Sunday, July 12, 2015

Halfway there!

I can't believe how quickly this training season is going! I just finished up week 11, and it's going really well (*knocking on wood*). Even with the craziness at work, and helping my parents as they get ready to move, I've managed to keep up with my weekday runs and the weekend long runs. It's hasn't been easy, but after last year's horrible marathon experience I've done my best to make training a priority. 

That being said, my cross-training hasn't been too stellar. With the next two weeks being cutback weeks for our long runs, it's time to focus on other forms of exercise. My plan this week is to finally join XSport so I'll have some great new options. Luckily one of my new benefits with the new company is reimbursement for health club memberships, so I'm definitely taking advantage of that!

This past Saturday started with a strong 14 mile training run with Christine. We started off in North Aurora for a change of scenery, and headed north towards Geneva. The stretch from North Aurora to Batavia on the west side of the river seems to go on forever, so we got that out of the way at the beginning. Of course, that meant we had the hilly stretch through Red Oak on the way back...oops! The first 9 miles seemed to fly by, and we both felt great. Around mile 10 or so the heat and humidity, plus some extra hills, made us both feel like we were running through quicksand for a bit. But we stuck to our run/walk plan, did a great job fueling, and finished strong. Oh man - it felt wonderful to get this one under my belt! And it felt even better to get changed and join Christine for a delicious breakfast at Egg Harbor!

What amazed me was how good I felt when I woke up this morning. In the past I'd be moving slow, hurting all over, the day after a long run. Other than a bit of calf soreness when I first got out of bed I felt fabulous. I think all the midweek work I'm doing, along with the monthly massages, is paying off. And I have to say I'm still enjoying training! I know there will come a point where I'm going to want to throw in the towel, but knowing that I have wonderful supporters (and that I get to share this with Christine!) is giving me the drive to stick with it.