All About that Base

Week of June 13-June 19

Mileage:  53.2

My themes for the training week were "all about that base" and "all about that loop"!  Most of my runs were at base pace.* My husband was out of town this week, leaving me as a single mom.  Albani is 8 and we live in a very safe area, so I feel comfortable running outside nearby early while she is sleeping behind locked doors, but I don’t want to be more than a few minutes away at any given time.  There is a loop around our neighborhood that is 0.8 mile, so if I run laps around it I’m running by the house every 5 minutes or so.  If Albani wakes up and needs me (rare), she turns the porch light on and I stop and go in the house as soon as I see it.  Most of my weekday morning runs were done on this loop!  It wasn’t bad at all, and it was FAR better than running on the treadmill (which is loud and would wake her up, so would not work at 5:15 a.m. anyway)!

*Per my coach, my base pace is 7:30-8:30, but he prefers that I keep it at the lower end of that range, especially for long runs. The upper end is there for days when I'm fatigued and 7:30 pace feels like work. When I first started training with him, this was a big change because I used to run my easy and long runs slower, but I have gotten used to it and 7:30ish is my go-to pace now!  I didn't train with him this spring, but I still used the same principle, so I've been doing this for 11 months now, and it has definitely been helpful for my stamina.  Going from 7:30ish pace on long runs to 6:30ish pace (half) and 6:50ish pace (full) isn't as big of a shock as trying to go from 8:00+ pace to those race paces.

Monday – 35 minutes elliptical warm-up plus 45 minutes HIIT bootcamp for cross-training Monday.  Our instructor is emphasizing hip strength in June which I really appreciate!

Tuesday – 11.3 miles base pace, with 8.2 in the morning and 3.1 in the evening.  My morning 8 was around the neighborhood loop with a 7:25 average pace, and my evening 5K was around the YMCA dirt loop at 7:16 average pace.  All base/all loop.  This is the second double in as many weeks that I've felt fantastic during the second run, even at over 90 degrees today.  I think I ran a little faster on this one because I felt guilty about picking Albani up from daycare only to drop her off at Kids Zone at the Y, even though she loves going on the inflatables there, so I just wanted to get the run done and get us home.  Doubles as a full-time working mom are not the easiest even when the second run is less than a half hour long.

Rolling for recovery!

Wednesday – 11.1 miles base pace (7:32 average), mostly on the neighborhood loop with Missy.  She was such a good sport to run this course, repeatedly, with me!  When I was coming up on 10 miles, Albani turned the porch light on.  It had started clouding up and getting windy, as if a storm was imminent, during miles 9-10.  She woke up and is scared of storms so wanted me home.  I came super close to just calling it a day at 10.1 when I went inside, but my schedule from my coach said 11 miles so gosh darn it I was going to follow it – so after comforting her I ran 1 mile on the treadmill while watching Curious George with her.  That 1 mile felt almost longer than the 10 outside, and my hips felt a little wonky running on the treadmill, so I was thankful it was only 1 mile and decided if she needed me during my run the next day, I would just call it. 

Thursday – 8.7 miles total with 2 miles warm-up, 2 x 2 mile repeats with 1 mile recovery between, 1 mile cool-down plus 6 strides after.  The prescribed 2 mile paces were 6:30 for the first rep and 6:15-6:20 for the second rep, which are slower than I would aim to run 2 mile repeats at, but I am pretty sure the purpose was a tempo workout that was uptempo but not speed work or too much pounding - and also to do this on tired legs from Tuesday's and Wednesday's mileage.  I ran again with Missy, and again around the loop! 

My 2 mile tempo times were 12:28 (6:18, 6:10) and 12:29 (6:21, 6:08), which I was good with.  It was super sticky humid but I seem to be doing okay with summer running so far.  I am really good about hydrating so I think that helps.  My morning run hydration secret is fruit before bed - Wednesday night I had generous portions of cantaloupe and grapes before bed, and although I had to get up and pee overnight, I felt more hydrated for my 5:15 a.m. run because I think the fluids in the fruit release more slowly into my system then if I just drink water (I have nothing besides common sense to confirm this). I also always drink first thing after I wake up. 

2 x 2 mile in the middle

Friday – 3.1 miles base pace shake out (7:23) on the YMCA dirt track, before 50 minutes of bootcamp strength training.  Jon got back Thursday night so I was able to go to Friday morning bootcamp.  My glutes were yelling at me the rest of the day after weighted goblin squats, single leg squats, curtsey lunges, and jumping lunges. Also yelling at me on Saturday, but hopefully I am getting stronger from the bootcamps.

Saturday – 13 miles base pace (7:20). I've gotten spoiled in the past almost year with some amazing training partners and rarely running long runs alone. This was the long run that I had to ask 5 people to run with me before I got a yes: Missy (going out of town), Jamie (going out of town), Amy (7:30 pace is too fast right now), Daniel (riding a century), and Casey (yes!). I met Casey through racing her and because she ran at MSU with Jamie, and she lives in Rolla but her parents live less than 2 miles from me.  I saw her out running on my way to work on Thursday so I knew she was visiting them. Bingo! She said she hadn't been running longer than 8 or so since she ran Boston in April, so might not run the whole 13 with me, but I was happy with company for any of it! She ended up running 7 with me, about miles 2-8 because we each started at our homes and met in the middle. 

This run went pretty well and went by quickly. It was hot and humid even at 5:15 a.m. when we started, but it's going to be for a few months so I should probably stop noting it! I felt fine, but when I finished and took off my shoes at home, my sock was blood soaked! The best I can figure I developed a blood blister that popped during the run, but I didn't feel a thing. I've worn the shoes I had on for some 20+ milers and had no problems, and the socks were the best I own, so all I can figure is that my feet swelled in the heat, causing this. I am due for a new pair of shoes (I have 4 pairs in rotation and 3 of them have over 500 miles on them), so will go up a half size for my summer shoes and see if that does the trick. When Albani saw the blood she told me that I ought to not run for a few days and that I needed to put some Spray and Wash on the socks!

Saturday afternoon we went to Incredible Pizza, which was kind of a cross-training workout! Although we had a fantastic time, I will note that Incredible Pizza is incredibly time-consuming and incredibly expensive (we had a gift card for a portion of it at least)!

Long run

Bloody sock

Bloody sock 2

Incredible Pizza has incredible desserts

Jon and I had an intense competition on this game

She thought the toilet for a seat concept was gross

Race face

Sunday – 6 easy base miles (7:35).  Sundays are usually the only day I have a hard time getting out the door - ironic, because they are also typically my shortest run of the week and start the latest.  I used to take the day after my long runs off, and when I first started Sunday runs they were a slog at 8:30-9:00 pace.  They gradually got easier and faster, but just recently has my easy pace dropped to 7:30ish on them, so I hope this means good things for my endurance.  I walked back in from this run and made Sunday breakfast for the family in my sports bra and shorts before getting ready for church, so I will say I like Sunday runs better when it's warm out because I don't have to rush into the warm shower or risk freezing like I used to (family cooked breakfasts were not happening then!).

Until next week!