During this morning's long run, I decided to experiment with run/walk. I wanted to see what would happen if I mirrored the workout that I did on Wednesday, which was a faster pace for 5 minutes, followed by a 1 minute recovery walk. I ended up not doing exactly 5 mins fast, followed by 1 minute walk, because there were sections that were either really hilly or snowy/icy that I ended up having to walk. However, there were sections, where I really did love having that 1 minute walk break. Also, I did not try to go at half marathon pace during the 5 minute runs and I also tried to walk a bit faster during the 1 minute walk. In total, the 12 mile run seemed to go by fairly quickly. It was either quicker because of the run/walk, or maybe I'm finally getting used to running double digit mileage. My heart rate ran super high the last few miles, but it's because I felt able to push the pace. I was feeling really solid, just cruisin' along and definitely could've added a few more miles. I didn't even really notice the rain, until I stopped and then I was freezing. High 30s and wet are ok for running, but the aftermath isn't fun. The one great advantage to running early and in the rain is that I didn't see a single soul on my entire run until I got onto campus. Tomorrow, I have 8 miles to run. It'll be interesting to see how it'll feel to run back to back long runs. I think I'll try run/walk tomorrow as well.
Unfortunately, all of my favorite trails are still too snowy/icy to run on. Another great reason to try run/walk, so that I'm not just pounding the pavement for a couple of hours. The Mt. Hood 50 miler is obviously on trails, so I'm really hoping for a thaw out in the next week or so, so that I can get back on the trails. I miss the peacefulness of the woods, hearing the birds and the variety of running on uneven ground and leaping over logs. I love the razor-sharp focus that's required when trail-running. Although, I'm not complaining about road-running, because at least most of the sidewalks and streets are no longer covered in ice. Road-running also allows me to catch up on podcasts.
Princeton Battlefield: The thaw has started.
Trying out run/walk is in preparation for the 50 miler, where I know that no matter what, I will feel like quitting at mile 40. I'm hoping that if I have some kind of run/walk strategy, I'll have a better chance of finishing the race. I know for sure that I'll be hiking the uphills, but as for the flats, it will be tempting to push the pace early on. I'm hoping that walking (power hiking) during the race before I feel like I need to walk will prolong the inevitable fatigue. I'm so curious to know what it will feel like in the later miles of the race.
The best part of having a family is that I don't default to crawling into my warm bed after a long run. Today, I got home and immediately had to figure out breakfast for my two younger kids. They were up and they were hungry. I figured out breakfast for them quickly and excused myself to get into a hot shower. If not for the kids, I definitely would've crawled into bed after the shower, which would not have been a good idea. Instead, I got dressed into many layers to warm up, went downstairs and made myself a delicious breakfast burrito. Next up, a fun board game with them and then I was thinking of ways to get them active and out of the house. I woke up my teenager at 11 and thankfully, he was in the mood to join us all for a trip to the Princeton University Stadium. The plan was to take all forms of wheels- a scooter, a long board, a couple of skateboards and rollerblades along with all of the padding and helmets and then go in circles around the stadium. I long boarded and scootered for active recovery. The wet ground made steering difficult on the long board. At one point, I was going downhill and picking up more speed than I would've liked. I jumped off of the board. Thankfully, I did not wipe out. That could've been bad. It was cool to see my teenager take interest in the long board. He picked it up super quickly. Easy for him since he snowboards. After a few laps, we threw everything back into the truck and played a round of hide and seek at the stadium. After one round, everyone was starving so we ordered food to pick up in town. We had another beautiful sunny afternoon so we could enjoy sitting outside and eating. Gotta say that I really enjoyed my tacos. Two golden avocado and one brussels sprouts, topped with onions, cilantro and a vegan chipotle aioli. With a squeeze of lime, these are perfect. My only regret was that I forgot to ask them to double-wrap the tacos. That would've made the meal more filling.
Yummy tacos from Tacoria
As I sit typing this out, I'm happily icing my knees and ankles. Still feeling the left ankle. Not sure if it'll ever feel 100% unless I stop running for awhile. It's not bad though- I'm sort of used to it by now. My right ankle was sore from running/hiking in the snow last weekend, but it felt great by Thursday. The right knee sometimes acts up, but held up really well today. No issues with the left knee so far. Next up, going to get my ginger and turmeric tea with raw honey and relax for a bit. Trying to enjoy the downtime on the weekend before it all starts up again on Monday. I'm a little intimidated by next week's training plan that has me doing over 40 miles. I haven't had a 40 mile week since last June. It's supposed to be 6 days of running next week. Depending on how I feel, I may switch out one of the running days for the stationary bike. Gotta pay attention and not overdo it.
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