything. So that was good.

Wednesday I ran a total of five miles. AGGG! I was focused. I streched. I poured it on for that last lap ( ooh that reminds me of a good song I have yet to purchase.) and I came in at blah. I don't even want to write what my final time was or my pace for those miles. It was a good run, so I am trying to focus on that.

Thursday I had a great workout and a new speedworkout. I got to the track and stretched then I did a little bit of strength doing lunges and squats around the track ( 1/4) of mile. Oh my gosh. I could feel it right away. It took me about four or five songs to complete this. Then I did repeats. I wasn't sure I could handle the usually speed workout of a two or three mile warm up followed by two or three mile repeats with 800 meters thrown in there at the end. So I did 1200's X 4. This was interesting. It was long enough to maintain my interest, (800's are usually sucky repeats - what song would I listen to? ) but not so long that I was tempted to cut it after two repeats like I do with the mile. They were still kind of slow!, but went as follows:

1st: 7:51
2nd: 6:53
3rd: 6:49
4th: 7:15

Interesting right? The difference between the first was really warm up difference, (I was expecting that) but the middle two were pretty close and I usually can't do that ( My last mile repeats went something like 8:29, then 8:46.) I can't get the times that close. So I was really happy with this. And I was also happy that I eeked out those last 1200 meters. I wasn't sure where it would come from. ( I still think I could've pushed a little bit more on that last one though.)

The good thing about this workout is that I feel it! I was so sore yesterday and I am so sore today. Its nice that I am sore like this without it being an injury kind of pain, but it also lets me know how week my glutes and legs are. It really shouldn't hurt this bad. Yesterday I rested and I should've iced, but didn't, but I did stretch before bed. I elevated and taped up my legs. I don't have anything really for compression so sometimes as a "last-resort-I-want-to-run" I use the tape on the achy parts of my legs or feet and call it good. I don't think it did the trick and I should've got up last night for ibuprophen, but I couldn't walk down the stairs to the kitchen one more time - thats how bad I hurt!

This morning still in pain I decided I needed to do something so I went on a "hike" I went just for an hour on a great trail up the canyon by the river and it was beautiful. I wish I had had time for a two hour hike, but I made sure to stretch after and before so that's good.

Tomorrow! I want to do that fourteen miler I keep trying to get in! We'll see. I think maybe an ice bath is on the schedule for tonight after work, because I need a long run. They are my favorite and I don't want to start off a week with a long run. That messes with the schedule.

We'll see what happens. Also note worthy, but kinda gross so tune out if you are easily queased. I lost a toenail! The one next to the big toe on my left foot. I was kind of creeped out and sad since I had a pedicure lined up for the next day ( which I canceled.) People warned me that might happen, but I figured it only happened to those running 60, 70, or 80 miles a week. I guess it is just a runners rite of passage, one I will have to get used to. It could also have its perks. Can you ask the girl painting your toes if she will only charge you for nine toes? :)

Have a great night, and all those who go long on Sunday I hope we all have fabulous runs!