Is this recovery? Is this tapering? I don't know!

Week of November 14-20, 2016

Mileage:  43.5, with a short fine-turning workout, a set of strides, a couple of strength/core workouts, and a PR half marathon race!  This week was part of my recovery phase from the Bass Pro Marathon, but also kind of tapering in preparation for the White River Half, and possibly also easing into Phoenix Marathon training...I think!  One reason I really like having a coach is that I have a plan to follow during weeks like this where I'm not exactly sure what I should be doing because of all of the variables involved.  This makes me not have to constantly second-guess if my runs are correct, or wonder if I am doing enough (plus I typically err on the side of doing too much and hurting myself).  Since my coach found the magic formula to get me two sub-3:00 marathons in 4 weeks and keep me 100% healthy throughout the process, I trust him with this schedule...as a control freak it took me awhile to get there and I still ask a lot of questions (like when do doubles come back and when does my mileage go back up to 50s-60s), though!

I got this awesome office door sign for helping with a thesis!

Monday - Cross-training Monday as usual, with 60 minutes easy elliptical and 30 minutes strength work.  I did minimal leg work (1 set each of forward lunges, single leg squats, single leg dead lifts, and glute bridges), and focused on core and upper body work.  I went back and forth on whether or not to go to bootcamp, and decided that I really didn't have much to gain right now from going (and perhaps had some to lose if it was a heavier leg day or if the instructor had us do a ton of jumping and plyos), and that resting my legs some more as I recover from Bass Pro was the smarter thing to do.  I'll resume bootcamp next week and hope I haven't lost too much strength!

Tuesday - 9 miles total:  4 warm-up, 2 half-ish pace (6:20, 6:18), 1 recovery, 1 5K-ish pace (5:54), 1 cool-down (7:02 average for all 9 together).  Amy, who is also racing the White River half, had a 2 mile tune-up tempo as well, so she ran the first 6 miles of this with me - although, neither of us ran exactly what we had scheduled, as her workout was 2 warm-up, 2 tempo, 2 cool-down, and mine was 6 base pace, 2 tempo, 1 cool-down...oops!  The 2 miles at 6:19 felt brisk but sustainable (I was aiming for 6:20), and the 1 mile at 5:54 felt fast but not like killing myself (I was aiming for sub-6:00).  I could tell I was not 100% recovered from Bass Pro - and how would I be, just 9 days later? - but I hoped that I was in good enough shape to rally for a solid half after 3 more recovery days.

Wednesday - 7.3 miles base pace (7:30), solo and by the light of the moon.  The full moon was so bright it was like the sun was up at 5:45 a.m., and then the sun came up and I felt like I was running late for work!  I also did a 10 minute core workout.

Thursday - 4.5 miles shake plus 4 strides (7:18).  I forgot about the strides until I was almost at mile 4 when my run was supposed to end; I find strides easy to forget because they are tacked onto easy runs I guess.  It was 60 degrees for this run and I also did not need a headlamp - wahoo!  Can it just stay like this all fall and winter, please?!

Friday - Off, which you know means an easy bit on the elliptical to maintain the streak (just 10 minutes plus stretching, because I slept in!).  Friday was also pajama day for Albani's class, but even so I felt odd sending her out into the world like this!

I'm also embarrassed of the mess in the background!

Saturday - White River Half in a PR of 1:22:37 (16.5 total with 2 warm-up and 1.4 cool-down).  Read the details here.  I'm still in happy shock from this race, and it was certainly my strongest performance of 2016!  I hope I wasn't being greedy adding this in, but I am so thankful that I did.

Sunday - 6.1 recovery miles (7:42).  I dragged my feet getting out for this one because it was "feels like" 17 degrees and I knew it was possible that my legs would hate me.  But both of these variables were better than expected and I enjoyed the run!

I'm thankful for another week of health, happiness, and training!  Next week I don't do much, which I know is for the greater good, but wow it's hard not to want to go out and throw down to try to get faster following such a blessed race and season.  Patience, right?!